But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
What was this guy thinking? To do nothing with what was entrusted to him when he easily could have seen some increase by simply depositing it in the bank is one thing, to lie to his master about his reason for inactivity is another.
The Master entrusted three servants with three large amounts of money. A talent was a measurement of weight at the time, so knowing if it was a talent of gold, silver, or copper would help in determining the value today. Unfortunately, we don’t have this information. We are to understand that the sums were large enough to invest and see return on.*
The wicked servant who was lazy and did nothing with the talent he was entrusted with lied. He claimed that he was afraid that the Master would punish him for losing the money. This wasn’t true, and even if it were, it was unnecessary. The Master diversified his portfolio enough to win under most circumstances. Think about it:
The Master began with eight talents. He desired to invest these eight talents through his servants. Should the servant with the one talent invest and lose everything while the other two doubled their investment (as they did in the parable), the Master would end with fourteen talents, six more than He started with. If the wicked servant lost everything and the most-trusted servant lost almost half of all he had while the one with two doubled his investment, the Master would have seven talents, only losing one talent in the risk. Had the most trusted servant doubled his talents while the other two lost everything, the Master would end with ten talents, two more than He began with. There are others scenarios to be considered, but I think you get the point that the Master knew what He was doing while testing His servants.
How many times do we bury the opportunities that God gives us to invest the things that He has entrusted us with? How many times do we fail to invest because we are lazy or scared? The wicked servant in this parable was more lazy than scared, but what about us?
Even if we fail and lose all that God has entrusted us with, God already has us; the Kingdom will not crumble. His portfolio is diversified.
While this is a helpful reflection, this parable isn’t just about a moment of failed investment. It’s about a failure of life. If we fail to invest the things that God has entrusted us because we are lazy, the request is too great, or we feel overwhelmed, we must realize that eternity is at stake.
To clarify, the Lord does not count our failures so that we must earn eternity with Him. It’s not about trying hard enough up until the day the Master returns. Assuredly, a day will come when the Master will come to account for what He gave each of us - an opportunity to partner with Him in His Kingdom. A failure to invest in the Kingdom is the fruit of a life that claims to be a follower of Jesus but does not actually follow Him, and we can’t successfully lie to God.*
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to say “yes” to the Master’s invitation to invest your life in His Kingdom as a genuine follower of Jesus. Perhaps God wants you to be encouraged today with His words to the servants that invested: “well done good and faithful servant.”
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a step today… just one is fine.
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*Leon, Morris, The Gospel According to Matthew. Pillar New Testament Commentary (Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1992), 626–632, and Keener, C. S., Matthew (Vol. 1, Mt 25:14–30).) (InterVarsity Press, 1997).