{"id":44471,"date":"2024-01-11T03:09:48","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T00:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/?p=44471"},"modified":"2025-05-06T20:21:29","modified_gmt":"2025-05-06T17:21:29","slug":"why-was-the-master-so-displeased-with-the-servant-who-hid-his-talent-in-the-ground-matthew-2526-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wingulamashahidi.org\/en\/2024\/01\/11\/why-was-the-master-so-displeased-with-the-servant-who-hid-his-talent-in-the-ground-matthew-2526-30\/","title":{"rendered":"Why was the master so displeased with the servant who hid his talent in the ground? (Matthew 25:26-30)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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At <\/span>first <\/span>glance, <\/span>it <\/span>might <\/span>seem <\/span>strange <\/span>that <\/span>the <\/span>master <\/span>was <\/span>so <\/span>harsh <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>servant <\/span>who <\/span>simply <\/span>returned <\/span>the <\/span>one <\/span>talent <\/span>he <\/span>had <\/span>been <\/span>given. <\/span>After <\/span>all, <\/span>he <\/span>didn’t <\/span>lose <\/span>it <\/span>or <\/span>waste <\/span>it. <\/span>So <\/span>why <\/span>was <\/span>he <\/span>punished <\/span>so <\/span>severely?<\/span><\/p>\n

To <\/span>understand <\/span>this <\/span>properly, <\/span>let’s <\/span>take <\/span>a <\/span>closer <\/span>look <\/span>at <\/span>the <\/span>context <\/span>in <\/span>Matthew <\/span>25:<\/span>14-<\/span>15 (<\/span>NKJV)<\/span><\/strong>:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>For <\/span>the <\/span>kingdom <\/span>of <\/span>heaven <\/span>is <\/span>like <\/span>a <\/span>man <\/span>traveling <\/span>to <\/span>a <\/span>far <\/span>country, <\/span>who <\/span>called <\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>servants <\/span>and <\/span>delivered <\/span>his <\/span>goods <\/span>to <\/span>them. <\/span>And <\/span>to <\/span>one <\/span>he <\/span>gave <\/span>five <\/span>talents, <\/span>to <\/span>another <\/span>two, <\/span>and <\/span>to <\/span>another <\/span>one, <\/span>to <\/span>each <\/span>according <\/span>to <\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>ability; <\/span>and <\/span>immediately <\/span>he <\/span>went <\/span>on <\/span>a <\/span>journey.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Let <\/span>us <\/span>pay <\/span>special <\/span>attention <\/span>to <\/span>two <\/span>phrases: <\/span>\u201c<\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>servants\u201d<\/span><\/strong> and <\/span>\u201c<\/span>delivered <\/span>his <\/span>goods <\/span>to <\/span>them.\u201d<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

This <\/span>parable <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>about <\/span>the <\/span>master <\/span>giving <\/span>gifts <\/span>to <\/span>friends <\/span>or <\/span>relatives, <\/span>where <\/span>profit <\/span>might <\/span>not <\/span>be <\/span>expected. <\/span>Instead, <\/span>he <\/span>entrusts <\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>property<\/span><\/strong> to <\/span>his <\/span>own <\/span>servants<\/span><\/strong>\u2014<\/span>people <\/span>under <\/span>his <\/span>authority, <\/span>whose <\/span>purpose <\/span>is <\/span>to <\/span>work <\/span>for <\/span>him. <\/span>The <\/span>expectation <\/span>is <\/span>clear: <\/span>they <\/span>were <\/span>to <\/span>manage <\/span>his <\/span>wealth <\/span>in <\/span>a <\/span>way <\/span>that <\/span>would <\/span>bring <\/span>return <\/span>or <\/span>increase.<\/span><\/p>\n

To <\/span>illustrate, <\/span>imagine <\/span>you <\/span>own <\/span>a <\/span>business <\/span>and <\/span>hire <\/span>an <\/span>employee. <\/span>You <\/span>entrust <\/span>this <\/span>employee <\/span>with <\/span>capital <\/span>and <\/span>give <\/span>him <\/span>the <\/span>responsibility <\/span>of <\/span>operating <\/span>the <\/span>business <\/span>while <\/span>you’re <\/span>away. <\/span>You <\/span>return <\/span>and <\/span>find <\/span>that <\/span>he <\/span>has <\/span>done <\/span>nothing <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>resources\u2014<\/span>you <\/span>haven\u2019t <\/span>made <\/span>any <\/span>profit, <\/span>and <\/span>he <\/span>hasn\u2019t <\/span>even <\/span>tried. <\/span>Would <\/span>you <\/span>be <\/span>pleased? <\/span>Of <\/span>course <\/span>not. <\/span>Even <\/span>if <\/span>your <\/span>initial <\/span>capital <\/span>is <\/span>untouched, <\/span>your <\/span>expectation <\/span>of <\/span>growth <\/span>was <\/span>completely <\/span>ignored. <\/span>Meanwhile, <\/span>that <\/span>employee <\/span>still <\/span>expects <\/span>a <\/span>salary. <\/span>That\u2019s <\/span>a <\/span>loss<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>not <\/span>just <\/span>a <\/span>lack <\/span>of <\/span>gain.<\/span><\/p>\n

Similarly, <\/span>in <\/span>the <\/span>parable, <\/span>the <\/span>servant <\/span>was <\/span>entrusted <\/span>with <\/span>a <\/span>responsibility <\/span>but <\/span>failed <\/span>to <\/span>act <\/span>on <\/span>it. <\/span>He <\/span>was <\/span>unfaithful, <\/span>not <\/span>because <\/span>he <\/span>committed <\/span>a <\/span>crime <\/span>or <\/span>squandered <\/span>the <\/span>money, <\/span>but <\/span>because <\/span>he <\/span>did <\/span>nothing <\/span>at <\/span>all<\/span><\/strong>. <\/span>The <\/span>master <\/span>says:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>But <\/span>his <\/span>lord <\/span>answered <\/span>and <\/span>said <\/span>to <\/span>him, \u2018<\/span>You <\/span>wicked <\/span>and <\/span>lazy <\/span>servant…\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>25:<\/span>26 <\/span>NKJV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The <\/span>master <\/span>further <\/span>explains:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>So <\/span>you <\/span>ought <\/span>to <\/span>have <\/span>deposited <\/span>my <\/span>money <\/span>with <\/span>the <\/span>bankers, <\/span>and <\/span>at <\/span>my <\/span>coming <\/span>I <\/span>would <\/span>have <\/span>received <\/span>back <\/span>my <\/span>own <\/span>with <\/span>interest.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>25:<\/span>27 <\/span>NKJV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In <\/span>other <\/span>words, <\/span>doing <\/span>something, <\/span>even <\/span>something <\/span>small<\/span><\/strong>, <\/span>would <\/span>have <\/span>been <\/span>better <\/span>than <\/span>doing <\/span>nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Theological <\/span>Insight:<\/span><\/h3>\n

In <\/span>the <\/span>context <\/span>of <\/span>the <\/span>Kingdom <\/span>of <\/span>God, <\/span>this <\/span>parable <\/span>illustrates <\/span>how <\/span>God <\/span>entrusts <\/span>each <\/span>believer <\/span>with <\/span>gifts, <\/span>abilities, <\/span>opportunities, <\/span>and <\/span>responsibilities\u2014<\/span>sometimes <\/span>referred <\/span>to <\/span>as \u201c<\/span>talents\u201d <\/span>in <\/span>both <\/span>literal <\/span>and <\/span>symbolic <\/span>terms. <\/span>These <\/span>gifts <\/span>are <\/span>not <\/span>given <\/span>for <\/span>personal <\/span>preservation, <\/span>but <\/span>for <\/span>the <\/span>service <\/span>of <\/span>God <\/span>and <\/span>the <\/span>benefit <\/span>of <\/span>others<\/span><\/strong> (<\/span>1 <\/span>Peter <\/span>4:<\/span>10).<\/span><\/p>\n

God <\/span>expects <\/span>us <\/span>to <\/span>use <\/span>what <\/span>we\u2019ve <\/span>been <\/span>given<\/span><\/strong>\u2014<\/span>whether <\/span>it’s <\/span>spiritual <\/span>gifts, <\/span>resources, <\/span>or <\/span>opportunities\u2014<\/span>to <\/span>advance <\/span>His <\/span>Kingdom. <\/span>Failure <\/span>to <\/span>do <\/span>so <\/span>is <\/span>not <\/span>considered <\/span>neutral\u2014<\/span>it <\/span>is <\/span>considered <\/span>unfaithfulness<\/span><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s <\/span>why <\/span>Jesus <\/span>concludes <\/span>the <\/span>parable <\/span>with <\/span>these <\/span>powerful <\/span>words:<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c<\/span>For <\/span>to <\/span>everyone <\/span>who <\/span>has, <\/span>more <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>given, <\/span>and <\/span>he <\/span>will <\/span>have <\/span>abundance; <\/span>but <\/span>from <\/span>him <\/span>who <\/span>does <\/span>not <\/span>have, <\/span>even <\/span>what <\/span>he <\/span>has <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>taken <\/span>away. <\/span>And <\/span>cast <\/span>the <\/span>unprofitable <\/span>servant <\/span>into <\/span>the <\/span>outer <\/span>darkness. <\/span>There <\/span>will <\/span>be <\/span>weeping <\/span>and <\/span>gnashing <\/span>of <\/span>teeth.\u201d<\/span><\/em> (<\/span>Matthew <\/span>25:<\/span>29-<\/span>30 <\/span>NKJV)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This <\/span>is <\/span>a <\/span>sobering <\/span>warning: <\/span>inaction <\/span>in <\/span>God\u2019s <\/span>Kingdom <\/span>is <\/span>judged <\/span>as <\/span>disobedience. <\/span>It <\/span>reminds <\/span>us <\/span>that <\/span>we <\/span>are <\/span>stewards <\/span>of <\/span>what <\/span>God <\/span>has <\/span>entrusted <\/span>to <\/span>us, <\/span>and <\/span>we <\/span>will <\/span>give <\/span>account (<\/span>Romans <\/span>14:<\/span>12, <\/span>1 <\/span>Corinthians <\/span>4:<\/span>2).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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