I don’t know precisely when or where, but a few decades ago, I heard the late and esteemed brother Guy N. Woods remark that every judgment parable in the New Testament is not about bad things done, but rather they are about good things left undone. “…in the judgment parables spoken by the Lord, all of them dealt with those who did nothing, or little, as was the case with the foolish virgins and the one talent man (Matt. 25:1-30)” (Hearn 79). Someone in each judgment parable is condemned for not doing something rather than for doing something wrong. Personally, I find that thought scary. The judgment parables of our Lord, then, highlight the sin of omission. Along this line of thinking, the divinely inspired writer James penned, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (4:17 NKJV). It’s frightening to contemplate the sins of which I may be guilty personally because of laxity on my part “to do good.”
Certainly, we see in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) the concept of personal responsibility to act out our alleged loyalty to our Lord Jesus Christ. The wicked servant in that parable was not accused of committing heinous sins such as fornication or murder. Instead, he was a wicked servant because he omitted his obligation to do the work of a servant to his master.
The parable begins with the master of the estate entrusting three servants respectively with five talents, two talents and one talent. A “talent” originally was a weight of silver or gold before minting coins was commonplace (2 Samuel 12:30; 1 Kings 20:39). The marginal reading of the NKJV at verse 14 says, “A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer.” The servants were expected to transact business dealings in the absence of their master (cf., Luke 19:13). Two of the servants did what was expected of them, earning a commensurate profit according to their respective resources and abilities. The servant who had received one talent did not do what was expected of him (Matthew 25:18). On that basis alone, he was deemed to be a “wicked and lazy servant” (Matthew 25:26), for which the master declared, “Cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness” – representing punishment in Hell.
Elsewhere, Jesus taught essentially the same lesson. Disciples of Christ are expected to produce “much fruit” (John 15:5, 8). Our Lord said, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [the Father] takes away…” (John 15:2). “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). Useless, withered branches are burned with fire (John 15:6) – representing punishment in Hell.
James 2:14-26 emphasizes the necessity of action rather than merely alleging loyalty to our Master – Jesus Christ. Ponder this divinely inspired logic. “But someone will say, ‘You have faith, and I have works.’ Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe — and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?” (James 2:18-20). The New Testament consistently teaches that we can be just as lost through the sin of omission as we can be lost through sins of commission.
Let’s not resign ourselves to be eternally lost while only mouthing allegiance to our Savior. Instead, let’s do something – do what is expected of us as the children of God, with a mind to hearing at the Judgment, “…‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord’” (Matthew 25:21).
Works Cited
Hearn, Roy J. “Qualifications and Role of the Eldership Responsibilities in Stopping Mouths of False Witnesses.” The Epistles of I and II Timothy, Titus. Memphis School of Preaching Lectureship. Curtis A. Cates, ed. Memphis, Tennessee: Memphis School of Preaching, 1994. 69-88.
