The Unprofitable Servant

In 1794 Thomas Jefferson, primary author of the Declaration of Independence and 3rd President of the United States, began separating the moral teachings of Jesus from the Bible's accretion of supernatural elements and imposed dogma. Calling his book "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, Extracted Textually from the Gospels," he focused on Christ's essential message of love and service. Jefferson's unique and influential volume appeared in print only at the turn of the twentieth century, when it became a tradition to present it to new members of Congress. Our copy is from Dover Publications, New York, 2006.

The Left's fashionable "Liberation Theology" is careful to over-look this passage from Matthew xxv, 14-30, "The Parable of the Talents" (pp. 76-77; our condensation). We notice that its title obscures its theme. But Jesus celebrates the virtues of capitalism and warns where sloth and default will lead:

For the kingdom of heaven is a man traveling into a far country, who called his servants and delivered unto them his goods for safe-keeping. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, according to their abilities, and went on his journey.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with them, and earned five more. Likewise he that had received two gained two more; but he that had received one talent went and buried it in the earth.

After a long time the lord of those servants came again, and reckoned with them. And he that had received the five talents said, "Lord, behold, I have gained beside them five talents more." His lord said unto him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant! As thou hast been faithful over these few things, now shalt ye rule over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord."

He also that had received two talents came and said, "Lord, thou deliverdest unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them." And his lord said unto him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant! Thou too hast been faithful over these few things: I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of thy lord."

Then he that had received the one talent came and said, "Lord, I know that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not strawed. And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, here is that which is thine."

His lord answered and said unto him, "Thou wicked, slothful servant, thou knowest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed. Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

"Therefore take the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Our Puritan ancestors saw themselves as servants of God, and interpreted this parable to mean that they were entrusted to increase what was given to them. Their Puritan Ethic viewed material prosperity as the reward of competent diligence, a sign of divine favor. But they labored in the Lord's vineyard not for themselves alone. Their creed was harsh and demanding, because they feared God and took His Kingdom seriously. Charity was their hope for salvation, and they knew that they could not give from empty hands.

We recognize that the profound parables of Jesus teach truth at many levels. The saying "I reap where I have not sown" is easy to mistake; but the Lord is not a farmer. "Seed" takes different forms - it is an investment in the future that must not just be buried in the ground, but watched over and husbanded till harvest time. Jesus himself says here that of all the forms of seed, capital (talent indeed!) is among the most important.