I guess you are asking this question based on Matthew 25:14-30
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. …
And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ …
He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’
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.’
Jesus cursed the worthless servant in the above parable. The curse of being rejected by Jesus at the judgment seat, will be applied to all those who behave in the same way as this man. It is a very serious warning to we who have the opportunity to use the talents given to us by Jesus, now.
The mistakes made by the lazy, unproductive servant:
- He read Jesus as being a hard man – Jesus is not a hard man. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30
- He hid his talent in the ground and made no effort to put it to work for the advantage of his master.
Lessons for us
Take up our cross, deny ourselves and follow Jesus. Matthew 16:24-27:
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.
Some very helpful words were written by William Tyndale, 16th century martyr and translator of the Scriptures into English, in his Prologue to the epistle of Paul to the Romans:
Faith is a living thing, mighty in working, valiant, and strong, always doing, always fruitful, so that it is impossible that he who is endued with it, should not always work good works without ceasing. He asks not whether good works are to be done or not, but has done them already, before mention be made of them; and is always doing, for such is his nature; for living faith in his heart, and lively moving of the spirit, drives him and stirs him thereto.
Whoever does not good works, is an unbelieving person, and faithless, and looks round about him, groping after faith and good works, and knows not what faith or good works mean, though he babble never so many things of faith and good works.
I’ll finish with excellent advice from the apostle Peter, 2 Peter 1:5-10:
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.
For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.
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