“But
his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.
Matthew 25:26-28
Matthew 25 [24.] “He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
Matthew 25 [26.] “But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter. You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest. Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away. Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Matthew 25 [31.] “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in. I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.’
Meaning:
The servant who received one talent had buried it, then excused himself by calling his master “a hard man” and saying he was afraid (Matthew 25:24-25). Now the master answers. In Luke’s parallel he says, “Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant!” (Luke 19:22). The servant’s own words become the evidence against him.
- “You wicked and slothful servant”
The master’s verdict is sharp. The other two servants were called “good and faithful”; this one is “wicked and slothful”. We might expect “wicked” to describe someone who stole or wasted the money, but this servant did neither. His wickedness lay in his laziness and in his false accusation against his master. Proverbs often warns against the sluggard and points him to the ant: “Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise” (Proverbs 6:6). Paul urged believers to be “not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord” (Romans 12:11).
- “You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow”
The master repeats the servant’s words without agreeing with them. He is saying, in effect, “If you really believed that about me, you should have acted accordingly.” The excuse does not hold. If the servant truly thought his master expected a return, that was all the more reason to work.
- “You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers”
Even the smallest effort would have produced something. Money changers and lenders were common in the ancient world, and depositing money with them earned interest. The Law of Moses forbade Israelites to charge interest to fellow Israelites in need, but allowed it in dealings with foreigners: “You may lend on interest to a foreigner; but to your brother you shall not lend on interest” (Deuteronomy 23:20). Jesus is not teaching about banking here. His point is that the servant could have done something with very little risk or effort, but he chose to do nothing at all.
- “Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents”
The unused gift is taken away and given to the most faithful servant. Jesus then explains the principle: “For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away” (Matthew 25:29). He had taught the same principle about hearing the word of God (Matthew 13:12). Gifts that are used grow; gifts that are neglected are lost.
The Significance of Matthew 25:26-28
- Doing nothing is not innocent
The servant did not commit any dramatic crime. He simply failed to use what he had been given. Jesus calls this wicked. We should not think that avoiding obvious sins is enough while we neglect the good God has called us to do.
- Excuses will not stand
On the day of judgement our excuses will be measured against what we knew. Like the servant, we may find that our own words condemn us.
- Faithfulness is rewarded with more
The talent went to the servant who had been most faithful. God entrusts more to those who use what they have. This encourages us to begin serving with whatever we have now.
Cross-References:
Luke 19:22: "Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant!" The parallel in Luke.
Matthew 25:29: "For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance," The principle behind the verdict.
Proverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise;" A warning against laziness.
Romans 12:11: "not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;" Diligent service.
Conclusion: In Matthew 25:26-28 the master calls the one-talent servant wicked and slothful. If he truly believed his master was demanding, he should at least have put the money with the bankers to earn interest. The talent is taken from him and given to the servant with ten. Jesus teaches that neglecting what God has entrusted to us is a serious failure, and that faithful use of his gifts leads to greater trust.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible