Matthew
25:14-30
14-18 “It’s also like a man
going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave
five thousand talents, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he
left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s
investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21 “After
a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up
with them. The one given five thousand talents
showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him:
‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.”
22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled
his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job
well. From now on be my partner.”
24-25 “The servant given one
thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways
that you demand the best and make no
allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured
your money. Here it is, safe and
sound down to the last cent.”
26-27 “The master was furious.
‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If
you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least
you could have done would have been to
invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.”
28-30 “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.”