MATTHEW 25:14-30
burdensome. The servant was too involved in the world and its affairs to give that much time and effort to
labor for the Lord and to concentrate upon His demands.
b. He added that he feared—feared using and putting his talent to work for the Lord. Therefore, he hid the
Lord’s talent and did not use it to increase the Lord’s kingdom.
2. Note God’s reasons for condemning the servant; note the vast difference between what the Lord said and what the
servant had to say.
a. The unprofitable servant was wicked and slothful. He was wicked because he went about doing exactly what
he wished to do, spending his time and energy on his own thing. He transgressed God’s command and will.
He was slothful because he did nothing with God’s gift. He buried and hid it.
b. The unprofitable servant was inconsistent, or perhaps a better description would be deceptive, double-
minded, and self-contradictory. If he really believed the Lord was harsh and stern, he would have labored
and worked his fingers to the bone. The servant was either lying or terribly deceived and self-contradic-
tory—all in an attempt to justify his behavior.
c. The unprofitable servant failed to use his gift. Christ was direct: the servant should have used the gift and
served (v.27). He was without excuse.
3. Note the judgment of the unprofitable servant (v.28-30). Christ pronounced a twofold judgment upon him.
a. The unprofitable servant was stripped of what he had. All that he had was taken from him. The servant’s
responsibility—the glorious privilege of working for and serving the Lord—was not to be his any more. He
was to have nothing else to do with the Lord. His responsibility was taken from him and given to the one who
proven most faithful.
b. The unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness. He was cast out of the Lord’s presence and banished
forever. And there was no joy there, nothing but outer darkness and weeping and gnashing of teeth (see
DEEPER STUDY # 4—25:30 for discussion and verses).

Thought 1. There are two gross errors in the thinking of the world.
1) Many persons think God is hard, stern, demanding, and unsympathetic. They are unwilling to follow such a
hard, narrow way. So they bury, hide their God-given gifts and travel along the easy, broad way.
2) Others think that what they have is their own, and they can use it to live as they please. They think that
what they do is no one’s affair except their own, not even God’s.

Thought 2. Few persons feel any responsibility to God for what they have, and even fewer feel the necessity to
serve God faithfully and diligently.

Thought 3. Slothfulness, doing nothing for God, is one of the great sins of professing Christians (Ro.12:11;
2 Th.3:11; Heb.6:12; Pr.18:9; cp. 1 Cor.15:58).

Thought 4. Sins of omission are as serious as sins of commission. Being idle and slothful, being complacent and
doing nothing, being lethargic and self-satisfied—all are condemning sins: sins that condemn a person to outer
darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Thought 5. Men deceive themselves. They rationalize their comfort, ease, and slothfulness by minimizing their gift.
They think that they will be excused by downing or denying their gift.
g159 Inactive righteousness is as condemning as active wickedness.
g159 Idle service is as condemning as a busy sin.
g159 Sleepy concern is as condemning as stimulating flesh.
g159 Indulging comfort is as condemning as assault and robbery.
g159 Being unprofitable is as condemning as being evil (cp. Mt.25:42-46).

DEEPER STUDY # 3
(25:28-29) Judgment: see note—Lk.8:18 for discussion.


DEEPER STUDY # 4
(25:30) Outer Darkness: a darkness outside some realm or space of light. The rewards have to do with the assignment of re-
sponsibility. Therefore, it is probably accurate to say that the judgment is a darkness outside the joy (light) of the Lord’s
presence and outside the joy of responsibility. What a darkness! To be cast into outer darkness away from the Lord’s pres-
ence and to be stripped of responsibility—to be responsible for nothing throughout all eternity.

“But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth” (Mt.8:12).
“And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Mt.13:42).
“Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him
into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt.22:13).
“And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth” (Mt.25:30).
“These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of
darkness is reserved for ever” (2 Pt.2:17).
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