Matthew 25:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

NIV: Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

NASB: Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

CSB: then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.

NLT: why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’

KJV: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

NKJV: So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

The third servant's story (Matthew 25:24–25) does not add up in the master's eyes. His other two servants doubled his investment by working hard in the business of trading (Matthew 25:20–23). This servant buried the seed money the master gave him, guaranteeing it could not grow (Matthew 25:18). The servant claimed he was afraid of losing the money since he knew the master to be such a hard man.

Here, the master continues to poke holes in that story. If he really was such a hard man, the servant should have been fearful enough to put the money in a bank where it could earn some interest. The servant can't claim he was sincerely worried about what would happen with the money; his servant's inaction came from laziness and sin, not respect or even fear. He didn't even do the minimum amount needed to guarantee a bit of return on the master's investment. In truth, he also failed to submit to the master as a servant or slave.

This exchange is important in understanding the meaning of this parable. The point is not about money. Jesus is showing His followers what He expects of them while He is away, and they are waiting for His return. He expects them to take whatever they are given and to use it on His behalf until He returns. He expects a productive and enthusiastic participation in working for the kingdom—a kingdom that will come after Jesus' return ends the world as we know it.

The third servant completely rejected the instructions of the master. In that sense, he's no "servant" at all, just a pretender. In the same sense, this parable implies that those who blatantly reject God's will for their lives are in jeopardy of being "cast out" as false believers (Matthew 25:30).

Matthew 25:14–30 compares the kingdom of heaven to three servants of a wealthy master. Each was given resources—the master's assets—and commanded to do business with them while he is away. Two of the servants apply the supplied funds and double the sums of money the master leaves with them. They are richly rewarded when he comes back. The third servant buries the money and does nothing with it out of supposed fear of the master. The master condemns his laziness and evil, casting him out. Jesus' servants must work diligently for Him while waiting for His return, not wasting the talents and resources which they have been given.

Jesus uses two additional parables to illustrate a state of constant readiness for His return after He has gone. His followers should be working for Him while they wait. They must not be like the foolish young women who missed a wedding feast because they forgot oil for their lamps. They must be like the servants who doubled their harsh master's investments while He was away. Jesus concludes with a third descriptive passage, showing how He will judge between the righteous and evil when He returns as King.

Matthew 25 concludes the "Olivet Discourse:" Jesus' teaching to the disciples about future things as they sit on the Mount of Olives. This follows His dire predictions about the Temple and Jerusalem in chapter 24. He gives two more parables to emphasize that they must be prepared for His return. Finally, Jesus describes the moment of His return, after a time of tribulation, when He will judge all who live on earth at the beginning of His kingdom. This leads into Matthew's account of Jesus' Last Supper, betrayal, and arrest in chapter 26.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.