A Hard Man - Matthew 25:24

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus told His disciples about a man who was traveling and entrusted his servants with five, two and one of his talents according to their own abilities. Jesus continued, “After a long time the lord of those servants comes, and reckons with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, you good and faithful servant: you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, you delivered unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter into the joy of your lord”, and in chapter twenty-five and verse twenty-four of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus shares how the servant with “one talent” said, “I knew you that you are an hard man” where we read:

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you that you are an hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strawed:

The verse reads, “Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew you that you are an hard man, ...” Matthew began with Jesus' word, “then” which means “moreover and” “he which had received” or “the servant who was delivered, given and entrusted with” “the one talent” which means “the one sum of money weighing a talent and varying in different states and according to the changes in the laws regulating currency” “came” or “arose, appeared and came forth” “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed”, “Lord” or “one to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding or master”, “I knew you” which means “understood, perceived and had knowledge about the master” “that you are a hard man” or “that the master was a harsh, rough, stiff, stern, violent, offensive and intolerable man”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the servant entrusted with “one talent” came before his master and began to tell him how he understood him to be “harsh, rough and violent”.

The verse goes on to say, “reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strawed:” Matthew added Jesus' word, “reaping” which means “harvesting crops that are cut down with a sickle” “where you have not sown” or “in place the master did not scatter and plant seed”, “and gathering” which means “and drawing together and collecting” “where you have not strawed” or “in places the master did not scatter abroad, disperse or winnow”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the servant with one talent told his master that he knew how his master “reaped” crops that he did not plant and he “collected” grain from places he did not winnow or thresh.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we discover how this “servant” made excuses for what he is about to disclose to his master. Rather than labor and work with his master's “one talent”, he hid and kept it secret. God desires people to have a loving and trustworthy relationship with Him through His Son Jesus, and when they yield their lives to Him and He entrusts them with “gifts” which they are to use them to the fullest and never attempt to discredit or blame God for their inactivity.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus shares how the servant with “one talent” says, “I was afraid, and went and hid your talent”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

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