Three Servants

In the parable about the ten virgins, Jesus warned that religious activity without the Holy Spirit in one’s heart would miss out completely when the Lord returns.   Now Jesus tells another parable to help understand what is involved in being a Christian.   Matthew 25:14-18 gives the background of the story.  “For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.  Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.  And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.  But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.”  

The master assigned each servant certain responsibilities, understand their various abilities and skills.   Two of the servants accepted their responsibility and actively worked at the doing what they had been given to do, using the money their master had provided.   The third servant went and buried the money so that he wouldn’t have to worry about it being lost or stolen. 

One day the master returned and each one gave an accounting for what they had done.  Those who had actively used their Lord’s money to accomplish something were rewarded,  as described in Matthew 25:19-23.  “After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.  And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.  His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”   

One servant had gained five talents while the other had gained two, but both had doubled what they had been given.  Both were commended as good and faithful servants and were welcomed into the master’s celebration.  Things are completely different for the third servant. As we see in Matthew 25:24-30.  “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strowed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strowed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.  For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” 

As the master explains, the third servant knew that because of who he was the master would make a profit on everything he was involved with.  If the servant had even bothered to take the money to the bank and put it into a savings account, he would have earned a little bit of interest on it, and the money would have been almost as safe as it was buried in the ground.  By burying the money, the servant had guaranteed there was no possibility of his master making a profit on the money he had been entrusted with.   He simply couldn’t be bothered to make the effort, because it might not make very much. 

Because he made no effort to act on what he had been given, the servant lost everything and was cast into outer darkness.  The illustration is, once again of a person who has heard the truth, but never incorporates it into his life, never allowing the Holy Spirit to produce any changes in their life.  They will be cast into hell along with those who have openly rejected Christ, simply becauser they have never trusted Christ to give them salvation.