Matthew 25:24 – 28

The Parable of the Talents (3)

24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

When the third servant comes to settle up with his master he makes excuses for his failing by making false accusations against his master. The master will use these false accusations against the servant in verses 26 – 27.

The practice of some Christians are the same as this third servant. The thought is if “I do not do any evil then I am fine with God and He will reward me.” This servant hid the money and did nothing.

Will he be rewarded?

However there are many passages which condemn the “sin of omission.” Later in this chapter we will see Christianity is an active religion, not tolerating passive members.

We might be able to bury our money and be able to retrieve it and use it at a later time, but burying our responsibilities and expecting the ability we have to accomplish those responsibilities to remain in the same condition is not realistic.

The servant was both wicked and lazy, wicked because of the false accusations made against the master and lazy because he did not do anything constructive with the money he was entrusted with.

The master does not admit the accusations are true but uses them against the servant.

If the master was as harsh and unforgiving as the servant claimed he was then he should have been eager to place the money he was entrusted with into the services of the money-changers to make some profit for the master.

The ex-changer was a business person who exchanged currency for the travelers who visited Jerusalem for the feasts, their currency was not usable in Jerusalem so the ex-changer sold them the local currency. The ex-changer paid the locals who gave him local currency to sell a fee for using their money. This is how the servant would have gained a profit on his masters money.

Our master expects production from his servants. The kingdom of heaven is not a passive organization. Sitting in a church pew listening to a sermon does not count as being a servant of Christ.

The master in the parable which relates to God in our lives, God is our master, we are the servants. Doesn't have a quota for us to meet, but he does expect us to do something, not just sit on our abilities. We are given the abilities we have and are expected to use them for Jesus while we live on this earth.