Matthew 25:24-30 24And after also coming forward, the one who had received the one talent said, ‘Master, because I know you are a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25and because I was afraid, after going away, I hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’ 26But in answering, his master said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and after coming, I received what was my own with interest. 28Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30And throw the worthless servant out into the outer darkness. There there will will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The story takes a surprising change in direction with the situation of the third servant who also must give an accounting of what he did with the master’s money. It becomes obvious that the two groups have a different understanding of the master. The third servant’s view of the master is given in two causal participles: because I knew (egnōn) and because I was afraid (phobētheis). The basis for his fear is that he believed the master to be a harsh business man who somehow squeezes money out where there seems to be none. This servant does not understand basic economics, that money can be invested to produce more money. The wealthy become that way through careful use of their money. The servant casts blame on the master for his own bad judgment on money matters. It is obvious that the servant did not know the master’s will or method. He was too caught up in his own presuppositions and misunderstanding of the master.
The master saw right through the servant’s selfishness by calling him wicked and lazy. This was a heart issue and not just a head issue. The servant did what he did because he was more concerned about himself. He did not make the effort to study what the master did with his money to get that much. Interestingly, the master agrees with the man about his methods of gaining more money where there was none, but he purposely leaves out the harsh part. The master was not harsh, just wise with his investments. This response just proves that this servant did not know his master. Any basic understanding would have told the servant at least to invest the money to get basic interest. Leaving money in the ground will lose value over time. Even in the first century, there was a concept of lending and interest.
Sadly, the parable ends with a bad outcome for the third servant. He loses the talent he had and was thrown out into the darkness. Verse 30 ends with the repeated phrase that represents hell as a place of misery and pain. The proverbial statement in verse 29 repeats the idea of 13:12. This verse should be interpreted within the context of spiritual growth and faithfulness to the mission Jesus has given us, and not in the context of finances. Many wealthy people who are wicked die wealthy. They will lose their wealth at death, since we cannot take anything with us to eternity. Moreover, the abundance about which Jesus speaks here is related to spiritual growth, peace, and the joy of the master. God has given each person responsibilities, talents, gifts, abilities, and opportunities. If we are poor stewards of these, God may withdraw these blessings. But if we are faithful and carry out God’s will because we know our Master and his methods, we will experience increased spiritual and sometimes material blessings in this life and then ultimately receive the blessings of the eternal joy of our Master.
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