What Are We Doing For Jesus With What We Have?

   One of the most familiar parables of our Lord is that of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. A beautiful benediction is pronounced on those servants with five and two talents. However, the emphasis is placed on the guilt of the unprofitable servant. He is styled as one who was “wicked” or unfaithful (Matthew 25:26). We ask, “What was the nature of his unfaithfulness?”

This servant was certainly not a thief. He had not stolen the talent in his possession. It had been committed to him (Matthew 25:15). He did not lie about what he had done. He did not take the talent and live riotously as the prodigal son (Luke 15:13). The only discrepancy recorded, was that he produced absolutely nothing with what had been given him. To some folks, this might appear as a strange view of wickedness, but is one of which Jesus often spoke. He once cursed a fig tree for producing no fruit (Matthew 21:19; Mark 11:13).

The story of the man who fell among thieves (Luke 10:30-37), was not related to reprove those who beat the man, but to condemn the priest and Levite for doing nothing to aid the man. They were the real thieves, because they robbed a needy neighbor of their mercy (Luke 10:37). All about us there are people in need. For us to do nothing and selfishly forget others beyond ourselves is wickedness of the highest degree (cf. 1 John 3:14-18; 1 John 4:20).

Because the one talent man did not use the talent that was given him, it was taken away (Matthew 25:28). Folks, if we want to destroy our garden, we don’t have to sow it with weeds. All we have to do is simply leave it alone, and it will die. If we want to hinder the Lord’s work, we don’t have to burn the church building down. All we have to do is absolutely nothing regarding our spiritual responsibilities. The explanation given by the one talent man to his master was, “I was afraid” (Matthew 25:25). If we do not use the talent (or talents) God has given us, isn’t this excuse going to sound extremely foolish as we stand before Christ’s thorn-scarred, nail printed presence on judgment day?

Mike Riley