“And he also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, and I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Lo, you have your own.' ”
However, the man with the one talent had nothing extra to offer, for he had made no use of what had been entrusted to him. He had simply hidden it away. But he knew who was to blame for that. It was his Lord's fault. If his Lord had not been such a hard and exacting master he would have behaved differently. But he knew that his master was one who expected to reap where he did not sow, and to gather where he had not scattered. He was unfair, and greedy, and not to be trusted. Thus he had taken no risks. He had gone away and hidden the talent in the earth. And now here it was. He could have it back safe and sound.
His words were like a mirror of his heart, and by them he was self-condemned (compare Matthew 12:36-37). Firstly he had a jaundiced view of his Lord, a view which we know from the remainder of the parable was untrue. He considered him to be hard and unfair, and to be someone who expected too much. And he was sure that if he lost what had been entrusted to him he would be severely punished. There are many who see serving Christ in the same way. And yet his words also reveal that he knew what he should have done. He knew where his duty really lay. He knew that he should have multiplied the talent so that his Lord would be pleased. By his words he was actually passing sentence on himself, for he had blatantly refused to do what was required of him because of his resentment about his Lord. And such an attitude lies behind the failure of all men who fail to make use of what God entrusts to them for His glory. Belief in God is not rejected because it is irrational. That is the face saving excuse. It is because it makes too many demands, and interferes with our being able to have our own way.
So he thrust the talent back at his Master, and said, ‘There you are take it. You have it back, just as you gave it to me, unused and untouched.' And the fact that it was untouched revealed that the servant had failed in his duty, and in his responsibility. He had thought that he could behave as though his Lord was never coming back. And that was precisely how he had behaved.
Paul in Romans 1:18 onwards speaks similarly of man's awareness of what his responsibility is, and of his refusal to acknowledge it. No man, he says, will be able to say in the last Day that he was not aware of what he should have been, and of what he should have done. For all are aware from the least to the greatest. All have an inward awareness of the reality of God. All are aware of the moral ‘ought', the fact of what they ought to do. All can see the divine plan and beauty in nature. That is why in the end all try to seek to justify their actions, whatever they may be, for they know that they have not behaved as they ought. Thus they are as foolish as this man was. And like this servant the majority simply bury what God has entrusted them with, or misuse it to their own advantage ignoring the fact that one day they must give account.