Parable The Unprofitable Servant

16/07/2009 by John Marsden.

Matthew 25:14-30

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ’Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. ‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

• While some of the servants were wise with the money given to them for safekeeping, being fruitful and multiplying it, one was foolish and did not use his money to profit his master, instead taking no risks by hiding it where no one could see.

ENTRUSTED WITH HIS PROPERTY 

To Each is Given Authority

Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.

·         Before Jesus ascended into heaven he said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).

·         He gave His authority and power to His followers so that we could do what He did: make disciples for the kingdom of God. ·         What kinds of gifts has He given to us? What are some spiritual gifts we could have? Gifts in the natural?

·         In this parable, the master gave his servants some of his property to keep while he was away. This symbolizes the gifts given to us by God. He gives some to every person, even those—like the unprofitable servant—who do not use them wisely to bring glory to God.

To Each According to His Ability

To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability.

·         Notice that the master did not give every servant the same amount; he did not distribute his possessions equally.·         God entrusts each one of us with special gifts to be used for unique purposes in His plan for His kingdom. We will each be held accountable, not according to how everyone else around us does, but according to what God has given us and what we have done with it.·         Some people receive more gifts, whether spiritual gifts like prophecy or teaching or wisdom, or natural gifts like strength or wealth. All gifts come from God and are to be used for His glory.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT? 

Multiply It

The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more.

• One of the first commandments in the Bible was God telling people to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth. While this is often taken in a physical sense of bearing children or sowing seeds to spread crops and vegetation for food, this is also a command given on a spiritual level.
• How can we take specific gifts like giving, mercy, teaching, intercessory prayer, etc. and use them to grow God’s kingdom?

Hide It            

But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

·         This particular man had not been entrusted with as much property as the other two servants, but he did even less with it than they did.

·         He had less of a risk to take, since he had less to lose.

·         Why would we want to hide gifts given to us by God? Fear of man? Fear of failure? Ignorance? Indifference? Coldness towards God? What else?

GOOD AND FAITHFUL

Welcomed Into the Kingdom

Come and share your master’s happiness!

• Those in the story who multiplied and made profit for their master were not only thanked and appreciated, they were also welcomed into their master’s kingdom. They were no longer seen as mere servants, but trusted friends who loved their master and sought his gain.
• In God’s kingdom, those who use what God has given them, whether great or small, will be welcomed into His kingdom, to share in His joy and happiness and wealth.
• Notice that the servant who had been given and had gained two talents received the same welcome as the one who had been given and had gained five talents. Both used what they had to bring profit and honour to their master. In the same way, we do not need to compare ourselves to others who may produce more than us—they probably have received more to work with.

More Authority In the KingdomI will put you in charge of many things.

·         The two servants who were profitable to their master were not only welcomed into their master’s happiness, they also were promoted and made rulers over much more of his affairs and property than before.

·         In the same way, when Jesus returns to earth and all the kingdoms of the earth become the kingdoms of God and all is made new, those of us who have wisely and profitably used what God has given to us to further His kingdom here and now will be given even more authority and power then to rule over His creation.

WICKED AND LAZY

Stripped of Power

Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.

• The unprofitable servant was called both lazy and wicked. He had been given only one talent to work with, so not a whole lot was expected of him, yet he still did nothing but hide it away.
• Just as the other servants were welcomed into their master’s joy and happiness and given more authority than they had before, this lazy servant had even the small amount of authority that had been given to him taken away. He was stripped of all his power.
• Do we bring shame to God’s name when we don’t use what He has entrusted to us?

Stripped of Joy

And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

·         While the wise servants were welcomed into the joy of their master’s presence, the wicked, lazy servant was banished from his presence.

·         If we do nothing for God, hide away the gifts He has given to us, and hide from Him ourselves, are we really followers of God?

·         Jesus said that we are known by our fruit, so if we produce no good fruit, are we really righteous? If we really love Jesus with all our hearts, would we just ignore and stash away all that He’s given us or would we use it to bring honour to His name?

Be wise with the gifts and talents God has given to you and have a great day.

John

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