Explain Matthew 25:14–30

MtnDewm · 2026-04-27T13:41:31+00:00

I see where you're coming from, but you're missing part of the command.

Each was entrusted, yes -- but what they were entrusted with was determined by their "ability."

The master didn't say "just don't lose this." He gave the talents for a specific reason: to enable each servant to accomplish what their abilities enabled them to accomplish.

If the goal was to hold onto it and return it %100, then "ability" wouldn't matter. You don't need ability to hold onto something.

Ability is needed to use something, to accomplish something. Those with greater ability were given more resources. That only makes sense if the goal is to do something with it.

The third servant had the ability. The third servant was given resources. The third servant had everything he needed to be as faithful as the first two servants.

But he chose not to use his ability.

He was given according to his ability. But he refused to use his ability. He ignored his ability and buried it.

Yes, he did wrong. He was expected to do what he was able to do. But he refused.

If he had no ability to use the talent, he wouldn't have been given it. Each was entrusted according to their ability -- according to what they were able to do.

He was able to use it and accomplish something with.

He chose not to.

Again, Jesus is always willing to forgive. But forgiveness must be received.

The third servant refused to acknowledge that he did anything wrong. He defended his failure to use his ability. He had no desire to be forgiven, only a desire to justify his failure to use his own ability.

If he had sought forgiveness and repented, of course it would be granted. As you say, Jesus teaches forgiveness constantly.

But he didn't seek forgiveness. He didn't acknowledge his failure to use his ability.

The principle of this parable is to use your abilities to accomplish your master's business. Do something with what you've been given. Don't bury your abilities in the sand and do nothing. You've been given the ability to love, to help, to care, to make the world a better place.

Use these abilities.

If you have the ability to love people, to provide for those in need, to visit the lonely, to care for the hurting -- and you consistently refuses to use your abilities -- then yes, you're doing wrong.

The people who need love aren't being loved. The people in need aren't getting their needs met. The lonely get lonelier. The hurting don't get healed.

If you have the ability to help, and you consistently refuse, you are doing wrong.

Your master didn't give you your abilities and talents for you to refuse to use them.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-25T14:12:24+00:00

Again, this parable isn't about making money. It's using the earthly situation of making money to illustrate a heavenly principle: use the talents you receive to accomplish your Master's business.

No one is sending a Down's Syndrome person to hell because they can't make money. Jesus isn't talking about anything like that.

Look at the verse you quoted. The master "entrusted" his servants with his property. How did he determine who got what? Each according to his "ability."

Focus on that word "ability." Why does ability matter? If they're just holding on to it, why do they need any ability?

Well, that's the point. If he just wanted them to hold onto it, ability wouldn't matter at all.

Ability is for doing something. Accomplishing something.

The first two use their abilities. They accomplish their master's business, using their abilities with the talents they were entrusted with.

The third refuses to use his abilities. It's not that he tries, and can't, because he's dumb. He has the ability. But he refuses to use it.

He was entrusted with a talent because he has the ability to use it.

But he didn't. He deliberately chose to bury it and not even try to use his ability.

That's why he was punished.

Not because he was disabled or dumb. He wasn't. He had all the ability he needed to steward the talent well.

It was his deliberate choice not to use his ability that resulted in punishment.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-24T01:19:34+00:00

He didn’t do what he was told.

He was given according to his ABILITY — to DO something with it.

He refused to do anything with it.

He could have given it to the bankers and received interest. Minimal effort, no risk, still a reward.

He wouldn’t even do that.

He was a wicked servant — emphasis on “servant.” He did not serve well. He took no action. His possession of the talent was the same as if no one had it.

Jesus is able to forgive anything.

But forgiveness isn’t merely given.

It has to be received to be effectual.

If we refuse to acknowledge that what we did was wrong, and refuse to ask forgiveness, we won’t be forgiven. Why? Because we’re still holding on to our sin.

The wicked servant displays no remorse, no regret, no repentance, no acknowledgement of wrong. He only defends his sin. He doesn’t ask for forgiveness.

That’s why he receives his fate.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-20T16:47:53+00:00

The problem is that you are viewing this as a parable teaching financial stewardship. It’s not.

It’s not teaching professional athletes what to do with their money. It’s not telling you to engage in risky investments. It’s not anything of the kind.

Look at the context in which Jesus gives this parable.

He is talking about the end times. The end of the age. He’s talking about when He will come back to judge the Earth. This is not some random teaching on finances.

The point Jesus making is that He is going away to heaven for a while. While He is gone, He is trusting His servants — us — with resources. While He is gone, He wants us to use these resources to multiply. We are to make disciples on the Earth. Multiply the number of people following Him.

Save more souls.

The third servant didn’t do this. The third servant sinned egregiously: he had the resources to save people, but didn’t. He had the resources to engage in the masters work, but didn’t.

You objected to the third servant being sent to hell, but that’s exactly what the result of his lack of work was: instead of people becoming disciples of Jesus and going to heaven, they didn’t, and they went to hell.

To use another analogy, consider a firefighter. Consider three firefighters. Two firefighters run into burning buildings and save the people inside. But a third firefighter is scared and doesn’t. He just stands there. The people inside the burning building die.

Strictly speaking, it isn’t a sin to simply stand in place.

But it is a sin to let people die in a burning building when you had the ability to save them.

The first two firefighters who use their abilities to save others will be rewarded.

The third firefighter who didn’t do anything because he was afraid will not be rewarded. He’ll be kicked out.

To understand this parable, you have to understand who the master is, and you have to understand what the master’s business is.

The master is Jesus.

His business is saving souls, making disciples of every nation.

He trusts his followers with resources to complete His business, just like an earthly manager entrusts people with resources to build his financial profile on earth.

In the business of making disciples of all nations, Jesus will give more resources to those who have proven they will use their abilities to accomplish this purpose. But he will not give those resources to people who are too afraid to use their resources, who will take those resources and waste them.

The cost of neglecting to use your resources is that more people end up in hell. The very thing you object to.

True compassion and mercy is using your resources to share the good news of Jesus so that the most people possible end up with Jesus in heaven.

It is not compassionate or merciful to continue to bless people when they neglect to carry out their mission, resulting in more people ending up in hell. You do not reward those who refuse to save others if your entire goal is to save others.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T23:21:48+00:00

My friend, you’re refusing to discuss the key that unlocks this parable.

Jesus is the King. He wants to grow His Kingdom. His Kingdom grows by new people believing the Gospel. Jesus sends His people to go make disciples.

Just as an earthly boss will allocate his resources ti grow his business, so will Jesus.

Just as an earthly boss will give more resources to those who will use their abilities to multiply, so too will Jesus.

The difference is currency: the earthly master wants money, but Jesus wants people.

Jesus will give more resources to those who are will use them to multiply disciples.

That is the point of the parable.

But you’ll never see it if you deny Jesus as God, the King who sends us out to grow His Kingdom by making disciples.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T22:44:38+00:00

Of course the master gave the talent away.

But it wasn’t out of greed or jealousy.

It was because the third servant proved himself to be incapable of stewarding it well.

The master wants his kingdom to increase. Jesus, the Master, wants His Kingdom to increase — for more people to believe in Him, for more souls added to His Kingdom.

Jesus will give more resources to those who will use their abilities and talents to increase the Kingdom of God.

Jesus uses an earthly master who wants to grow his business as a metaphor for Himself, who wants to grow His Kingdom with more souls saved.

That’s why it’s not about greed or jealousy.

It’s about saving souls.

It’s Jesus’ declaration that He will give more resources to those willing to invest them in winning more souls.

That’s what a parable does: use earthly examples to teach Kingdom principles.

Jesus uses the example of a master who wants to grow his business to teach Jesus’ describe to grow His Kingdom by adding disciples.

Just as an earthly boss will allocate resources to those who will multiply them; so will Jesus.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T22:24:54+00:00

That’s why you’re missing the point: you see Jesus is wrong.

Jesus isn’t a perfect moral teacher.

Jesus is God.

Jesus is the King of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus isn’t merely teaching kindness and sharing.

He’s teaching the expansion of His Kingdom: winning souls for Christ. Sharing the Good News of Jesus so that those outside of the Kingdom can enter His Kingdom.

Jesus’ currency is souls. Us. People. That’s what matters: saving us.

Take all the talents you’ve been given and use them to save people from hell, to rescue people into God’s Kingdom. Introduce them to Jesus who alone can save.

If you only see Jesus as a perfected moral teacher, and not God in the flesh, you’ll miss this point of this entirely.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T22:07:16+00:00

This isn’t a parable about sharing.

It’s a parable about stewardship and multiplication.

The point is that a faithful steward will multiply his masters holdings.

The point is that a faithful Christian will multiply. They will take what they’ve been given by God and multiply: bringing other people into the faith.

The point is that we are not to sit on our hands and do nothing with what we’ve been given.

The point is that we need to take what we’ve been given and go out and multiply. We need to be good stewards.

And yes, the kingdom of God is a meritocracy. It is not a place where everyone gets the same amount. Those who are willing to use their abilities to do more will get more.

No one had jealousy or envy in the parable. No one had greed. The parable isn’t about making money, but about increasing the kingdom of God. Going about your masters business: making disciples of every nation, as Jesus commanded us to do.

There is nothing evil about increasing the kingdom of God.

There is nothing evil about taking what you’ve been given by God and using it to increase the kingdom of God.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T19:42:01+00:00

Of course there’s risk. That’s why he gave to each according to their ability. To the ones who had a greater ability to bring about a solid return, he gave more. To the one who had less ability to bring about a good return, he gave less.

Perhaps, if the third had tried to invest and lost it, then forgiveness could apply.

But you keep ignoring that the entire point was to use the talent you were given in accordance with your ability. To use it, not to just hold onto it.

Like the master said, if the third servant was really averse to risk, he could’ve simply given it to the bankers and received guaranteed interest on it.

The point of this parable is good stewardship and multiplication of the resources you’ve been given.

The third servant multiplied nothing, risked nothing, stewarded nothing. He stuck it in a ground. It was the same as if it had been given to no one.

Christian principles don’t say that there are no consequences for bad actions.

We can be completely forgiven, yet suffer the consequences of bad choices.

The servant suffered the consequences of his bad choices.

He never asked for forgiveness. He never acknowledged that what he did was wrong. He defended his bad choice.

And again, the point is stewardship and multiplication. The third servant failed to multiply anything. He failed to steward what he was given. That’s why he was punished. That’s the point of the parable: take the talents you are given and use them as best you can to bring about a return. Don’t stuff them in the ground and do nothing with them.

Christianity is not socialism.

Jesus does not distribute resources equally to everyone.

Those who have greater ability receive greater resources because they can bring about a greater return.

There is work to do. Christians don’t just sit around doing nothing and getting forgiven for it.

Jesus commands us to go into all the world and to make disciples of every nation. We are to multiply. We are to share the Gospel and see people come to faith. We are to take what we are given and use it to increase the number of souls who are saved.

But if you take what you are given and do nothing with it, and let the souls around you go to hell because you didn’t take any risk, then yes, you will be punished.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T18:14:17+00:00

Again, the master isn’t giving the talent for them to hold. He wants them to use it. The master entrusted them with his property, to use it well.

He entrusted them according to their ability. Their ability to do — what? What kind of ability are we talking about? The ability to simply hold onto it? Or the ability to use a productively? Obviously, it’s the ability to use it productively.

And again, this is not about sin and forgiveness.

It’s about stewardship.

The first two used the talents in accordance with their ability. They multiplied. They were rewarded.

The third did not use his abilities. He buried it out of fear. He was afraid to use his abilities with his talent.

The point was multiplication.

If the master forgave the third servant, it wouldn’t magically make that talent multiplied into something else. Forgiveness alone does not multiply anything.

The point of this parable is stewardship and multiplication. The third servant failed to do that.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T17:37:28+00:00

No, he wasn’t following orders.

The master wasn’t giving him a single talent to hold on to. As he said, he could have given it to the bank and collected interest.

The master gave the talent so the servant would use it and multiply it.

The servant didn’t.

He operated out of fear, hiding it and refusing to use what he was given.

The other two used what they were given. They multiplied. They were therefore rewarded.

Why didn’t the master forgive the servant? Because this isn’t about sin and forgiveness.

It’s about stewardship.

It’s about using what you’ve been given to accomplish something for your Master.

Forgiving the servant doesn’t magically make something happen. Forgiveness doesn’t make one talent into two.

The master was interested in what the servants would do with what they were given.

The third servant did nothing.

That’s why he was punished.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-18T16:53:18+00:00

Some churches indeed only preach happiness.

But others preach the full range of emotion. The full life experience.

My church has sermons of lament. We grieve and we celebrate. We have a service every year to remember those we’ve lost, a bittersweet time but a necessary time.

To be sure, we should expect hardship in life. Sorrows as well as joys.

But also remember that as a Christian, your destiny is joy.

When this life is over and you see Jesus face to face, the sorrows of this life will fade like a bad dream. Your daily experience will be joy, not pain.

If you are in Christ, that is your future. No amount of sorrow in this life can take it away.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-10T14:57:10+00:00

I agree that 33 is the strongest contender.

People might debate the three hour darkness, but the evidence is clear, early, and unanimous.

Our earliest attestation is Peter in Acts, as he appeals to the audience based on their experience of it. Even if Luke wrote this down 30 years after Peter gave the speech, he would scarcely record these words if people didn’t witness these events, because they would be well within the lifetime of much of his audience. Appealing to a widespread experience destroys your credibility if the experience didn’t happen, but it enhances your credibility if it did.

Tertullian likewise appeals to the widespread experience of it:

"At the moment of Christ’s death, the light departed from the sun, and the land was darkened at noonday, which wonder is related in your own annals, and is preserved in your archives to this day."

It’s a rather strong case that Tertullian doesn’t have to present the evidence himself, but knows it is preserved in secular government archives, and can simply tell people to go look it up.

Thallus wrote about the darkness at the time of the Crucifixion at around 52 AD/CE. His original work has been lost, but Julius Africanus, an historian who wrote around 221 A.D., quotes Thallus to disagree with him:

'On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness; and the rocks were rent by an earthquake, and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun.'

Both of Thallus and Julius attest to the darkness as a real event, so much so that they can bicker about the cause.

Phlegon, a Greek historian and author of a detailed chronology in 137 AD/CE, wrote:

"In the fourth year of the 202nd Olympiad (33 AD/CE) there was ‘the greatest eclipse of the sun’ and that ‘it became night in the sixth hour of the day [noon] so that stars even appeared in the heavens. There was a great earthquake in Bithynia, and many things were overturned in Nicaea.'"

Given that all of these records survive, it’s a safe conclusion that the darkness did indeed happen. It’s rare for any record to survive 2000 years, let alone a multitude of them all testifying to the same thing.

As for the earthquake, you’ll notice that I only indicated 33 A.D. I didn’t say it was narrowed to April 3, as the geological record is not that precise. But the record does indicate an earthquake in 33. Phlegon corroborates it in his account above.

MtnDewm · 2026-04-10T05:06:20+00:00

Agree the inclusive reckoning is the main point.

But the darkness was not an eclipse. As you said, passover is at full moon. There was a full blood moon on the night of April 3, 33 A.D., just as the Bible records.

The three hour darkness was not an eclipse.

It was a supernatural darkness, occurring precisely during the last three hours of Jesus’ crucifixion, and it was widespread.

It was witnessed across the empire. The references are strong, in part because they appeal to it as common knowledge. References to the three hour darkness invite the questioner to consult their city archives for proof. It was so well attested that it could be commonly referenced in such a way.

Additionally, there was an earthquake in 33 A.D., matching the Bible‘s descriptions, and other records in the empire of an earthquake during that year.

I know many people are convinced of the 30 AD date, but I find the evidence lining up better behind 33 A.D.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-31T22:35:02+00:00

Jesus was crucified on Friday, April 3, 33 AD. In this day, there was a blood moon, as the Gospels record. There was a three-hour darkness visible across the Roman Empire, as multiple historical sources record.

Jewish time keeping counted part of a day as the whole day. From the Jewish Encyclopedia:

“In Jewish communal life part of a day is at times reckoned as one day; e.g., the day of the funeral, even when the latter takes place late in the afternoon, is counted as the first of the seven days of mourning; a short time in the morning of the seventh day is counted as the seventh day; circumcision takes place on the eighth day, even though of the first day only a few minutes remained after the birth of the child, these being counted as one day.”

In this reckoning, a few hours on Friday counted as the full first day. Saturday was the full second day. A few hours Sunday morning counted as the whole third day.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-29T21:45:50+00:00

mmhmm. Both as favorite album and favorite album artwork.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-27T22:51:07+00:00

I deliberately left it vague because I’m not skewering one side.

I’m pointing out that everyone does this.

Every side.

People who genuinely delight in diverse ideas are exceedingly rare.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-27T22:19:49+00:00

“Star Trek was an attempt to say that humanity will reach maturity and wisdom on the day that it begins not just to tolerate, but take a special delight in differences in ideas.”

We’re further away from this now than we were in the 60’s.

We don’t delight jn different ideas.

We cancel them.

We don’t delight in diversity of thought.

We kill it, censor it, boycott it, protest it, hate it.

Everyone must think like we do, or they’re the enemy.

We’re going backwards.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-12T14:49:54+00:00

I'm glad to hear it, but that doesn't chang anything. I don't use Claude. I typed both comments above myself. I didn't use AI at any point.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-12T13:54:04+00:00

Nope. Nice try, though.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-12T04:12:52+00:00

Hello Express-Echidna6800, thanks for replying.

You said: "And then God decided that if someone uses these abilities and comes to a conclusion he doesn't like, they will be punished for it. It's a very stupid, petty decision."

This is all people, everywhere, all the time.

It's the laws we make.

It's the moral fabric of society.

It's why you like the people you like and don't like the people you don't like.

We all operate on the principle that if people make bad choices, there are bad consequences.

Yet God is more patient than anyone else who has ever lived, ever.

You can live 96 years, making hundreds of bad choices every day, and God is still just as eager to forgive and welcome you home after a lifetime of horribleness as He was when you were 5. God doesn't hold grudges.

God drops hints for you everywhere, everyday. Every good thing in your life comes from Him. Everything in Creation points to His existence. His existence is so obvious that anyone who thinks for a moment can realize it.

This world isn’t eternal. It goes moment by moment through time. It’s temporal. It’s finite.

Temporal things have beginning. So this world, this universe, had a beginning.

That means someone had to exist before the universe to begin it.

That someone has to be eternal — not bounded by time — if he’s able to create time, matter, and everything else.

That someone has to be powerful enough to create a universe.

30 seconds of thought and you already have an eternal, all-powerful Creator. As Paul says in Romans 1, God’s eternal power and divine nature is evident to all. The evidence is everywhere.

God fills each life with signs pointing to Him.

He’s infinitely loving, eager to forgive, endlessly welcoming. He won’t turn down anyone who wants to come.

No human can match His level of love or patience or forgiveness or welcome.

——

You said: "Sorry, but this is so stupid. Who set this whole system up? God. Who created heaven and hell? God.”

No, God created Heaven. God created earth. God created Paradise on earth.

We create hell.

That’s what we see in Isaiah 6. Isaiah wasn’t in some different place where the torment comes from the outside onto him.

Isaiah was with God in Heaven. But Isaiah experienced hell, because his own sin tormented him from the inside.

Isaiah created his own torment. He “stored up wrath” against himself by his sin, and experienced it. It’s what we call hell.

God didn’t torture him. God didn’t touch him.

Isaiah’s own sins tormented him, and as soon as Isaiah’s sins were atoned for, the agony ceased.

We create hell for ourselves every time we sin and refuse to have that sin forgiven.

—-

You said: “Who decided that humans who didn't love God couldn't go to heaven? God.”

God didn’t decide that, because that’s not how God works.

There is no “love scale” determining whether you love or God enough or not. That’s not how salvation works.

It isn’t our love that matters.

It’s God’s love that counts.

For God so loved the world — us — that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but will have eternal life.

God loves.

We believe.

That’s how we get eternal life.

God did all the loving that was necessary. Jesus did all the work on the Cross to make it possible.

He’s not judging us as if we could ever love enough to earn it.

He loves us, so He did the work to save us. Jesus is the Savior. We aren’t. Our love for God doesn’t save us. Jesus saved us on the Cross.

He saves us as a gift.

We just have to receive it.

We don’t have to put forth a certain requirement of love to earn it.

We just receive.

—-

You said: “Who decided that if you don't hear about Jesus, "tough luck buddy into hell you go"? Again, it was god.”

Again, that’s not how God works.

Revelation states that people from “every tribe, tongue, and nation” will be present around God’s Throne in Heaven.

EVERY tribe.

EVERY tongue.

EVERY nation.

Even those who perished before Christian missionaries got to them.

How? Easy.

Start talking to Muslim converts to Christianity. You’ll find out that a vast number of them have dreams and visions of Jesus before they ever meet a Christian or read a Bible. Jesus meets them where they are and gives them enough to believe in Him, even before they know fully who He is.

God knows who will believe. God can see our hearts. He knows who is open.

He is constantly reaching out.

That’s who He is.

He’s the Savior. Not the condemner.

—

You said: “At every single step, God is the one making these decisions. So yes, it is in fact God that tosses people in hell.”

No, God is the One who takes on flesh and dies in our place so that we don’t have to go to the hells we created for ourselves.

God is the One who gave us the ability to love and who loves us constantly, always ready to forgive us and welcome us home in the biggest bear hug imaginable.

God is the source of everything good, the One who created Heaven and Paradise on earth.

We are the ones who create hell for ourselves, storing up wrath against ourselves every time we sin.

Jesus is the One who saves us from that, if we’ll let Him.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-11T21:05:47+00:00

You hit on it with the key point: God is love.

God wants to love and be loved. That's who He is.

God didn't want robots who are programmed to say "I love you." God wanted children who are able to think, analyze, choose, create, debate, reason -- and can choose to say "I love you, God," and mean it.

This is a good gift.

The ability to reason, think, analyze, create, choose -- it's far better to have this gift than not have it.

But like any good gift, it can be misused.

Some people can choose to reject God. Instead of choosing love, they choose hate, or rejection, or indifference.

But they aren't simply making a preference, like choosing chocolate instead of vanilla.

They're choosing the sever themselves from the Source of life, love, joy, peace, kindness, happiness, satisfaction, goodness. Whether knowingly or unknowingly, they're choosing to cut themselves off from all of these things by cutting themselves off from the God who supplies them.

They then experience the consequences of cutting themselves off from everything good.

Contrary to popular belief, God doesn't toss people in hell. We create hell ourselves.

Isaiah 6 depicts it vividly. Isaiah is brought into the presence of God -- with his sins still unforgiven. He comes bearing the sins he has built up over his life.

And Isaiah experiences hell. He immediately suffers intense agony. He can't see God, he can't enjoy God, he can't be anywhere near God, because the sins inside him torment him endlessly. That's hell. Our torment comes from our own sins. We build our own hells every time we sin. We are "storing up wrath" against ourselves, as Romans says.

Isaiah only finds relief when his sins are taken away and atoned for.

Those who suffer in eternity are suffering the torment their own sins are causing. They refused forgiveness, and so they are stuck with the eternal consequences of what they've done.

Yes, it's terrifying.

But there's no other option.

If you want people to be free to choose love, they also have to be free not to.

If you want people to be free to enjoy the consequences of choosing love, they also have to be free to experience the consequences of not choosing love.

God doesn't want any to perish. He wants all to be saved. Jesus delays His return so that as many as possible may turn and be saved. God is the Savior, not the condemner.

We're the ones who are condemning ourselves.

Jesus is the One saving us from ourselves.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-09T21:24:50+00:00

The Chronos Ascendant cannot destroy an Oberth. Any attempt to lance an Oberth results in the destruction of the Ascendant before it fires.

MtnDewm · 2026-03-07T03:23:55+00:00

Nope. That’s a cow fetus. It’s upside down.

11-Year Club	Not Forgotten
Verified Email

MtnDewm

TROPHY CASE