By Byron Nichols

In Matthew 25:14-30 we read the parable of the talents. You will remember that Jesus told of a certain master giving three servants different amounts of money, the amounts varying in relation to the ability of each one. One was given five talents (or portions of money), another was given two, and the third received one. If you will recall, each of the first two servants wisely handled the master's money, even to the extent of doubling it.

But then, there was that fellow who had been given the one talent. His handling of his master's money resulted in no increase whatsoever. Notice the master's rebuke: "You wicked and slothful (lazy) servant." The master later refers to this one as "the unprofitable servant" (verse 30).

Question: What was it that the servant had done that was so bad? Answer: Nothing — absolutely nothing. That was the problem. Instead of trying to make a profit for his master, he just went out and dug a hole in the ground and buried the master's money.

The master trusted them all; he placed his confidence in them. He was giving them an opportunity to prove themselves worthy of his faith in them. He didn't stay there and look over their shoulders to see if they were handling the situation just like he would do it. Instead, he went away and gave them the opportunity to make their own decisions.

Before leaving, the master let the servants know clearly what he expected of them. There was no lack of instruction or communication. Each one could know just as well as the others exactly what the master wanted him to do. All that was necessary was to pay attention to what the master said before he left.

It is also noteworthy in verse 19 that it was only after "a long time" that the master returned and asked for an accounting by each servant. He gave them ample time to do what was expected of them. They were allotted sufficient time to start out wrong and end up right — they had plenty of time to make some mistakes and still correct their course of action and present an acceptable profit to the master upon his return.

I believe the fact that the master was gone for "a long time" is a definite indication that he did not expect or require significant results immediately. It seems that he understood that things require an adequate amount of time in order to be accomplished.

Even a rather casual reading of this parable shows that these servants were not in competition with each other. The master had not made a contest out of the situation. It was not a matter of who was more capable than the others, but rather it was a matter of who was faithful in following instructions and trying to do the will of the master. The servant who received two talents of money received the same praise and commendation as the one who had received five. They deserved equal recognition — they had both done the same thing, that is, they both did the best they knew how to do with what they had.

The master did not require fantastic results. Verse 27 shows that he would have been satisfied if the servant who was entrusted with the one talent had just put the money in the bank and earned the interest on it. That wouldn't be much of a return now, and it would not have been too much then either, but it would have at least been an improvement over digging a hole in the dirt and depositing the money there.

In verse 24 we read the report to the master by the servant who buried the money. He said, "I knew you to be a hard man." Obviously, this was only an excuse, not a fact. There is nothing in the text to indicate that the master was hard or demanding, except for the fact that he did demand obedience. There is no evidence of harshness or unfairness on his part.

Jesus wants us all to see that He is portrayed by the master in the story, and that we, as His followers, are the servants. Let's be sure to carefully read the parable with this in mind.

We can all be successful servants, stewards. Our Master is not a hard taskmaster, but He has made it clear that "digging a hole" and burying our spiritual talents will not be acceptable. He definitely is demanding that every servant of His be busy using his/her talents in an effort to increase the size of the Master's estate. May all of us rejoice in our role as His servants and do our very best to faithfully use what He has entrusted to us, and not bury it in fear of failure. He wants us to succeed, and He has promised to help us be successful.

Thanks to The Voice of Truth International, Vol 16, pgs. 5-6.