You Wicked and Slothful Servant - Matthew 25:26

Matthew the apostle wrote how Jesus told His disciples that two servants were given five, two and one talents according to their ability by their master, and each of them gave an account to him. Jesus continued by saying, “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. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth: lo, there you have that is yours”, and in chapter twenty-five and verse twenty-six of his book, Matthew writes how Jesus shares how master said, “you wicked and slothful servant” where we read:

His lord answered and said unto him, You wicked and slothful servant,

you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

The verse reads, “His lord answered and said unto him, You wicked and slothful servant, ...” Matthew began with Jesus' words, “His lord” which means “the servant's master or one to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding” “answered” or “began to speak and responded” “and said” which means “and uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto him” or “to the servant with one talent”, “you wicked” or “you annoying, calamitous and of bad nature” “and slothful servant” which means “and sluggish, backward, indolent, irksome and grievous slave, bondman and man of servile condition”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the “master” of the servant with one talent called him “calamitous, sluggish and irksome”.

The verse goes on to say, “... you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:” Matthew continued with Jesus' words, “you knew” which means “the servant understood, perceived, noticed and discerned” “that I reap” or “that the master harvested and cut down crops with a sickle” “where I sowed not” which means “in places the master did not scatter or plant seed”, “and gathered” or “and assembled and collected” “where I have not strawed” which means “in places the master did not winnow, thresh or dispersed”. Matthew shared how Jesus said the master continued to chastise the servant who was given “one talent” as he acknowledged the “servant's” awareness that he harvested in places that he did not plant, and he collected from places where he did not thresh or winnow.

When we meditate upon Matthew's words in this verse, we understand the master's knowledge of this “sluggish and irksome” servant. The “servant” knew his master was a shrewd man who harvested and collected from places he never planted, and yet, this servant buried the “one talent” given to him. God is a loving God who gives “gifts” to men, and the greatest gift of all is “salvation” and “everlasting life” through believing in His Son Jesus. In addition to this wonderful gift, God grants “money, wealth, ability, power and strength” to people in different ways and levels, and those who are wise never hide their “talents” but use them to be pleasing to the Lord and to promote the “Kingdom of God”.

Next time Matthew writes how Jesus shares how the lord of the servant continued, “you ought to have put my money to the exchangers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.