The Master's Money: A Parable of Kingdom Economics
Introduction: No Neutrality
We live in an age that desperately wants to believe in neutrality. Our culture tells us that you can be neutral about God, neutral about morality, neutral about ultimate questions. You can take your one talent, your one life, and you can bury it. You can refuse to play the game. You can opt out, sit on the sidelines, and tell the Master upon His return, "Look, I didn't lose anything. I didn't do any harm. Here is what is yours." And our culture expects a pat on the head for this. It expects God to say, "Well, at least you weren't a monster. At least you didn't actively make things worse."
But Jesus, in this parable, detonates that entire way of thinking. He teaches us that in the kingdom of God, there is no neutrality. There is no conscientious objection to the work of the kingdom. To bury the talent is not a neutral act; it is a wicked and lazy one. To preserve is to lose. To play it safe is the most damnable risk of all. This parable is about far more than just money, though it is certainly about that. It is about everything God has entrusted to us: our time, our abilities, our opportunities, our relationships, the gospel itself. All of it is the Master's capital, and He expects a return on His investment.
This story is set within Jesus' great discourse on the end times, the Olivet Discourse. It follows the parable of the ten virgins, which stressed the need for readiness, and it precedes the account of the sheep and the goats, which describes the final judgment. The theme is consistent: the Master is coming back, and there will be an accounting. This is not a drill. How we live now, in the time between the Master's departure and His return, matters eternally. Our eschatology, our view of the end times, must not be a matter of idle speculation about charts and timelines. It must be the engine of our obedience. A robust, optimistic, postmillennial eschatology understands that Christ has given us His resources to take dominion, to advance His kingdom, to see His will done on earth as it is in heaven. This parable is a commission for kingdom enterprise.
The world thinks of three kinds of people: the good guys who make things better, the bad guys who make things worse, and the vast majority in the middle who just try to get by without messing anything up. Jesus here collapses the third category into the second. The one who tries to "do no harm" by doing nothing is judged as wicked. In the economy of the kingdom, there are only two categories: faithful producers and worthless consumers. There is no middle ground.
The Text
"For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed five talents over to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you handed two talents over to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Therefore, you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
(Matthew 25:14-30 LSB)
The Sovereign Investment (vv. 14-18)
The parable begins with a master entrusting his property to his servants.
"For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and handed over his possessions to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey." (Matthew 25:14-15)
The man is Christ, the journey is His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and the slaves are all who profess to be His followers. The first thing to notice is that everything belongs to the master. The slaves own nothing; they are stewards. This is the fundamental truth of our existence. We are not our own; we were bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20). Our life, our breath, our intellect, our money, our family, it is all "handed over" to us. It is a trust. We are managers, not owners.
The distribution is sovereign and unequal. He gives five, two, and one. A talent was a massive sum of money, perhaps twenty years' wages for a laborer. Even the one-talent man was given a significant trust. But the amounts differ, "each according to his own ability." This is not egalitarianism. God does not deal with us on a cookie-cutter basis. He knows our capacities, our strengths, our weaknesses, and He equips us accordingly. This is a great comfort. The five-talent man is not expected to produce ten with a one-talent ability, and the one-talent man is not crushed under the weight of a five-talent responsibility. God's commands are always tailored to the grace He provides. But notice, ability does not earn the talent; it simply determines the size of the stewardship. It is all grace.
The response of the first two slaves is immediate and industrious.
"Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more." (Matthew 25:16-17)
The key word is "immediately." There is no procrastination. They understand the nature of the trust. They know that capital is meant to be put to work. They take risks. To trade, to do business, is to risk loss. But they are not paralyzed by this risk because they trust the master. Their goal is not to preserve the capital but to increase it for the master's glory. They both produce a 100% return, showing equal faithfulness, though with different amounts.
The third slave, however, chooses a different path.
"But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money." (Matthew 25:18)
This is the strategy of fear. This is risk-aversion theology. He thinks he is playing it safe. By burying the money, he ensures he will not lose it. He prioritizes capital preservation above all else. He is the patron saint of all Christians who think the goal of the Christian life is to avoid major sins, keep their heads down, and hand back to God the same life He gave them, unused and untarnished. But what he thinks is safety is actually rebellion.
The Great Audit (vv. 19-23)
The master's return is certain, though the timing is not.
"Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them." (Matthew 25:19)
The "long time" is the age of the church. It is the time we are in now. This long delay is a test of faithfulness. It is easy to be zealous for a week, but the master is looking for those who will labor faithfully over the long haul. But the delay does not mean there will be no accounting. The Master "came and settled accounts." This is the judgment. For the Christian, this is the bema seat of Christ, where our works are evaluated for reward (2 Cor. 5:10). For the false professor, it is the great white throne. But for everyone, there is an audit.
The first two servants give their reports with joy.
"And the one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed five talents over to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’" (Matthew 25:20-21)
The servant acknowledges that the original capital came from the master. "You handed five talents over to me." There is no boasting in his own ability. He simply presents the fruit of his labor. The master's praise is glorious. "Well done, good and faithful slave." This is what we should all long to hear. He is praised for being "good" (his character) and "faithful" (his actions). The reward is not retirement; it is more responsibility. "You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things." Faithfulness in this life is the training ground for rulership in the age to come. The ultimate reward is fellowship with the master: "enter into the joy of your master."
The two-talent servant receives the exact same commendation. This is crucial. The master does not say, "Well done, but you only made two." He judges based on the principle of faithfulness, not the raw numbers. God evaluates our work based on the opportunities and abilities He gave us. A pastor of a small, faithful church in a difficult place may receive a greater reward than the pastor of a megachurch who had far more to work with. God's accounting is perfectly just.
The Theology of the Unprofitable (vv. 24-30)
Now we come to the heart of the matter: the mind and theology of the wicked slave.
"And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’" (Matthew 25:24-25)
Here is the root of all spiritual laziness and fruitlessness: a distorted view of God. The slave accuses the master of being harsh, demanding, and exploitative. "I knew you to be a hard man." This is the theology of the sluggard. He projects his own wickedness onto the master to justify his inaction. He slanders God's character. And what is the result of this bad theology? "And I was afraid." Fear, not faith, governs his actions. This fear paralyzes him. He is so afraid of failure that he refuses to even try. He presents his risk-aversion as a form of righteousness: "See, you have what is yours." He has not lost it. He thinks this is a point in his favor. This is the cry of the graceless heart that seeks to be justified by works, even the "work" of doing nothing.
The master's reply is devastating. He takes the slave's own slanderous words and turns them against him.
"But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. Therefore, you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.'" (Matthew 25:26-27)
The master does not accept the slave's characterization of him, but he says, "Even if I were as you say, your own logic condemns you." If you truly believed I was a hard man, that should have motivated you to at least do the bare minimum. The bank here represents the lowest-risk, lowest-effort investment. He could have at least done that. But he did nothing. His problem was not really fear; it was wickedness and laziness. His bad theology was a smokescreen for a rebellious heart.
The judgment is swift and severe.
"Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. And throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." (Matthew 25:28-30)
This is the law of the kingdom. Use it or lose it. Those who are faithful with what they have been given will be given more. Spiritual life is not static; it is either growing or shrinking. The one who does not have, the one who does not put the master's gifts to use, will lose even the opportunity he had. He is judged as "worthless," or unprofitable. His existence contributed nothing to the master's enterprise.
And the final end is terrifying. "Outer darkness... weeping and gnashing of teeth." This is the language of hell. This is not a believer losing his rewards; this is a false professor being exposed and cast out. The weeping is for the loss of opportunity, the bitter regret. The gnashing of teeth is rage, impotent fury against the God he slandered and refused to serve. His refusal to work was the evidence of his unbelief. True, saving faith is never idle. It is a working faith, a risk-taking faith, a productive faith.
Conclusion: Kingdom Capitalists
So what is the takeaway for us? We must see that this parable demolishes any concept of a passive, private, do-nothing Christianity. We have been given talents. We have been given the gospel, the great commission, spiritual gifts, material resources, and time. All of it is the Master's capital.
First, we must reject the theology of the wicked slave. We must not see God as a hard taskmaster, but as a generous King who has invited us into His joy. Our work for Him is not a grim duty, but a glorious opportunity. He is not trying to catch us out; He has given us everything we need for life and godliness.
Second, we must be people who take calculated, faithful risks for the kingdom. This might mean starting a business, planting a church, writing a book, adopting a child, or sharing the gospel with a hostile neighbor. It means getting our capital out of the ground and into the marketplace of ideas and action. We are called to be kingdom capitalists, seeking to expand the reign of Christ in every sphere of life.
Finally, we must live in light of the final audit. The Master is coming back. He will settle accounts. This should not produce a paralyzing fear, but a joyful urgency. We have a limited time to invest the resources He has given us. Let us not be found with our talent wrapped in a napkin. Let us be found busy, trading, working, building, and multiplying what He has entrusted to us, so that on that day we might hear those glorious words: "Well done, good and faithful slave... enter into the joy of your master."