This unprofitable servant was not ignorant of God’s plans, but he set himself firmly to thwart the purpose of God, charging Him with unfairness in requiring improvement upon the talents entrusted to him. This very complaint and murmuring is made by a large class of wealthy men professing to believe the truth. Like the unfaithful servant they are afraid that the increase of the talent that God has lent them will be called for to advance the spread of truth; therefore they tie it up by investing it in earthly treasures and burying it in the world, thus making it so fast that they have nothing, or next to nothing, to invest in the cause of God. They have buried it, fearing that God would call for some of the principal or increase. When, at the demand of their Lord, they bring the amount given them, they come with ungrateful excuses for not having put the means lent them by God out to the exchangers, by investing it in His cause to carry on His work. {3T 386.1}

Denne unyttige tjener var ikke uvidende om Guds planer, men han var fast bestemt på at krydse Guds forsæt og beskyldte ham for at være uretfærdig, når han krævede en forøgelse af de talenter, der blev ham betroet. Netop denne knurren og klage lyder fra mange velhavende, der bekender sig til at tro sandheden. Ligesom den utro tjener frygter de for, at forøgelsen af den talent, Gud har lånt dem, skal blive afkrævet for at fremskynde sandhedens udbredelse; derfor anbringer de den i jordiske skatte og begraver den i jorden og sætter den derved så fast, at de intet eller næsten intet har at sætte i Guds sag. De har begravet den af frygt for, at Gud skulle kræve noget af kapitalen eller tilvæksten. Når de efter deres herres forlangende afleverer den sum, de fik, kommer de med utaknemmelige undskyldninger for ikke at have overladt de midler, Gud lånte dem, til vekselererne ved at anbringe dem i hans sag til fremme af hans værk.