His Lord answered and said unto him
Resenting, as he well might, not only his indolence and sloth,
his neglect of his duty, and his worldly disposition, but the
abusive character he had given of him, in order to cover his own
wickedness:
thou wicked and slothful servant;
a very just character of him: he was a "wicked" servant; all men
in a state of nature are wicked; they lie in wickedness, and are
under the power of the wicked one; and there are many wicked men
among professors of religion, and many wicked ministers, who,
though not openly profane, yet either trusting to their works, or
doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, or wholly neglecting it,
justly merit this character. This man's wickedness lay in his
slothfulness, in not doing the good he might, and had gifts and
abilities for; and in entertaining wrong thoughts of, and in
bringing false charges against his Lord: and he might be truly
said to be "slothful"; since he took no pains to improve in
spiritual knowledge; and instead of digging for that, as for
silver and hid treasure, dug in the earth, and hid his talent
there: he neglected the gift that was in him; did not stir it up,
or study to show himself a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed; did not give himself up to reading, meditation, and
prayer; but trusted to, and depended on what other men had done;
stole away his neighbour's words, reaped that for which he had
not laboured, and entered into the labours of others; and being
afraid of difficulties, indulged himself in ease and pleasure,
served his own belly, and not the Lord Jesus; he gratified his
worldly lusts, and had no regard to his master's interest.
Thou knowest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather
where I have
not strawed:
not granting that he was such an one, and that his servant knew
him to be such, and had given a true character of him; but
supposing he was such a person he had wickedly represented him to
be; he turns the argument upon him, that therefore he must needs
know, that he expected to have had his money improved, and to
have received it with an increase; and that upon such a
consideration he ought to have been the more diligent and
industrious, in using and improving his talent, and not to have
indulged sloth, and idleness; and thus he convicts, judges, and
condemns him, as a wicked, slothful servant, by his own words.