Matthew 25:26, commentary and pictures

The verse is the master's condemnation of the servant as wicked and slothful for burying and leaving unused what was entrusted instead of putting it to work to gain increase. He turns the servant's own plea back upon him, that if a return was expected he should at least have put the money out to the exchangers to return it with interest and increase. The charge that the master reaps where he has not sown is false, and reveals the servant's own selfish and slothful character projected upon God to excuse doing nothing. All that is possessed remains the Lord's property lent as sacred stewardship, distributed to each according to ability from one talent to many, with no smallness excusing idleness. Trading time is the present life, requiring diligent unselfish use of every power and means to save souls, for to do no good and leave undone what might have been done is itself wickedness that brings eternal loss.

Parable Words and Setting

The verse is the lord's answer of rebuke to the one-talent servant, naming him wicked and slothful because he buried, hid in the earth, and left unused what was entrusted instead of putting it to work to gain increase. His own claim to know his master is turned against him and makes his failure inexcusable, for even by his account he was accountable to use faithfully what was entrusted and his idleness is exposed at the reckoning unto judgment and loss. The servant's excuse does not excuse, because the gift was to be employed in service and not neglected, and no one may transfer that stewardship to another.

If he believed a return was expected where nothing was sown, he should at least have put the money out to the exchangers so it could earn interest and be returned with increase and usury. Merely keeping the principal, binding it up, doing no good with it, and then bringing it back with murmuring and complaint does not satisfy the claim of the lord upon His endowments. The lord therefore holds that the money should have been put to use so it would return with increase.

The parable belongs to the kingdom of heaven and follows the ten virgins, teaching that watching for Christ's second coming means spending the waiting time in diligent work rather than idle waiting. It gives definite instruction that still binds because He is still Master, requiring faithful service with no spiritual declension, earnest and vigilant trading during His absence by waiting, watching, praying, working, personal consecration, cultivated heart-holiness, and continually increasing capability to do better work with every facility provided. It illustrates the last general judgment, when each person is dealt with individually according to use of talents, character is revealed, and the obedient and disobedient receive their respective outcomes with no second probation, the testing of faithfulness deciding destiny.

The unused talent is therefore taken from the slothful servant and given to him who has ten talents, for to everyone that has shall be given abundantly but from him that has not shall be taken away even what he has. What was committed in trust is removed when hoarded and done nothing with, earthly treasure is swept away and all is lost, while crowns the unfaithful might have worn are placed upon the faithful whose means were constantly in use, with every soul they were the means of saving adding stars to their crowns and increasing eternal reward. Such idleness and trifling with time, privileges, and opportunities is wickedness that loses the soul and eternal life at the day of final account when the Chief Shepherd as Judge reckons with servants justified by faith and judged by works.

The passage must be studied and compared with the life record, rebuking boasting and self-sufficiency as fearfully dangerous because they make the words of Christ of no effect. It calls for putting away self-trust to walk in humility and obedient service, following Him as those who belong to Christ and will answer for how they have met His claim. Every person must make close, critical self-examination over how the Lord's talents are being traded and whether they are put out to the exchangers, for mere profession and mere church membership with a name in the church book does not secure entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Everyone who has denied self and purified the soul through belief of the truth will at once begin self-denying, self-sacrificing missionary work with zeal for the salvation of souls perishing in sin.

Talents Owned and Distributed

Everything possessed remains the Lord's property, lent as a loan and sacred stewardship by creation and by redemption through Christ's blood, humiliation, agony and death, not the servant's own to spend as he pleases or claim by his own might. Matthew 25:26 declares how God deals with misused endowments, for talents are not owned but lent by God to be sacredly employed in His service and He will require them again. God employs men as servants to do a certain work and bear certain responsibilities with means that are not their own, and hoarding His goods or spending them as men please displeases Him. The capital is the Lord's because He purchased it with His own sufferings and blood to secure willing service, so burying talents of influence or money in the earth is letting them lie dormant and withholding what is His from His cause and glory. The talent represents not only ability but also temporal possessions entrusted by God to advance truth and save others, and those who keep possessions from doing good fail their trust, have their work recorded, face judgment, and have what was entrusted taken away.

Talents embrace more than temporal employments and more than worldly goods, including life, health, time, strength, reason, intellect, mind, memory, affections, sympathy, speech, influence, position, opportunities, privileges, light, truth, grace, means, money, property, houses, lands and every capability. They are a loan from the Master to be invested in work for Him to advance His glory with eternity in reckoning, a stewardship of His grace and endowments for a sacred, higher trust to be turned to account for Him who bestowed them. Skill to accumulate worldly goods gives no ground for satisfaction unless turned to account for Him, and even the humblest service becomes a consecrated gift when exercised in doing the Master's bidding and promoting His glory. The Lord expects a return from every servant in the use of ability, influence and means given by God to do good by doing the words of Christ, and by practicing those lessons in constant exercise powers to do are strengthened and increased. Every converted soul is appointed to shine not merely in much talk but in good works that penetrate darkness, yoked with Christ in obedience, and the Lord will require neglected talents again with the improvements required, while those who obey develop increasing consecration, efficiency and tact as laborers together with God.

Talents are distributed diversely according to each person's several ability, five to him who can use five, two to him who can improve two, and one to him who can wisely use one, from humblest to highest, with work suited to capacity and special place in heaven's plan. God measures ability exactly, does not overburden, does not require what was never given, does not demand a ten-talent increase from a one-talent man or five talents' improvement from the man entrusted with two, and accepts according to what a man has and not according to what he has not. He expects a return proportioned to the trust bestowed, accepts the one talent used to the best account, yet requires His own with usury, rewarding according to improvement and punishing according to abuse. No gift is too small to use faithfully, each has a particular sphere, and the return is measured in proportion to opportunity and trust received. The excuse of being unqualified and unfitted does not remove requirement, for consecration brings wisdom, tongue and utterance, and every man, woman and youth is to take hold of one line of work after another, keep spiritual senses awake, give self and capital of means to advance the kingdom, and cultivate reasoning powers to save souls.

Even one small talent, few pence or humblest service gives real work, must be wisely used and doubled, invested so it increases and fulfills its appointed purpose, and is rewarded as surely as five when faithful. Smallness, few gifts or low place never excuses idleness, envy, hiding what is entrusted, investing little or nothing, expecting those with greater gifts to carry the work, or waiting for greater work while denying responsibility for progress and success. God tests faithfulness first through small duties and expects a fitting return, so cheerfully performing present duties leads to greater responsibilities and prepares for everlasting life. A talent faithfully used can be increased, humble service is valued and can reach people whom greater gifts cannot, and those with greater gifts must not despise the service of those with fewer, since God alone measures worth and influence. The man with a few pence who serves God with his pence is judged as faithful as the one who improved five, and faithful trading develops character to God's glory.

Stewardship is strictly individual and cannot be transferred, merged, sold, bargained away or placed under human control. Every talent, including ability to write a book, is a gift from God for which each possessor is individually accountable, which no man can buy or sell without great and dangerous responsibility, and every man has his own special work appointed of God and must himself trade according to ability. No man, council, conference, institution or earthly master may absorb another's work, dictate conscience, weigh gifts in human balances, make as little as possible of them, merge another's individuality in himself or an institution, control profits, appropriate talents, or silence less experienced workers. Each is judged not for gifts never received or work assigned to another, but for failing to use what he had, and neglecting one's own duty while watching and judging others is slothfulness. Every person from lowest and most obscure to highest is a responsible agent to God the donor for mental and physical endowments, must trade upon the Lord's goods, put talents out to exchangers and sanctify them to the Master's use to gain more.

Greater gifts, light and opportunity bring heavier responsibility and greater condemnation if neglected, with judgment proportionate to grace, truth and light received. Greater gifts require greater return, and Christ requires faith, obedience and love to grow with light and grace received, so where there is no increase light and blessings diminish. God alone judges capabilities and discerns time and talents employed for Him, scrutinizes returns from every talent with works standing clearly revealed, knows just what each has done and rewards accordingly, giving pleasant reckoning only to those presenting Christ in character by the Holy Spirit. Yet faithful improvement of little or much alike wins commendation as good and faithful and brings larger trust and eternal life, for humble work done as unto God counts more than bustle and show, and those faithful with few receive just as large a reward as those faithful with many. Eternal rewards are not earned as merits for salvation but are purchased by Christ, while each person's work matters in judgment according to fidelity, perseverance and effort.

Talents give no ground for self-exaltation, looking down on fellow workers as deficient, or privilege of a favored class, for they are not one's own and heaven esteems devotion to service. Being talented is not privilege of a favored class to despise others, special talents are not grounds for exaltation, and worth in God's sight rests not on number of talents but on appreciating them as His gifts, sacredly consecrating them to His glory not self-glorification, and faithfully and humbly employing them in dependence on Him. No one has every qualification, God's work depends on servants learning from one another in harmony, and gifts and work of others are not to be despised, envied, suspected or disparaged. Ministers must work faithfully within what is entrusted without treating own methods as sufficient to shape the whole church, for the work requires different servants' gifts and refusing fellow laborers hinders progress.

Respect must be gained as people of opportunity, since God works through all who will be worked regardless of inherited money. Failure to use God-given talents is wicked and slothful and must be repented of with restitution by doing one's best, rising above hindrances, showing God-given purpose, putting on the whole armor of God and fighting manfully, for God helps those who help themselves. Inheritance of money does not qualify men for responsibility, and the call is from home service to special service, taking up God-given work, redeeming time and being in every sense a man of opportunity who gains respect. Gifts entrusted to the apostles were passed on to workers in later generations to be improved as privileges and responsibilities in serving as ministers of grace.

Faithful Trading and Reckoning

Trading is diligent, conscientious work upon the Lord's goods, putting every ability however small to active, intelligent, unselfish use to gain increase and double by use, putting it out to the exchangers and cultivating it by exercise, with no selfishness woven into the work, no worldly ambition cherished, self kept out of sight, Christ held before the world, and glory brought to God. All blessings and gifts belong to God and are to be used not according to human judgment but according to the directions in His Word, each person working according to the light received and doing his utmost whether given many or few, for the question is not how much was received but what was done with it. Talents improve and multiply as they are used in the Master's service for the good of others and are to be returned improved, while unused powers rust, dwindle and are lost, and a profession of faith pledges a person to cultivate every faculty and serve to fullest ability. As people faithfully use what they have, God works with them to strengthen abilities and give more power, wisdom and efficiency to use, bringing greater ability to serve, yet He does not supernaturally supply qualifications left unused.

At Christ's coming He reckons individually with His servants, scrutinizing work and examining use of time, abilities, means, influence and the light of His word, requiring His own with usury in proportion to capital entrusted. The reckoning is as individual as the bestowment, with proportionate results expected, rewarding according to works and faithfulness rather than amount, so that even a small act done from love is accepted and rewarded, while neglect is condemned with eternal loss. He will not ask how successful servants were in gathering money but what they did with the talents given, what they did for Him in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan and fatherless, when He was sick, poor, hungry and destitute of clothing, and how time lent, pen, voice, money and influence were used. He made His servants depositaries of a precious trust by opening the thrilling truths heralding His second coming, and will ask what they did with that light and knowledge to make men wise unto salvation, for being ransomed does not shield those who refuse allegiance and withhold talents from God, and profession alone has no value since genuine faith is shown by love in action. Faithful servants put means and influence to work to save others and bring souls to the truth, and each one brought can in turn help save more, increasing the return so that at the Master's coming principal and interest can be shown.

Condemnation falls especially for sins of omission, for doing no positive good, leaving undone what might have been done, wasting opportunities and neglecting known duty is wicked and slothful even without open transgression. Merely having generous or spiritual qualities does not excuse inactivity, and unused abilities and opportunities increase responsibility, leaving the servant no better than one who selfishly hoards. The unused talent is brought into account just as much as talents used and increased, because the money withheld was God's money, and God measures with exactness every possibility for service, holding each person responsible for doing one jot less than ability allows and for all they might have become through right use. At judgment the charge includes good that could have been done but was left undone, not only actual transgressions, with the record of good not done testifying, and provisions having been made for growth through what Christ made possible. Neglect of trust, work, efforts and resources makes a professed servant unfaithful and accountable, so that even if the soul is not lost there will be in eternity a realized result of unused talents and an eternal loss for knowledge and ability that might have been gained and was not.

Faithful trading that doubles, works intelligently, creates strong influence for truth and wins souls is honored with blessing, greater responsibility, entry into the joy of the Lord and stars in the crown, while unwilling, careless, bungling, slipshod or half-hearted service is unacceptable. Doing the work poorly and cheaply and dragging it as a wearisome task with dilatory, unwilling, indolent and negligent movements, whether in tilling soil, felling trees, clearing land, planting, sowing or harvesting, and unfaithfulness in that which is least, brings this verdict, and avoidance requires learning duty from the Word, taking interest in everything done, constantly improving in thought, word and action, and making everything of present opportunities and privileges. Faithful service made possible through Christ's grace and strength cultivates Christian character through good works, reaps what was sown, and reaches completion in eternal life, with talents exercised, increased and returned to Him through observation, study and communion with God. Those led up step by step and entrusted with two talents who do not use them wisely and judiciously, but become self-inflated and self-sufficient, overestimate capability, claim ability for five while unfaithful in little things, skim the surface, fail to think deep and master duties, grasp for the highest round without climbing round by round, and produce work marked by defect, remissness, superficial gloss and want of solidity, intelligent knowledge, carefulness and thoroughness, fall short of God's righteous standard and are condemned as unfit to bear heavier burdens and be made ruler over many things.

The present probationary life is the trading time in which God-given capabilities and opportunities must be used for the Master, and readiness for His soon coming requires unselfish, watchful labor, daily surrender, trimmed lamps, redeeming time and seizing present opportunities before probation closes. Mere church membership with a name in the church book does not secure entrance into the kingdom, but demands close, critical self-examination over how talents are traded and whether they are put out to the exchangers, with God rewarding every servant who works with self-denying, self-sacrificing zeal for souls and with everyone purified through belief of the truth at once beginning missionary work for the perishing. All are probationers whom the Master is coming to investigate, inquiring what use was made of talents lent, small capacities sanctified by love as well as quick, discerning minds employed especially to enlighten minds in truth, while wrapping talents in a napkin through business cares and perplexities is great wrong and wicked sloth, and Christian character requires personal piety rather than busyness alone. Trading with the Lord's money is lifework bound up with the second advent, requiring denial of idol self and self-sacrificing use of means to advance truth, with full increase required so that three talents entrusted must not return only two, while one talent gaining another secures approval, and after that reckoning there is no further probation with reward or punishment proportionate to work. Doing only one-third of what entrusted talents require still brings condemnation, because the other two-thirds left unused work against Christ. Inaction in God's work eventually destroys confidence in God, while active service lets example show truth's power to refine life and elevate character. Accountability for entrusted talents is met not alone, for the Holy Spirit enables the worker to speak the right words at the right time in fulfilling the trust. Faithful stewardship passes on the blessings entrusted by God, while eternal life is not earned as a reward but is received as grace purchased by Christ's blood.

Servant Excuse and Verdict

The accusation that the master harvests where he did not plant and collects where he did not scatter is untrue and does not portray him, for he entrusted the gift in mercy and love and gave opportunity to improve it. It exposes the servant himself as unjust, ungenerous, selfish, harsh and idle, who does not know God’s character, works, mercy, kindness, love and grace. What he claims to know about severity he projects from his own character onto God through distrust, jealousy and ignorance.

The plea of knowledge is put forward to justify doing nothing and to shift responsibility for neglect onto God, yet it provides no excuse. By his own admission he knew a return was expected, and that knowledge makes his hiding of the entrusted money inexcusable. Even on his own terms he should have set the money with the exchangers to gain interest, rather than withholding resources from advancing the truth out of fear that God would require principal and increase. Accountability remains to use faithfully what is entrusted, and the later reckoning exposes idleness and brings judgment.

Fear, lack of faith and refusal to venture powers kept him from service for his Master. He regarded God falsely as a harsh judge and exacting creditor instead of a rich giver, provider and fountain of inexpressible love who apportions gifts according to ability to trade upon his goods and return fruit in season. From selfish anxiety to benefit himself, fearing he would have to surrender all the improvement to the owner, he became only a consumer who hid the talent in the earth and made no use of it to relieve suffering. What was hidden was handed to the enemy, capabilities dwindled and were taken away, and both the increase of faithful stewardship and the principal itself were lost, leaving no treasure in heaven and no Friend to receive into the everlasting habitation. Caution carried too far becomes indolence and cowardice, and the slothful not only neglect appointed work but hinder others, becoming channels of darkness through whom supposed grievances against God are poured into hearts, a complaint inspired by the same deception that led Adam and Eve to distrust the Creator’s character.

Burying misrepresents the Lord, wastes and robs God by withholding thoughts, will and endowments from sacred service, and gives advantage for control by the enemy. It corrupts entrusted powers of mind and speech through careless, reckless, trifling and cheap conduct and conversation that molds companions downward to what is low and ignoble and strengthens evil. It includes loving self, pleasing self and living for self, doing business slackly, and using resources for ends that do not honor God or benefit others while neglecting Christ’s cause. It binds talents in a napkin in the earth through idleness and lets souls perish out of Christ instead of unearthing them to work for the Master, and no idler will be found inside the kingdom.

Idleness, timidity, self-distrust, contentment with little, delay, shunning of burdens and responsibility, standing back while faithful bearers carry the work, and criticizing workers are the wicked sloth condemned here. Merely possessing generous or spiritual qualities, giving means while withholding self, or knowing the master’s will without using entrusted time, speech and opportunity is no better than hoarding and increases responsibility. Talents increase only by use, and selfish, careless employment of the Lord’s goods to favor self and seek advancement brings the charge of wickedness and sloth and loss. The call is to repentance, conversion, reformation and immediate earnest acceptance and faithful discharge of responsibility.

The verdict also falls on turning talents and influence to tear down rather than build up. Greater gifts and influence bring greater accountability, and every talent is to be used in God’s service. Wickedness and sloth mean neglect and failure to improve the great treasure of knowledge, leaving appointed work undone, losing Christian experience in human ambition and buying and selling, manufacturing burdens instead of bearing the God-given burden, and following a discouraging, disheartening, discourteous and unmerciful course that drives souls from Christ, weakens confidence and causes others to think lightly of Christianity. Unfaithful teachers who lead to perdition face a fearful accounting when responsibility and harm are fully known.

Abilities and opportunities are given to advance heaven’s kingdom, and they are misused when God’s authority is set aside to pursue self-rule apart from the One who alone is King.

Stewardship of Means

Money, means, property, houses and lands are the Lord's talents lent as a loan and sacred stewardship to be invested wisely in His cause, soul-saving, missions, schools, sanitariums and meeting-houses, rather than buried, hoarded, spent selfishly or absorbed in worldly enterprises and uncertain investments. The condemnation as wicked and slothful falls on the servant who knew increase was expected yet hid the entrusted money instead of putting it to use, and his claim that the master was unfair is no excuse but reveals failure of duty. Talents committed embrace more than earthly temporal employments and worldly goods, including eternal interests, grace and endowments, with eternity kept in reckoning, and skill to accumulate gives no satisfaction unless turned to account for Him who bestowed it. Christ paid with His own blood, humiliation, agony, sufferings and death to secure entire servitude and obedience, so even the humblest service becomes a consecrated gift when exercised in doing His bidding and promoting His glory. God requires an account of gifts and resources, calling each to put the talent to work so it increases and to use every gift to win souls and serve Him, rather than spending means on harmful habits instead of supporting His work and relieving need.

Withholding tithes, offerings and means, spending on self-gratification, dress, ornament, houses, furniture and pleasure, or tying means in banks, lands and worldly business robs God, retards His work and brings the verdict of unfaithful steward. The wicked and slothful servant is the selfish covetous professor whose money is his idol, who murmurs at expense for God's work and hides it in the earth for fear there will be some call for it. The money is not his own but his Lord's, entrusted as steward for advancing the cause in every line required for its success, and to hide it in the world, even entrusting it to sharpers at risk of loss rather than letting the cause be benefited in emergency, is robbing His treasury. As the man who hid his talent was dealt with, so those who do the same will have an account to settle with the Master and receive the same retribution, and the mistake must not be repeated. Withholding what belongs to Him, including tithe and offerings, rather than using those resources to advance His work, and neglecting known duty while selfishly retaining means, faces the doom of the unprofitable servant.

Stewards must themselves use means while alive and not shift stewardship to children, will it to unbelieving or worldly children, or leave it by will to ease conscience. Giving to children who have abundance and serve the world, letting means pass to reckless hands or Satan's servants, wraps the talent in a napkin. When the Master calls to account faithful stewards will render both the principal He lent and the interest gained by its use, for hiding or transferring property does not remove responsibility. Claiming means as their own gotten by their own might and wisdom, withholding from God's cause, putting means beyond control into children's hands to avoid responsibility for giving, or suffering it to pass into unbelieving reckless hands to squander or hoard and worship, shows unfaithful slothful service loving in word but not in deed and truth. In this Satan prompts and outgenerals stupefied stewards through children whose minds he controls, placing means effectually in the enemy's ranks and keeping it from God's cause, and all such stewards must render account at the reckoning shortly to come.

Parents as stewards should appropriate means to advance God's cause, lay up treasure in heaven, consider afflicted or faithful needy children judiciously, seek counsel, make lawful wills while reason lasts, and not defer liberality until death or surrender property to death rather than God. God lends property to parents as talents in trust to be used to His glory, and they remain responsible and must themselves decide with sound minds, prayer, and counsel from those experienced in the truth and knowing the divine will how to dispose of them. To place means in hands of unbelieving children who have abundance and serve the world merely because they are children is sin against the Master, while afflicted children or those struggling in poverty who will make judicious use should be considered, and God's claims must not be lightly regarded. Surplus means must be used while alive to carry on work needed in His vineyard, which gives satisfaction now and reward hereafter, for children do not inherit responsibility merely by being children. By withholding limited resources rather than trusting God and using them, stewards deprive others of benefit and themselves of heavenly treasure.

Faithful trading places means in active circulation to multiply, help needy fields, relieve distress, sustain worship and bless the poor, widow, fatherless, hungry and suffering. Entrusted means are to be put to work for God's cause, to bless the needy and relieve the destitute, not hoarded or buried selfishly, with readiness to give account and show increase. Spending on display and self-indulgence leaves less to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, so every unnecessary penny forfeits opportunity to do good and withholds honor due to God. The question is not whether wealth was gathered or attention gained, but whether means, time, abilities and influence were used to advance God's cause, help the poor and vulnerable, and share knowledge leading to salvation, following Christ's example of serving those in need. Resources should be invested in God's work including missions bringing salvation, and putting them to the exchangers means using them to bless others, with each life work examined and reward proportionate to effort. Receiving without giving leads to loss while giving makes room for blessing.

Covetousness, selfish accumulation, hoarding wealth, exacting wages, and using talents for worldly gain while neglecting God's work is idolatry that lowers the work, and practical benevolence turns worshipers of mammon into co-workers with Christ. The proper lesson opposes covetousness which God calls idolatry, showing that practical benevolence gives spiritual life and turns selfish worshipers of mammon into faithful co-workers in saving sinners. Selfishness, covetousness and slothfulness with misconception of duty has greatly lowered and constricted the work, while burying talents robs God by failing to improve what belongs to Him. Property is a talent lent to test whether a person will accept Christ's character and be a subject of the kingdom leading to eternal riches, to be used to bless the needy, advance the cause, and establish worship where rich and poor are equal with no distinction. Acquiring wealth to hoard it is an awful soul-periling sin leaving a curse to children and posterity, and self-indulgence and covetously spending all upon self makes profession worthless, so those who will not be good and do good as their Master did will lose eternal riches and find no place in the mansions prepared. The wicked slothful servant in moral darkness does very little to carry the work forward, criticizes and complains, leaves double burdens to others, refuses to work unless benefited himself, demands large wages, gathers advantage to himself and deals in close selfish grasping ways, planting a leaven of evil harming other workers.

To everyone the Lord has given work proportioned to several ability, and both rich and poor are stewards to bring a faithful tithe into the treasury according to ability. Each church must bear its own burdens by caring for its own feeble, aged, poor and unfortunate needy ones at home and must not lay its personal cares upon others. The tithe is not to be appropriated for that work of care.

Money must not be given outright in large sums to one man to dispose by his own judgment, for that despises individual stewardship and does not do best for giver or receiver. Faithful stewards inquire of the Lord how to use His talent, invest means at low interest where it will help the cause, keep means in hand so they can still make gifts and offerings when moved to do so, and distribute help to needy fields and institutions without advancing one special line to neglect of other lines just as essential. Their means remain a stewardship they must direct wisely, investing where the Spirit indicates rather than shifting responsibility to others, so that the talent of money by being used multiplies into more talents.

Mission to Save Souls

Matthew 25:26 condemns failure to do the part required in gathering the world's harvest, for every follower can act as a reaper to gather souls into sheaves and neglecting that work shows Christ is not appreciated. Trading means personal effort with Christ to persuade sinners to leave sin, accept pardon and peace, and come to the truth, employing every agency, influence, ability and means to the very uttermost while it is day and keeping the lamp bright and burning. Opposing good work or remaining inactive scatters rather than gathers with Christ, and at the reckoning and the second coming each must give strict account of what was received and what was returned, with talents increasing only by faithful use that can bring many to Christ. Neglect brings a fearful account at the judgment, for abilities and resources are given to be put to work and not left unused in saving people and advancing God's work.

Knowledge of truth, light, present truth and grace is itself the talent entrusted, to be received into good and honest hearts and then communicated to minds nigh and afar off instead of hidden under a bushel. The wicked and slothful servant is the soul who does nothing in God's service, who has seen great light and knows the Master's will yet ceases to witness, feels no burden to reveal corresponding works, and uses light, ability and influence for self-pleasing. Condemnation falls especially on spiritual inactivity after feasting on truth for years while the world is unwarned and souls perish without Christ, on staying dormant and sluggish after much instruction and spending time and money only on those who already know the truth. Failure to put privileges to use makes stewards culpable, for every talent, ability, influence and measure of light must be traded and put out to the exchangers in good works that penetrate the darkness of error, and what is left unused will be required again with the improvement expected. The excuse of being unqualified and unfitted does not remove the requirement, for consecration brings wisdom, tongue and utterance that adversaries cannot gainsay, and every man, woman and youth is to take hold of one line of work after another, keep spiritual senses awake to the wants of the cause, give self and capital of means, and cultivate reasoning powers by exercise to save souls. Unless light given is shared it goes out in darkness and leaves the soul in awful peril, while obedience develops increasing consecration, efficiency and tact as laborers together with God, yoked with Christ in perfect obedience.

Trading requires entering unworked fields, cities, villages, regions beyond and places where workers are needed, rather than leaving gifts unused or confined to one's own community. It means raising up able workers, sustaining hard and discouraging mission fields, establishing memorials, schools, sanitariums, food factories and houses of worship, teaching young people trades, and developing prayerful, thoughtful methods to reach every class including the intelligent, refined, fashionable and wealthy often overlooked. It calls for putting the Lord's means and sacred trust into free, unselfish circulation to bring the knowledge of God and His Word to unreached fields, transferring influence and support from established places to new fields even at self-sacrifice, for neglecting that work leaves fields barren. Faithful service in this way develops spiritual strength, blesses humanity, constantly improves talents by use, and answers the nearness of the judgment and Christ's soon coming not with idleness but with doing all that possibly can be done and sharing the words of life with those in darkness.

Every member, high and low, rich and poor, great and humble, is given a work to do for Christ and is called into active service to enlighten and bless others as the light of the world, expected according to his several ability. God depends upon the church for forwarding His work and expects professed followers to act as intelligent beings, bringing every trained mind, disciplined intellect and jot of ability into saving souls. Excusing oneself from serving others, failing to improve abilities and opportunities, and burying talents instead of putting all powers to work for Jesus brings the verdict of wicked and slothful registered against the name. Churches wither when talents lie unused, so all must be taught the parable, leaders must plan work, apportion labor to idle ones, train youth and set all to work rather than merely preach, and none may deceive themselves that they are doing enough. Inactivity fails responsibility though divine strength and wisdom may be sought, and faithful service is rewarded with eternal life.

Faithful use in mission multiplies itself, for talents put to work for others and for bringing souls to God increase their fruit. Each person brought to the truth can in turn help save more souls, so one soul saved becomes a channel to save many and steadily increases the return of principal with interest to be shown at the Master's coming. Money and means of influence put into circulation to bless others and save others multiply in the same way, while those saved become stewards who help advance the kingdom and reach others. Genuine faith is thus shown by love in action and not by profession alone, for entrusted resources and abilities will be examined at the Lord's return. Those who bury talents will be replaced by workers who wisely put what is entrusted into service.

Burying talents includes withholding light and failing to warn by proclaiming the third angel's message, the Sabbath of the Lord, and the last gospel message of mercy to every nation, kindred, tongue and people while a false sabbath stands before the world and millions in delusion pass into eternity. It means leaving cities and mission fields barren and unenlightened, keeping houses, property and money for self, diverting means into wrong channels and worldly plans, and acting in greed, worldliness and unbelief so unworked fields remain and the cause suffers hindrance. It includes refusing to enter neglected fields and show what can be done, criticizing and condemning others, and blocking the wheels of those trying to work, as well as nominally accepting truth without bringing it into the inner sanctuary, practicing it and putting on Christ's righteousness. Love of earthly treasure and cares of this world engrossing time and attention hold back lifting the cross of duty, hide light under a bushel, and call for thorough conversion, repentance, clothing with Christlike zeal, warning of danger, and setting the light on a candlestick so all see fellowship with Christ. Even effort that looks fruitless will in time shine as one kindles his taper from another until many lights shine, God's name is magnified, and His people are co-workers with Christ in proclaiming sacred truth, inviting to the gospel feast and compelling those in highways and hedges, in vice and iniquity, to come in that His house may be full.

Faithful Daily Living

The verdict falls on cheap, drag-along work done as a wearisome task with dilatory, unwilling, indolent and negligent movements, whether in tilling soil, felling trees, clearing land, planting, sowing or harvesting, and unfaithfulness in that which is least brings the same condemnation. Each person is entrusted with gifts and duties suited to ability and must give a corresponding return, so neglecting even small present duties is unfaithfulness while cheerfully performing them prepares for greater responsibilities and everlasting life. Even a humble gift or service must be put to use and wisely invested to increase and fulfill its appointed purpose, for it can grow through use and reach those greater gifts cannot. To escape the sentence requires learning duty from the Word, taking interest in everything done until work becomes interesting and educating, constantly improving in thought and word and action, and making everything of present opportunities and privileges rather than leaving sacred things neglected and dishonoring God by withholding needed sacrifice and care for His house.

Parents are stewards entrusted with training and molding children's characters and will be called to account for careless, surface work in that solemn duty. Lax Christian life and loose discipline leave character defective, and neglect in the teachable early years allows hardening in an evil course and forfeits eternal good. Mothers who spend time unprofitably in seeking worldly excitement, company, visiting and entertaining visitors to be cheerful, while sacred home duties seem commonplace, waste time, intellect and means for intellectual and moral improvement and are written down as unprofitable servants. Faithful stewardship means earnest, thorough work by precept and example, preoccupying the soil of the heart and sowing seeds of truth in earliest years, dealing tenderly and lovingly, teaching children Christ as personal Saviour, educating, disciplining and training them to be intelligent, useful and able to carry forward God's work with lent treasures used to best advantage for highest service, withholding nothing and improving every faculty by use.

Young people, students and children must use every faculty in service to others and labor to save souls, aiming at a high standard and making the most of increased light and knowledge. All they have—position, possession, business, talents, means, knowledge and opportunities—is held in trust to test character and must be accounted for as Creator's and Redeemer's property, bestowed to minister to others. They must not only receive lessons of deep importance but learn to impart what they receive, seeking knowledge to labor for the ignorant and perishing, for to withhold what is entrusted is wicked and slothful. Their talents must be gathered into service and put to work and multiplied, even one talent increased, through definite missionary work with plans devised by overseers, older members and ministers who give youth a part to act week by week, kindle live interest rather than merely preach long sermons, and have them report experience and success through Christ's grace.

Life, health, reasoning powers and physical and mental strength are the Lord's goods as much as money, to be diligently employed for His glory and not wasted in reckless spending or vanity. God gives a capital of strength more valuable than money and requires its judicious use to best advantage in His fear, so one who can work but works only when work is conveniently prepared, refusing to exert himself to set himself to work and support his family, comes under rebuke. Strength, time and intellect lent for service must be put to highest fruitful use for God's honor and human good, cultivated and not left dormant, for ability left unused deteriorates like a rusting tool and ends in debility. Health itself is a talent answerable to the Creator, requiring learning and keeping the laws that preserve it, since neglecting that knowledge and acting imprudently makes one responsible for resulting harm.

Education and natural ability are useless if pride and idleness keep one from working with all powers for God, while faithfulness in developing ability brings increase whether educated or not. Gifts belong to God and must be used faithfully for Him and not to satisfy impulse, perverted to vice, error or Satan's service, but cultivated, improved and employed intelligently to serve Him and advance His glory. Time, strength, intellect and means lent by God are to be improved by use and returned to Him, used in helping those around, for those blessed yet refusing to help the needy rob their Maker and will answer at His bar. Faithful improvement means receiving daily increase of divine illumination with growth in Bible truth, going from strength to strength and grace to grace until talents shine in good works, virtuous life and unselfish acts of more powerful influence than words, testifying for God, transforming the selfish into the divine image, honoring His name and drawing beholders to desire the same righteousness.

Life's real purpose is served by lifelong improvement in using abilities for others, sacrificing personal interests for their good and helping the broken-hearted, rather than neglecting what is truly valuable through cherished error. No one has every qualification, so servants must learn from one another and act in harmony without despising or envying others' gifts and work, keeping God's glory ever in view and improving even the smallest talent in love and fear of God to secure larger trust. The work has pure, holy character requiring union of effort and faith and counsel together rather than trust in human ability or wisdom, with exact record kept of defects, idle hours in visiting and talk on unimportant matters, unfulfilled duties, prayerless days, fruitless nights, large expense with little result, and unseen, unimproved opportunities. Claiming to labor with God while spending time in criticism, fault-finding and complaining instead of helping and blessing, working as Christ worked and taking up unselfish medical missionary work, is burying talents and neglecting Christ's appointed work, bringing curse rather than a seat with Christ.

Ability and talents are given to every man, woman and child, five, two and one, each with peculiar gifts, work and place from lowest obscure to highest position, as responsible agents accountable for mental and physical endowments. They must be traded upon, put out to exchangers, sanctified to the Master's use and gained upon, sacredly consecrated to His glory and not to self-glorification, faithfully and humbly employed in dependence on Him, with blessing and wisdom to users. Physical, mental and moral powers are not for man to be lauded, praised, honored and glorified but that His name be exalted, spent every moment in use rather than wasted, with no excuse in having only one talent, for the Lord will come to receive His own with usury and require faithful stewardship to meet Him in peace. All human ability, wisdom and success are received from the Source of wisdom as intrusted capital to be wisely employed to His glory, so strife for supremacy and lifting up over personal powers are out of place and Jesus alone is to be exalted.

At final judgment Christ condemns as wicked and slothful those who have not lived faithfully in self-denial and service to others for His glory, spending life mainly to please self rather than do good. Talents and time are given not for idleness or selfish pleasure but to bless others and promote His glory, to be treasured for holy purposes, for time in selfish pleasure is lost for eternity and faithful use brings eternal riches. People must use talents wisely, fulfill duties and help others, becoming producers rather than merely consumers, adding to the Master's gift and using blessings to benefit others instead of wasting life in idleness, self-indulgence, shunning responsibility and robbing God.

Those entrusted with abilities and opportunities must render work and returns suited to ability and opportunity, with greater ability bringing greater responsibility and greater condemnation if neglected. What is possessed is the Lord's property as loan in proportion to ability to use it, to be employed wisely in working His vineyard and advancing truth and for others' good, not expended unnecessarily for selfish gratification, impulse, personal will or friends' demands, with all business transacted as religious obligation seeking wisdom to please the Master who has right to all. Every person trades on the Lord's goods day by day and hour by hour toward the last great day when Christ reckons and requires account, expecting results from everyone and rewarding in eternity proportionate to work in time, with no excuse and no second probation for those knowing truth yet making no effort to win souls through spiritual indolence. Neglect and refusal to act can burden faithful workers and hinder their work, while neglecting to watch for the golden privilege of speaking a timely word for souls, especially the physician's appointed ministry of righteousness, leaves a talent that ought to yield a thousandfold unused when precious opportunities pass.

The Christian must not stagnate or neglect opportunities and abilities but make steady spiritual advancement in service with Christ's help, keeping growing in fitness for heaven and likeness to Christ. Turning from the gospel and rejecting Christ wastes what was entrusted and may end in loss of eternal life, for powers left unused grow weak and decay and bring serious reckoning. God gives each person work requiring every faculty developed and used in His service, and means entrusted to parents are to be used in lifetime to advance His work rather than merely retained for inheritance.

Giving to novel reading breaks the command to make the most of talents and improve every talent, wastes God-given powers and puts the reader under Satan's control often unknowingly, calling instead for turning to Christ. Every talent of influence must be carefully used to lead people to Christ rather than spent on social entertainments not acceptable to Him. Walking in full and varied experience means using every talent to contribute to fellow men's welfare, with even a humble consecrated person having conception of duty enlarged by the Holy Spirit, inspired with burning zeal and communicating light and grace instead of burying talent in slothfulness. When eyes are anointed to see something of the depth and vastness of the work to be done, selfishness, covetousness, slothfulness and misconception of duty that lowered and constricted God's work give place to enlightened workers with breadth of mind planning with greater wisdom for home and foreign work.

Talents doubled by use in gifts, offerings and bestowal of influence increase the work by restitution on right lines, as those established through self-sacrifice transfer means at great self-denial to new fields beginning at the ABC of the work, so every part succeeds and moves forward with solidity and double strength. Failure must be repented with restitution by doing one's best, rising above ever-present hindrances with God-given purpose, putting on not pieces but the whole armor of God and fighting manfully, for God helps those who help themselves. Inheritance of money does not qualify for responsibility, for God works through all who will be worked, calling from home service to special service, redeeming time and gaining respect as people of opportunity. Talents of influence called for in the church, when sanctified and put to use, are a great blessing to holders and to the church.