The Unprofitable Servant

a meditation based on Matthew 25: 14-30

A man was going on a journey, so he called his servants and entrusted to them his property. To the first he gave ten talents; to the second, he gave five. To the unwise and unprofitable servant, he gave only one talent, and went on his way.

The servants with ten and twenty talents took the gold and went to the nearest city to trade, taking the main road and moving slowly, for their gold was very heavy. They knew just whom to speak to to invest it wisely, and they knew that their gold would double its value in less than a day.

The servant who was given one talent also took his gold and went on his way to the next city. He had so little to carry that he was soon far ahead of the other two. He knew that he was unlike the other two– that he was an unwise and unprofitable servant, and he that he didn’t know the value of money. But he planned to put his master’s gold in the bank, and at least he could return the gold with interest. This is what he was thinking of as he walked along, and so he did not see the thief.

The thief fell upon the unprofitable servant; he beat him, robbed him and left him half dead on the side of the road. Then the thief went back to the master’s city. The unprofitable servant lay on the side of the road, unable to move or cry for help, for the rest of that day. The servant with ten talents passed him, but crossed to the other side of the road so he would not be delayed on his way to the neighboring town. The servant with five talents passed by the same way, and also crossed to the other side of the road. Both of these faithful servants knew of the thief, and they were relieved that the thief had already come and gone. There was no obstacle to their making a wise investment, and the master would surely be pleased. And still, the unprofitable servant suffered on the side of the road. The servant with ten talents traded with them, and received another ten in less than a day’s time. Likewise the servant with five received another five, and the two went back the way they’d come, passing the servant again. He looked dead, and they thought him dead, but they did not stop to make sure. He surely wasn’t of value to the Master, who’d only given him a single talent. The profitable servants left him alone, and went back to the master’s city. There they barred the gates, and it was night.

On the road, there was darkness, and the unprofitable servant saw nothing. There was cold, cold worse than he had ever known, and the cold hurt him until he wished a thousand times that he had been killed. There was wailing and gnashing of teeth, but there was no one to hear.

In the city there was light, and by that light the two profitable servants counted up their earnings. They spent a little on supper, a little on wine, and a little on whores, for they’d earned a little pleasure after all their hard work. The master would understand; there was still a great deal of profit left. Besides, he was so late in coming. The profitable servants needed some diversion to keep themselves awake, or they would not be there to unbar the gate. They were tired from their work, and soon they grew tired of their play. It was the darkest hour of the night when the servants fell asleep with all that was left of their earnings still out on the table. And then the thief came in.
Morning dawned outside the city. The unprofitable servant had not been able to sleep for all his pain, so when the light came, he saw it. He forced himself to his feet, and limped back to the city, but the city gate was still barred against thieves. So the unprofitable servant went back to the side of the road, to await his master.

Dawn was not seen inside the city, for no one was awake. The two unprofitable servants slept on and on. The thief came back several times, for all of that gold takes a very long time to steal. Finally, when it was almost noon, the thief had loaded every bit of it into his cart and made his escape.

Outside the city, the unprofitable servant remained awake, for his wounds did not allow him to sleep. Now he was afraid. He had heard that his master was a hard man, gathering what he had not sown and harvesting where he had scattered no seed. He had had some thought of running away. But the servant recalled that the master had already known he was unwise and unprofitable– he had only given him the one talent to begin with. If he ran away, the master might also think he was dishonest. Better to wait, to run to meet the master, to beg forgiveness and to accept the master’s verdict, whatever it might be. And so he waited.

Inside the city, the profitable servants finally stirred. They found themselves with nothing– not their profits, not the talents they’d had to begin with, not a drop of the wine from last night, none of the company they’d hired, not even the clothes in which they’d fallen asleep. Everything they had had been taken away. And the profitable servants were afraid, and they hid themselves from their master.

The thief left the city in spite of the barred gate, for thieves never leave by the gate. His heavy load of gold was no obstacle to him, for such things never are to a thief. Soon enough, he was outside the city with his carload of gold and everything else he’d stolen from the profitable servants. And there on the road, he saw the unprofitable servant. The thief recognized him, and thought he was seeing a ghost. He left his cart and ran away. He is running still.

It was evening when the master finally arrived home. He found his unprofitable servant to whom he had given the one talent, waiting to welcome him outside the city with a cart containing thirty talents of gold.

“Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enjoy the joy of your master.”

The master tried the gates of the city, but found that they had been barred against him. And so the master and his unprofitable servant left by another road, reaping together what they did not sow and harvesting where they had planted no seed. They are together still, and we await their return. The time will come when no gate can stand against them, and the master will return in Glory– but that day has not yet come, for the master is meek and humble of heart. The two profitable servants were left alone with nothing, hiding in the city. They are hiding still. And it was night, and there was darkness, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
Some say the thief had been sent by the master, to test the hearts of men. Some say the master really came himself, like a thief in the night. This I do not know. But I know that faithfulness in suffering, even the worst and most unjust of suffering, is worth more to the Master than gold.

(image via pixabay)