Matthew 25:27, commentary and pictures

Christ's words require that what he leaves with his servants be put to active, productive use so it is returned to him with increase at his coming, and even the servant who could do no more was bound to place it where it would earn interest rather than bury it idle. What is entrusted remains the Master's own property by creation and redemption, lent to be invested for his glory, embracing life, powers, time, means and the light of truth. Every person from the lowliest to the mightiest holds such a trust in exact proportion to known ability, and faithfulness rather than amount decides acceptance, so no one is excused as an idler. To trade is to work with self-denying personal labor for the saving of souls, imparting light to others so that those won in turn help others and the return multiplies. At his coming he reckons with every servant by name in judgment, requiring both principal and increase, rewarding faithful trading with approval, rulership and entrance into joy, and condemning buried, selfishly used talents to loss.

Parable Context and Wording

The parable belongs to teaching given shortly before entering Gethsemane, after a day of teaching and warnings that had exhausted strength. It is recorded in Matthew 25:14-46 to be studied and compared with the life record. It follows the parable of the ten virgins, so that together they require vigilant watching with no slackening of effort for eternal life. The instruction requires putting away boasting, because self-sufficiency is fearfully dangerous and makes the words of Christ of no effect, and walking in humility, self-distrust, and daily commitment to the Saviour.

It is a lesson in true service to God and faithful use of what has been entrusted. Matthew 25:14-30 is given for study with great profit to the soul, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom for understanding it. Heaven bestows very large gifts when it gives opportunities, and the Lord's goods must be traded and improved. Those who keep desiring greater opportunities show they do not appreciate the opportunities they have, while precious opportunities are appreciated when small advantages are eagerly seized upon and improved. The talents entrusted include the precious gift of time and the power of speech, to be wisely used in trading with the Lord's goods. This trading cannot be done without close connection with Christ, and those vitalized by His divine nature work in Christ's lines.

The reckoning is of the kingdom of heaven as a man traveling into a far country who delivered his goods to his own servants, to every man according to his several ability, and after a long time came to reckon with them. The servants who traded faithfully doubled what was given and were called good and faithful and made ruler over many things and bidden to enter into the joy of their lord. The servants who received five and two talents traded with them and each gained an equal amount, showing that what is entrusted is to be used productively. Even one talent faithfully traded upon gains another talent, two put out to usury gain two more to make four, and four working on the same principle make eight. Trading upon the Lord's goods means doing humble duties faithfully to bring honor to God, going to work with what is already possessed rather than feeling unqualified, becoming qualified by using it, and improving with determination in whatever line of work is appointed, through daily consecration, dying to self and living a new life unto God in a trustful, happy state of mind.

Intrusted capabilities must be improved in humble work to bring souls to the truth, obeying the command to do to others as you would have them do to you. Allowing them to lie unimproved deprives God's vineyard of the labor it should have. In the great day of reckoning the slothful servant is dealt with according to the work he might have done by putting his talents to use. Faithful discharge of duty brings increased ability, tact, knowledge, and experience, with the Lord opening the way before the worker. Entrusted ability is meant to be put to use and produce a return, not left idle, and using one's talents in God's service is how people learn to employ them, while failing to use them leaves work undone and wastes the opportunity God has given. Those who use their talents in service will be helped and instructed for further work, while idleness and needless delay waste time and resources; people who are able should be set to work, corrected when they make mistakes, and encouraged to continue.

The servant who received one talent dug in the earth and hid his lord's money and returned only what was given out of fear of a hard man reaping where he had not sown and gathering where he had not strawed. He is called wicked and slothful, and even such a servant was required to put the money to the exchangers so the lord would receive his own with increase at his coming rather than bury it unused. For that failure the talent is taken from him and given to him which has ten talents, for unto every one that has shall be given abundance but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has. The servant was accountable for improving the talent entrusted to him: even on his own account, he should have put the money with the exchangers so it could earn interest. His failure to do so was part of his slothful and ungenerous refusal to improve what belonged to his master.

He was blameworthy not only for failing to increase his entrusted talent but also for neglecting even the simplest useful action: placing the money with exchangers so it could earn interest. The talent represents something entrusted to a servant to use productively, and fear and inaction do not excuse leaving it unused. The servant who would not use his entrusted talent for his master should at least have placed it with the exchangers so it could earn a return, which condemns his failure to put the trust to any useful work and holds him accountable for what he was given. Even by the master's stated standard, he should at least have put the money with exchangers so it could earn a return, teaching that Christ's gifts and abilities must be actively employed in His service, with each person responsible to steward the talent entrusted to them. Even depositing it with the money changers would have yielded a return for his master, and failure to do even this was part of unfaithfulness with what had been entrusted.

The servant who received one talent was responsible for putting it to useful work rather than hiding it; even if he did not trade with it himself, he could have placed it with exchangers so his lord would receive a return. The talent was a sacred trust to be wisely improved for God's glory, and the servant could have doubled it and received the same commendation as the others. Thou oughtest to have put my money to the exchangers means accountability even to place the money with money-changers so it would earn interest and be received with increase, where exchangers are those who handle money for gain and usury means interest or increase. The usury is spiritual fruit and return rendered to God through faithful use, the exchangers are those who can put means to such use in the Lord's service, and deposited in the bank of heaven the talent increases beyond computation and is noted on the heavenly record.

Ownership and Entrusted Gifts

What is entrusted must be put to active productive use and improved so it is returned with increase or interest at the coming, not buried, hidden, left idle, neglected, wasted, misused or used selfishly, and every servant is accountable and will be reckoned with at the coming and in the judgment. Even the one talent, carefully and conscientiously traded instead of dug in the earth and hid from fear, could have been doubled, so having only one is no excuse and failure brings great loss and the taking away of even what was given. Readiness for the return means diligent work rather than idle waiting, for fear and inaction do not excuse leaving unused what belongs to the master, and returning it without increase after hiding or wasting it brings condemnation while faithful use brings approval. This includes the talent of blessing others by speaking helpful uplifting words, and talents improve and multiply when used.

What is entrusted is a loan from the Master to be invested in work for him to advance his glory, embracing eternal interests and stewardship of his grace and endowments for a sacred higher trust, secured by his own blood and sufferings which claim entire obedience and service. The goods committed are more than earthly temporal employments and more than worldly goods, to be used to his glory by turning every ability to account for him who bestowed them, not buried up in worldly enterprises nor used merely to accumulate worldly goods for self-satisfaction. It remains his property by creation and redemption so that withholding it is robbery, for soul, body and spirit and all talents are not our own but lent to be sacredly employed and consecrated to do his will and wisely used, because he will require them again at our hands. It includes life itself bought at great cost and watched from infancy, with every power, organ, sinew, muscle, time and money earned to be consecrated and trained for his service without binding conscience by human contracts. Even the humblest service becomes a consecrated gift when exercised in doing the Master's bidding and promoting his glory, and every sincere effort is an acceptable offering done under the eyes of unseen witnesses. Faithful stewards claim no merit but give glory to God, knowing there would have been no gain without his deposit and no interest without his principal, yet though without his grace every soul would be bankrupt and can rightfully claim nothing, faithful trading is rewarded as if the merit were the servant's own.

The entrusted capital includes money, property, houses and lands, physical strength, health, time, intellect, influence, ability, capability, knowledge, opportunity, privilege, light, affections, voice, conscience, kindness, faith, positions and offices, perceptive faculties, reasoning powers and judgment, and the treasures of his word, present truth, promises, justification by faith and his righteousness. These are spiritual, mental and physical abilities with possessions, sympathies, position and influence, to be used for the salvation of souls and the uplifting of humanity and increasing good, not solely for personal benefit nor spent selfishly nor withheld from those in need. Powers of mind and body are to be carefully preserved, educated and cultivated, including weaker faculties, avoiding self-indulgence, misuse and habits out of line with his will, so they can be used for the greatest good and bring glory to God. The reckoning will not ask how successful servants were in gathering means, but what they did with what was given: what they did for him in the person of the poor, the afflicted, the orphan and the fatherless, feeding the hungry, clothing the destitute and caring for the sick and poor; how they employed lent time; how they used pen, voice, money and influence; and what they did with the trust of thrilling truths heralding his second coming and the light and knowledge given to make men wise unto salvation.

The money to be put to the exchangers is the light and knowledge of duty, present truth and sacred knowledge for salvation graciously given, which must be traded by imparting it to others and helping them by personal experience so that sharing wins souls who in turn help others and results multiply. When that sharing wins a soul from the ranks of Satan, other talents are gained to the Lord because the soul saved can in turn improve what is given, so the work moves onward in faithful organized work for unbelievers both nigh and afar off and in regions beyond, developing hearts, minds and affections and enlightening those in unbelief. To know duty and hide it through sloth, lack of interest and effort leaves a person without excuse and leads to the talent being taken away and given to the faithful, with the unprofitable servant cast into outer darkness, while those who improve and double what was given are called good and faithful and enter into the joy of their Lord. Failure to improve privileges through spiritual inactivity and misuse of light and truth is written in the books of heaven as wicked and slothful, for faith, obedience and love are required to grow in keeping with light and grace received, and where faith does not increase light and blessings decrease.

Universal Proportionate Responsibility

God has committed to every person, from the lowliest and most obscure to the mightiest and highest in position, man, woman and child, some peculiar gift to be used in His service for the advancement of His kingdom, whether serving God or pleasing himself, and every follower is redeemed for service with his own work and a special place on earth to work in co-operation with Christ for the salvation of souls as surely as a place is prepared in the heavenly mansions, so that the true object of life is ministry to God and fellow men and the law of service becomes the connecting link binding to God and to fellow men. Every possessor of such a trust brings glory to God by its proper use, while refusal or perverted use robs God, and obligation remains even when the claim is denied, for denial does not lessen guilt and those standing under the prince of darkness by neglecting their trust will in the day of final accounts stand unconfessed by Christ. No one is excused as an idler and no talent is unnecessary, for even the one-talent servant was required to do good rather than hide it, and even the smallest gift can grow through use and the humblest service can reach minds and influence hearts that greater gifts cannot accomplish in their appointed service. Talents are given to every man according to his several ability, whether five, two, or one, and not capriciously, embracing spiritual, mental and physical abilities with influence, position, possessions, affections and sympathies for the salvation of souls, and God is equally honored by improvement of each trust whether great or small. Those entrusted are expected to use wisely even what seems small, carefully preserving powers of mind and body, avoiding self-indulgence and misuse, and keeping habits in line with Christ's will.

Responsibility and expected return are measured in exact proportion to what is entrusted, with varied trusts proportioned to varied capabilities and known capacity, and God accepts and requires according to what a person has and not according to what he does not have. He does not demand ten talents from one entrusted with one, nor from small vessels what larger vessels hold, nor from the lowly and unlearned the intellectual power of those with advantages and privileges, nor from the poor alms they do not have to give, nor from the sick and suffering active energies their infirmities forbid, and those with only one or two talents in a humble sphere have no reason to complain about meager ability if they trade diligently. Reward depends not on amount but on faithfulness, and no humble gift is to be despised, for each has a sphere of service and devoted, earnest, humble workers are needed in all parts of the wide harvest field. Greater gifts bring greater responsibility, and faithfulness is tested first in small duties cheerfully done, proving wise stewardship and worthiness to receive the true riches including everlasting life, while diligent use can lead to gaining more. Those with limited talents should use faithfully what they have rather than reach for work requiring talents they were not given.

Stewardship is individual with personal judgment and definite work, and responsibility for the gifts actually entrusted cannot be transferred, sold, merged in another, handed over, or placed absolutely under human control even for the advantage of the cause. No man or council is to weigh another's talents in human judgment, make light of them, diminish, control or take over another's work, take another's work out of God's hands into finite hands, buy such control, make another man his steward, or take control of the profits from a writer's talents into the hands of conference or publishing house, including the talent of writing books and income from writing which the author must personally administer and develop under God's direction. One talent well used will gain other talents and these still others, and the man with a few pence who serves God faithfully with his pence is judged as faithful as the one who improved five talents, for worth in God's sight comes not from number but from the way talents are appreciated and employed, prized as His gifts and sacredly consecrated to His glory and not to glorify self. Trading means working where he can and doing the best possible service to develop character in dependence upon Him, and the faithful and humble will receive wisdom to put into exercise every power He has given, as Daniel did until he became a trusted man in the kingdom of Babylon. Such human control dishonors God, rules one man's mind by another's, separates the agent from God, exposes him to temptation, makes men slaves of men after Satan's methods, and brings confusion and distrust, jealousies and evil surmisings, and destroys faith in God and in the principles that purge from guilt and selfishness and hypocrisy.

Excuses do not avail, including pleading fear, charging the Lord with being hard and unjust and reaping where He had not sown, complaining about inequality and meager ability, or claiming present inability when that inability was allowed to develop through inactivity or devotion to worldly pursuits. The Master's reply exposes as false the accusation that He is a hard master, since He provides gifts and means, and refusing responsibility treats Him as hard and distrusts His word, for He gives power to carry out what He calls people to bear. Even with only one talent the servant ought to have put the money to the exchangers so the Lord would receive His own with increase at His coming, for having fewer talents than others did not excuse him from serving God or supporting the advancement of His work. Failure to invest even the one showed selfishness and disregard for responsibility to God, and hiding in the earth or wrapping in a napkin is condemned as wicked and slothful under sentence in the great day of final reckoning, bringing great loss so that even what was given is taken away. Every soul entrusted must unfold the napkin and trade, beginning with conversion of body, soul and spirit, using what is entrusted to benefit others, including the talent of blessing others by speaking helpful, uplifting words, and faithful trading gains other talents. Failure to improve brings condemnation in proportion to neglect, for Christ requires faith, obedience and love to grow in keeping with light and grace received, where faith does not increase light and blessings decrease, while the more people use their abilities in God's service and connect with Him the more capable they become.

Faithful Trading and Increase

To put money to the exchangers is to trade actively with what is entrusted instead of hiding it, for the present is the trading time in which God-given capabilities must be used for the Master by self-denying, self-sacrificing zeal and missionary work for those perishing in sin through personal labor, tact, prayer, studying Christ's life, sowing beside all waters, and working in home, neighborhood, church, regions beyond and new fields. Having a name in the church book does not secure entrance into the kingdom, so every church member must make a close, critical examination of how opportunities have been used and what has been done for the One who gave His life for the world, and everyone who has denied self and purified the soul through belief of the truth will at once begin this work, with God rewarding every servant who works in this way. Right use increases capability, tact, power and spiritual efficiency, for using abilities and advantages multiplies them and increases capacity for service, and talents multiply through exercise as God works with sincere workers to reach the highest standard possible. To trade wisely is to increase in knowledge and spiritual understanding, to appreciate God's claims upon time, influence, capabilities, powers, time, influence and skill, to be co-laborers together with God in saving fallen souls and uplifting humanity with earnest effort for doing increasing good, to have an uplifting, reformatory influence upon the world, and to educate and train mind, affections and heart by diligently searching the Scriptures to learn the words of Christ and being a doer of that word. The trust is not solely for personal benefit but must be put to faithful use and accounted for to Him, with even the smallest trust increased through diligence, with service valued by God rather than measured against the abilities of others, with diligent self-denying work seen and accepted so a humble servant can grow in usefulness, with those who develop abilities through good works and Christ's grace and strength acknowledged, with love, gratitude and thankfulness coming forth from a heart holding the treasures of His grace in unmistakable example of works testifying of faith and not faith alone, and with the character-building work begun on earth reaching completion in the life to come.

Putting money to the exchangers is employing talents as co-workers with Christ in winning souls for eternal life, by letting power, influence and means flow in the missionary channel to warn the world, convict and convert the honest in heart, and gather souls to Jesus Christ, using good judgment and abilities for God's glory and investing them in the salvation of souls rather than in earthly wealth or burying talents of means in enriched farms and building added to building. Each person brought to the truth can in turn use gifts to help save others so the investment continually increases, and each one so gained becomes a further talent gained, with the increase shown by its fruits. The increase Christ expects is souls brought to knowledge of the truth, presenting talents doubled in the ingathering of souls at His coming by returning both the original gift and its gain, and the Master rewards each person according to his work. One rescued soul is worth more than a world, so sacrifice for the truth and become rich toward God by valuing eternal things, for improved farms and buildings cannot be taken into heaven and will be consumed by the fires of the last days, while a heart set on earthly treasures, anxious and laboring for them, exalts the earthly above the eternal, cannot appreciate heavenly treasure, and mistakes money spent to extend the work for loss bringing no returns. The parable means that every member of the church, whether rich or poor, great or humble, is the light of the world and is called by God into active service for Him, with the Lord expecting each person to enlighten and bless others according to his several ability and depending upon the church for the forwarding of His work, so His professed followers must do their duty as intelligent beings, bringing every trained mind, every disciplined intellect, and every jot of ability into the work of saving souls, using talents in order to increase them, with the steward accountable for using what God has lent him to advance the cause so that the Master receives what is His with increase when He comes.

Faithful stewards claim no merit of their own but give glory to God, knowing there would have been no gain without His deposit and no interest without His principal, for talents are not human property but the Lord's goods bought by Christ's blood, to be traded with responsibility for their use or abuse, with resources and ability to use them coming from God, and without Christ's grace every soul would be bankrupt and can rightfully claim nothing. Yet faithful trading is rewarded as if the merit were the servant's own, for God has appointed to every person a work and endowed the lowliest as well as the mightiest with influence to use for the Lord, expecting each one to do his best and to let work correspond with light received, with the more knowledge and power are used the more they increase, with every sincere effort for the Master as an acceptable offering done under the eyes of unseen witnesses, and with each receiving in exact proportion to the work done and the improvement made. Giving back what is already His does not earn eternal life but is faithful response to His generosity, for Christ became poor so people might become rich, and these rewards are not earned as the basis of salvation for they are purchased by Christ, while the reward reflects each person's works and lack of zeal and failure to use them count against a person. To put money to the exchangers is to invest every entrusted gift in active service, using all one's powers in service for Jesus and putting entrusted resources to useful service so they produce a return for the Master, returning both the entrusted principal and what it has gained, with faithful, earnest work connected with the reward of eternal life, entrance into the Lord's joy, and commendation. The verse presses the church to consider whether it is putting the Lord's capital out to usury now, for talent and opportunity are short, lost opportunities will be mourned when eternally too late, and blessing belongs to those found so doing at His coming, with Christ entrusting talents of means, influence and powers of mind to every person with reasoning powers who claims to be His servant and commanding them to trade until He comes because the talents are His, not their own. Putting money to the exchangers is using money, influence and mind to provide only daily necessities for self and to bless others, advance the cause of Christ, get truth before others and save precious souls for whom an infinite price was paid, rather than dealing to advantage self or gathering houses and lands that cannot be taken to heaven and are worth no more than sand, and after a long time the Master comes and calls all to the strictest account at the reckoning when probation closes, with only a small space between each person and eternity, rewarding each in exact proportion to zeal, fidelity and success in trading, giving the faithful rulership, entrance into the joy of the Lord and many souls as stars in a crown of rejoicing, while hiding the talent in the earth by neglecting to work for good shows unfaithfulness, testifies that the person is not a Christian who follows Christ's example, and leaves them unprepared for the reckoning.

Faithful use in dependence on Christ's strength and grace prepares a person to receive more, and those who wisely improve what they receive will be given more, for work that sows truth and cultivates Christian character will bear fruit in the harvest and receive an eternal reward and is acknowledged by Him. Faithfulness in small duties prepares for greater trusts, for God accepts thorough, faithful work in even the least responsibilities, not self-inflation or superficial effort, and faithfulness in small duties develops trustworthiness for greater service, strengthens the worker, and encourages others to use their gifts wisely, even where only one talent is entrusted. A worker with two talents faithful step by step becomes qualified for five, by being faithful and thorough in the little things entrusted, thinking deeply, mastering duties, and climbing step by step, round after round of the ladder, before handling larger responsibilities and heavier burdens, and as the talent grows in dependence on Christ and for God's glory it can bless others. The self-inflated who skims cannot receive increase, for those who are self-inflated and self-sufficient, place too high an estimate on capabilities, skim the surface without deep thinking and mastery of duty, and grasp for the highest place without faithful climbing produce defective, remiss, superficial work wanting in solidity, knowledge, carefulness and thoroughness which God cannot accept or reward with rulership over many things.

Unfaithful Burying Condemned

Burying the entrusted talent is condemned as wicked, slothful, and unprofitable stewardship, and the servant who hides it in the earth, wraps it in a napkin, or leaves it unused must unfold it and trade with it, beginning with the conversion of body, soul, and spirit for the benefit of others. Such neglect brings judgment, casting into outer darkness, last-day retribution, loss of the soul, and forfeiture of the crown of life, for even the least gift must be used wisely and productively in proportion to what was received. The condemnation falls not for great vileness but for neglect of everyday duties, and abandoning work to avoid mistakes only repeats the error of fear that pleaded excuse for hiding. Being ransomed does not excuse refusing allegiance, and abilities and opportunities put out to the exchangers represent what must be developed, worked diligently, and accounted for with approval, while neglect proves unprofitable.

Hiding light and burying talents means letting worldly cares, business entanglements, temporal schemes, amusements, vanity, indulgence, selfish ambition, idleness, and criticism engross time that should go to God's work, exalting the earthly above the eternal and making the eternal secondary to the temporal. It includes tying up means in enriched farms, lands, houses, buildings added to building, business, mining stock, and risky speculation, which for those who believe His coming is near is contrary to His will and a last-day snare, since improved farms and buildings cannot be taken to heaven and will be consumed by the fires of the last days. Strength of brain, bone, and muscle must not be put into worldly business interests at the peril of spiritual interests and eternal bliss, and money, influence, and mind are to provide only daily necessities for self while blessing others, advancing the cause, getting truth before others, and saving precious souls bought at infinite price rather than gathering houses and lands worth no more than sand. Power, influence, and means are to flow in the missionary channel to warn the world, convict and convert the honest in heart, and gather souls so talents are presented doubled in ingathering, while using temporal means, time, and physical and mental powers for earthly selfish purposes and neglecting soul-winning is robbing God, laying hay, wood, and stubble to be burned, leaving a lifework in ashes with reward lost and souls unsaved. Those buried in earthly things mistake money spent to extend the work for loss bringing no returns, have no right estimate of eternal riches, are unfitted for heaven and perish with their treasures, remaining dry, shriveled, and dying spiritually from non-use unless they accept responsibility, take up the cross, deny self, and are transformed to use every talent to the utmost by exercise for God's glory.

Servants are held accountable even for talents never possessed and for all improvement that might have been made, because through the infinite sacrifice of His Son every provision was made to multiply gifts by diligent faithful stewardship. Putting money to the exchangers is wisely using entrusted gifts to increase in knowledge and spiritual understanding, appreciate claims upon time, influence, capabilities, and powers, search the Scriptures and do the word, educate mind, affections, and heart, reach the highest standard, labor as co-laborers with God for fallen souls, and show faith by works with love, gratitude, and an uplifting reformatory influence. People are judged not only for what they did but for what they could and ought to have done, including warning others, and neglecting light, gifts, and opportunities is unsafe, bringing condemnation in proportion to neglect, with faith, obedience, and love required to grow with light and grace received lest light and blessing decrease. Condemnation falls especially where neglect causes souls to be lost, and even where the soul is not lost such failure brings eternal loss of the knowledge and ability that could have been gained.

Talents left unimproved are taken away and entrusted to those who will use them, for those who bury what was given will be replaced by workers who wisely put God-given resources into circulation and serve loyally and diligently. Unfaithfulness can lead God to transfer gifts and opportunities to others who will honor the trust and carry the work forward, since talents are given not mainly to enrich recipients with earthly goods but to prepare for eternal life. Those leaving opportunities unused will be replaced by poor, honest, humble souls, and stewards who fail to put property to work or who lead others wrongly are brought to account at the Master's return.

Reckoning Judgment and Reward

At his coming the Master reckons with his servants and requires his own with usury, both principal and increase, and this reckoning is the final reckoning and investigative judgment in which how entrusted gifts were used is strictly examined. The examination covers time, talents, money, influence, words, pen, voice, understanding of Scripture, purposes and motives, including what was done for Christ in the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, the fatherless, the hungry, the destitute, the sick, and with the light of present truth heralding his second coming. Day by day people are now trading for time and eternity with records kept in heaven, and at his coming he will reckon by name, scrutinize every talent, test fidelity, and expect results proportionate to work done and improvement made, with no second probation. Talents are not human property but the Lord's goods bought by his blood, lent to every person from lowliest to mightiest with a work appointed and influence to use, so each must let work correspond with light and invest every gift in active service under unseen witnesses. Faithful, judicious, persevering trading returns to him his talents doubled, and the good steward claims no merit but gives glory to God, knowing there would have been no gain without his deposit and no interest without his principal. Though without grace every soul would be bankrupt and can rightfully claim nothing, faithful stewardship is rewarded as if the merit were the servant's own, while lack of zeal and failure to use what was lent count against a person.

The Lord is not satisfied with mere return of what he gave but requires increase with interest, and every provision has been made through Christ, who clothed divinity with humanity and lived and suffered to place needed qualifications within reach of everyone for continual progress in knowledge and virtue. Justification is by faith but judgment is by the character of works, with every human being entrusted according to ability, none excused and none permitted to remain idle, and the destiny of the worker determined by faithful improvement or lack of improvement. The command to put money to use requires every talent, capacity and opportunity to be employed with best effort in consecrated service, not money investments alone but capabilities, time, influence and means trained for right thinking, right speaking, right seeing and a cleansed heart as an abiding place for Christ, to accomplish the greatest good and increase the revenue of his treasury. The unused talent is brought into account just as much as talents used and increased, for to withhold it is to withhold God's money, since human beings are not their own but bought with a price and both principal and increase belong to the Lord, so having one, two or five talents does not excuse needless waste. The reckoning is as individual as the bestowment, measuring exactly every capacity even when left unused, expecting proportionate and even doubled returns, and heaven's approval rests not on amount entrusted or size of gain but on faithfulness, loyalty and loving service. Faithful trading brings Well done, rulership, entrance into joy that can be tasted even in this life, stars in a crown, treasure in heaven and eternal life, purchased by Christ while reflecting each person's works.

Neglecting to put talents to work risks loss of eternal life, for light and opportunities received and returns made determine eternal destiny, with greater privileges bringing greater accountability. Neglect is sinful and brings self-condemnation at the judgment, and burying resources in investments or using them selfishly instead of helping the needy and advancing his work withholds good that the final judgment will reveal, costing the unfaithful servant an eternal inheritance. Each generation receives a special trust, and future welfare depends on faithful use of opportunities to serve Christ and win souls, including intellect and earthly wealth used to help the needy. Failure to gain attainable knowledge and to utilize cleverness, tact, skill, wisdom, mind, time, sense, opportunity, means, his Word and his Holy Spirit for soul-saving brings eternal loss, requiring first consecration, cleansing, discipline, self-denial, cross-bearing and fruit in every good work to advance his cause and bless his chosen toward the strait gate and narrow way. Everyone is on probation tested for worthiness to wear a crown of immortal glory and to stand fitted for the grand review, and those who neglect eternal interests for earthly things, neglect growth into dead profession, and cannot see the signs of the times will be found with those who perish under the plagues poured from the vials of wrath.

God entrusts according to known ability and not arbitrarily, with trusts and talents differing according to varied capabilities, fitting people for different tasks so faithful service does not mean everyone must do the same work. Each will be rewarded in exact proportion to use and to fidelity, perseverance and earnest effort in actual service in cooperation with God, by which talents improve and increase. A steward identifies with his master and acts in his stead for his interests, so acting selfishly perverts the trust, and burying talents in the world is unfaithful, dishonorable stewardship even when Christ crucified was presented and the Spirit pled to draw to Christ. All the influence that might have been exercised and all the improvement talents would have made and all the good that might have been done through the atoning sacrifice but was not done will be charged to the account when weighed in the balances. Those who stubbornly refuse the trust must give an account of themselves to God and will be found wanting with no excuse for wasted opportunities, bearing penalty for failing to fulfill his purpose, for condemnation falls especially on neglect of doing what might have been done.

Stewardship in Daily Life

Money is the Lord's money, not the holder's, and those who hold it are made stewards of means for the very purpose of advancing His cause in every line required for success. To put money to the exchangers is to handle it wisely by investing it in His work in an emergency and wherever the cause can be benefited, and money so used has His blessing attending it with marked results, so that at His coming He receives His own with usury. To hide the talent in the earth is to hold money with a miser's grasp from selfish interest, acquisitiveness and covetousness which is idolatry, murmuring at expense for His work, fearing any call for means, hiding His money in the world and even risking it with sharpers rather than letting His treasury be benefited, which is robbing Him. Money lying unused in banks is a buried talent, and using financial means to support His work and spread the message of truth puts that talent to work, so that when one brought into truth brings others the talent is multiplied. Funds kept in banks or invested in property or hidden away should be put into circulation to advance His work and help save people, to strengthen the work of sharing truth, to support the work including sanitariums as an investment of His means that reaches visitors, especially in Southern California, for money withheld from that work brings no increase in heaven. Property is likewise a loan from Him, and faithful stewardship includes giving it to relieve the needs of His institutions, where even a small gift is accepted as service to Christ.

Those who have means hold His money as lent to them and must put it to work themselves in His cause while they live instead of leaving that work for their children to do, for it is the work left them to do, and faithful stewardship requires that when He calls them to account they render back to Him both principal and interest. Money is His money lent as talents of means to be improved for Him by answering the calls of His cause, sustaining the work and spreading truth for salvation of souls, and neglect proves unfaithful and slothful servants. Placing means beyond control by putting it into the hands of children, willing property to children, withholding from His cause to save property to leave for children, or suffering it to pass into unbelieving, reckless children to squander or hoard and worship, is a shifting of the stewardship Heaven appointed and places that means in the enemy's ranks at Satan's prompting. While parents have sound minds and good judgment they must themselves make disposition of property with prayerful consideration and with help of proper counselors who have experience in the truth and knowledge of the divine will, considering afflicted children or those struggling in poverty who will make judicious use of means, but 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 and light regarding of His claims. Making a will does not excuse giving to His cause while living; surplus should be disposed of while living, with satisfaction here and reward hereafter, doing part to advance His cause and using means lent by the Master to carry on work needed in His vineyard. The warning applies also to withholding tithe and gifts and offerings, for the servant's failure was keeping his master's money unused instead of putting it to work, and his complaint about his master was excuse for unfaithfulness, not reason to withhold, while giving grudgingly brings no reward because He loves a cheerful giver.

Placing means in wicked hands even relatives with no regard for truth wraps the talent in a napkin, and refusing to use because children disapprove or transferring to an unbelieving wife for peace must be answered for, since stewards remain accountable for what was entrusted and their use will be reckoned with shortly. To put money out to usury is to place means that can be spared in His treasury to be used to His name's glory, without slack hand and without delay, providing facilities by which many can learn what is truth. This means not keeping means idle and not investing it in land when children or friends advise it or for personal purposes, but using it to help build meetinghouses and to establish sanitariums where the sick receive physical and spiritual healing and witness is borne to present truth, and schools conducted to resemble the schools of the prophets where youth receive best influences and are trained to become missionaries, and Christian missions from which light shines to draw souls, which is the highest work and brings best results for investment by esteeming souls above money. Done rightly, at His coming He will find the talents doubled. Rather than tying spare means up in land, it is to support saving souls through meetinghouses, sanitariums, schools and missions, and through camp meetings where people have accepted truth, which is co-operating with Christ and the very best outlay of entrusted means.

It requires dividing facilities to neglected portions such as England and London instead of piling up buildings in one place such as Battle Creek, and arising to build memorials in Washington. Time is one of the important talents entrusted for which He will call to account, and waste of time is waste of intellect. Mothers who have youthful minds to train and children's characters to form must not spend time unprofitably seeking excitement of the world, company, visiting and entertaining to be cheerful, but must improve every means for intellectual and moral improvement, cultivate minds and keep hearts pure to qualify to improve children's minds. Those who indulge inclination, grow restless without varying exciting scenes, find sacred home duties commonplace, have no love for self-examination and self-discipline, and neglect children are written down as unprofitable servants. Every moment is valuable and must be put to good use, especially in quiet, earnest work for others, following the example of sharing burdens of the weary, speaking sympathy, and teaching from nature His love and kindness.

Health is one of the talents put in human hands by Providence for which account must be given, requiring learning laws that regulate health, practicing physical education until familiar, preserving health by subduing immoderate desire, appetite and passion, and teaching the young its value and means of preserving it. Most disease comes from imprudence and lack of knowledge, or ignorance and poor management by parents and guardians, while right care obviates evils, prolongs life to old age and diminishes suffering, and violation of nature's laws brings a reckoning where escape is only temporary because debt and interest accumulate and must at last be paid. Intellect is a talent whose value depends on use: when guided by His Spirit it benefits others, but when turned toward vice, falsehood or harm it becomes a curse to possessor and those influenced, so intellectual and moral faculties are gifts for wise cultivation and each is responsible for faithful use. Existence, faculties and powers must be cultivated, improved, disciplined, exercised and understandingly directed to best purpose to represent Bible religion and promote His glory, and the agency of the Holy Spirit does not remove necessity of using them but teaches how to use every power to His glory, capable of best use now and exercise in immortal life. Ignorance does not increase humility or spirituality, while truths of the divine word are best appreciated by an intellectual Christian and Christ is best glorified by those who serve intelligently. Words are likewise more precious than gold to be used in comfort and uplifting speech, and only few golden moments of probation now very short remain to be doubled rather than devoted to selfish gratification.

No professed follower is excused from putting entrusted abilities to work to produce return, for these abilities belong to Christ who bought and ransomed people through His merits and righteousness, to be used for His glory rather than self, and responsibility grows more urgent as earth's history nears its close. He demands every power subservient to Him and accepts no divided sacrifice that neglects eternal interests for earthly temporal things, requiring intellect and money used to advantage His work in saving souls, for through one saved soul He can work to save many by letting heaven's light shine into the heart to be imparted to others. He who buried one talent so it should not be used would have buried ten had he been entrusted with them, so none are to hide talents in business tending not to saving but to peril of soul, but to work while it is day because night comes in which no man can work. Every entrusted capability must now be brought into active service without loss of time because His coming is near, each working while day lasts to awaken the slumbering and to keep his own lamp trimmed and burning with oil of the Holy Spirit, so as to meet Him with joy and not grief. Entrusted talents must be constantly multiplied and never left unused, with work always advancing and never ended because of what is done, for the end is at hand, doing His will under continual converting power. Now is the day of trust in which each has special work to do and must trade as faithful steward, including arising to build when means are scarce, and if workers walk humbly He will bless and assist every worker laboring with eye single to His glory, while lifting soul to vanity and self-sufficiency leaves workers in finite strength.

The parable has personal application to everyone able to reason, each accountable for gifts entrusted in proportion to those gifts, and every follower has some gift to use, not only those with exceptional talents or advantages. Every member of the church, rich or poor, great or humble, is the light of the world called into active service, and He expects each to enlighten and bless others according to several ability and depends upon the church for forwarding His work. His professed followers must do duty as intelligent beings, bringing every trained mind, disciplined intellect and jot of ability into saving souls, using talents to increase them, examining each week how physical, mental and spiritual powers are used to please Him. Each Christian has individual responsibility that cannot be vested in any minister, to be sanctified and serve with skill, efficiency and ability as home missionary at home, in family, in church and in world, with pure elevating example, and in the reckoning He will require each according to talents received, including all improvement that might have been made but was not from unfaithfulness. Talents must be called into use by educating workers, letting different ones take turns leading meetings and giving Bible readings, for churches wither when members fail to use abilities, and every talent must be employed and returned with increase as consecrated offering for His glory.

Mission to Save Souls

Every professed disciple holds abilities lent for the very work of rescuing souls for whom Christ died, and must dig up what is wrapped and buried and place it where it will work, going out with the glad tidings of salvation to the perishing as the angel flying in the midst of heaven with the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Trading is spreading light and treasures of truth, laboring for souls with self-denial and cross-bearing, and drawing freely and continually from the fullness of divine love with Christ within as a well of water springing up to everlasting life. Carelessness, indifference and lack of integrity leave gifts unused, dim grace until it flickers out like the lamps of the foolish virgins who slumbered, and forfeit blessing, while daily doing something brings the ministry of angels to enlarge ability for trading into spiritual life, health and increase. Such increase is souls brought to knowledge of the truth through wise use, and every member, church and family is to work earnestly to win souls and be a light, for at His return He expects His own with gain. Bearing much fruit in earnest persevering labor for salvation glorifies the Father, and each living stone in the temple must shine, doing the nearest humble work with present talents so that God gives more grace and ability, since refusing opened doors of usefulness cripples missionary enterprise and makes do-nothings.

The precious light and knowledge of truth is a charge upon every Christian young or old rich or poor, not upon ordained ministers alone, to cease pleasing self and concentrate all energies on presenting truth, lifting perishing souls and seeking the lost who are sickening and dying without pardon while the church is indolent. To bury it is to hide the antidote for sin and neglect duty, and those who do so will be pronounced slothful and will not be commended or welcomed as faithful. Every church member is a steward of the light received through preaching, and must communicate it to neighbors and friends and to those enslaved by appetite, telling of divine power to overcome harmful indulgence in simplicity with sympathy, tenderness and a converted voice. God floods the heart with His presence in order that it be freely bestowed and Christ revealed, and strength is gained by imparting, while those who fold hands in ease and neglect to impart become barren and starve spiritually even while hearing truth, and cannot expect continued supply, for all must labor as those to give account. Members trained only to rely on preaching do little, bear no fruit, grow selfish and unfaithful, put hope in the preacher to keep weak faith alive, hide talents and yet complain of the Lord's dealings like sick children to be tended, because overseers did not properly instruct them. The cure is not more sermonizing but giving each one something to do for others, teaching all and especially the newly come to faith how to work together with God.

Putting talents with those who will use them applies especially to the young, who must be gathered and pressed with all fresh vigor into the ranks of Christ as valiant soldiers in the great fight for truth. This is done by breaking down barriers between the young and helpers, winning by sympathy and love, putting no forbidding aspect on religion, partaking of the divine nature, and presenting Christ as friend of sinners to draw souls from the evil one, with less sermonizing and long exhortation or reproof and more personal labor such as a private word to young friends and those met in daily walks, while Jesus Himself draws them, for to neglect this gathering is to neglect duty. Youth must use what is entrusted where they are, passing along precious truth, and such use gives knowledge that dissatisfies with self, reveals the great work to be done, and shows the need to separate from every hurtful habit lest another be harmed. Faithful work where they are, walking with God and learning from Him, prepares for vacancies and advancement to higher responsibility with fresh experience and unswerving love, gathering light from Christ the teacher, treasuring the past, opening beauties in the Word not yet comprehended, rising to higher service, and continuing only by constantly imparting in order to keep receiving. As capacity grows through use, gifts are to be consecrated to make Christ known and warn others, employed as agents of mercy and blessing, with accountability for productive use of resources and opportunities.

For physicians the talent is the precious golden privilege and opportunity to speak a word in season for souls, which ought to produce a thousandfold and must be watched for and used at once or it will pass. Leaving it unused loses the most precious opportunities and keeps the physician from his appointed work as a minister of righteousness, while bringing religion into care for the sick puts it to work to comfort and lead toward God with multiplying results. Having only one talent is no excuse, for it can still be put to work and increased by wise service including relieving disease and suffering. Neglect to speak at the right time to lead patients to Christ wastes opportunity that could bear abundant fruit for eternal life. This is seen when a patient relieved from pain and brought back from death is inclined to exalt the human agent, and the Christian physician turns thoughts, gratitude and praise to Jesus as physician of body and soul and to the source of all power, mercy and goodness, thereby multiplying the talent, sending back to heaven praise and thanksgiving, and dropping seed that will bear fruit unto holiness.

Christ as the absent Lord proves servants by what they do with what He entrusted, and they ought to put His money to use by giving means, influence, encouragement and practical help to His workmen to do the appointed work, especially the work for the colored people in the South that should have been done immediately after emancipation. Failing to help those laborers in difficult discouraging self-denying work fails His test, dishonors Him, lets profession contradict practice, and loses much fruit that faithful use would have brought. At final reckoning He will require His property with gain, so resources must be used generously for the needy including the colored people, with believers as true missionaries opening hearts where humble workers and means are needed, rallying in liberal offerings measured by the Father's gift of His Son, denying worthless spending, with blessing and wisdom for disbursement. Every power of time, experience and influence in all who claim to be children of God is to be used in proclaiming truth because time is short, walking humbly and circumspectly and giving every jot of ability to carry the work forward in Nashville and many other places in the South.

The Lord expects every servant to put what was given to active use in saving souls and will require it with increase at His coming, so leaving a fellow laborer idle, discouraged, in debt and without sympathy or work contradicts this requirement. Brethren are to take him by the hand, encourage him to brace up and go to work, and help with sympathy and prayers, because souls are to be saved everywhere and one hundred laborers are needed where there is now one.