by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last time, we saw in Matthew 25:19 the Lord saying: \u201cBut after much time, the master of those bondservants comes<\/mark> \u2026\u201d<\/em> as a signal alerting us to the 3 eschatological themes we have been tracking. As stated earlier, while not explicitly stating the first theme of not knowing the day and hour when the Lord Jesus will return, the parable makes it evident because the master does not give a timetable for his return and just departs immediately after entrusting the talents to the 3 bondservants. The two other themes are paralleled in the master\u2019s expectation for his bondservants to keep watch and do what is proper (with his entrusted wealth); and the lord\/master tarries\/delays or comes after an extended period of time (compare again with the parable of the wicked bondservant in Matthew 24:45-51 and the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25:1-13).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Continuing with the parable, Matthew 25:20-23 narrates the accounting that transpires with the first bondservant entrusted with 5 talents who earned 5 more and the second bondservant entrusted with 2 talents who earned 2 additional talents. The response of their master is exactly the same; verses 25:21 and 25:23 are in fact, identical. The SBL GNT texts are followed by my formal translation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 21<\/sup><\/a>\u1f14\u03c6\u03b7 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff7 \u1f41 \u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u00b7 \u0395\u1f56, \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03b5 \u1f00\u03b3\u03b1\u03b8\u1f72 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad, \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u1f40\u03bb\u03af\u03b3\u03b1 \u1f26\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2, \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c3\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03c9\u00b7 \u03b5\u1f34\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b8\u03b5 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u1f70\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 23<\/sup><\/a>\u1f14\u03c6\u03b7 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff7 \u1f41 \u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6\u00b7 \u0395\u1f56, \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03b5 \u1f00\u03b3\u03b1\u03b8\u1f72 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03ad, \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u1f40\u03bb\u03af\u03b3\u03b1 \u1f26\u03c2 \u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03c4\u03cc\u03c2, \u1f10\u03c0\u1f76 \u03c0\u03bf\u03bb\u03bb\u1ff6\u03bd \u03c3\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u03c4\u03b1\u03c3\u03c4\u03ae\u03c3\u03c9\u00b7 \u03b5\u1f34\u03c3\u03b5\u03bb\u03b8\u03b5 \u03b5\u1f30\u03c2 \u03c4\u1f74\u03bd \u03c7\u03b1\u03c1\u1f70\u03bd \u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03ba\u03c5\u03c1\u03af\u03bf\u03c5 \u03c3\u03bf\u03c5.<\/mark><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n His master was saying to him: Well done, good and faithful bondservant; over few (things) you were being faithful, over many (things) I will appoint you; enter into the joy of your master.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Because they were given according to each one\u2019s ability, the master was satisfied as these 2 bondservants performed according to his expectations. This indicates that the Lord knows our character and abilities and the ultimate measure is our faithfulness, our loyalty to the Lord; not exactly how much work we have done for him. This is about justification. It is simply God\u2019s amazing grace and our acceptance of his offer of salvation based on faith; so no one may boast. Perhaps, our output for him with what we are entrusted may result in greater responsibilities appointed for us in this life, or the next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Matthew 25:24-28 then narrates what happens with the third bondservant who decided to do nothing but just bury his lord\u2019s entrusted talent. This third bondservant makes a presumptive judgment against his own master, labels him a hard man and accuses him of reaping where he did not sow and gathering from where he did not scatter (seed). But this bondservant admits he became afraid and just hid the entrusted talent in the ground. After this, he offered back the single talent to his lord. The master\u2019s response was swift, and included a rhetorical question (with my formal translation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n 26<\/sup><\/a>\u1f00\u03c0\u03bf\u03ba\u03c1\u03b9\u03b8\u03b5\u1f76\u03c2 \u03b4\u1f72 \u1f41 \u03ba\u03cd\u03c1\u03b9\u03bf\u03c2 \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u03bf\u1fe6 \u03b5\u1f36\u03c0\u03b5\u03bd \u03b1\u1f50\u03c4\u1ff7\u00b7 \u03a0\u03bf\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u1f72 \u03b4\u03bf\u1fe6\u03bb\u03b5 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u1f40\u03ba\u03bd\u03b7\u03c1\u03ad, <\/mark>\u1f94\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> \u1f45\u03c4\u03b9 \u03b8\u03b5\u03c1\u03af\u03b6\u03c9 \u1f45\u03c0\u03bf\u03c5 \u03bf\u1f50\u03ba \u1f14\u03c3\u03c0\u03b5\u03b9\u03c1\u03b1 \u03ba\u03b1\u1f76 \u03c3\u03c5\u03bd\u03ac\u03b3\u03c9 \u1f45\u03b8\u03b5\u03bd \u03bf\u1f50 \u03b4\u03b9\u03b5\u03c3\u03ba\u03cc\u03c1\u03c0\u03b9\u03c3\u03b1;<\/em><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n But answering, his master said to him: wicked and lazy bondservant, you had known<\/mark> that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The pluperfect verb \u1f94\u03b4\u03b5\u03b9\u03c2<\/mark><\/em> comes from \u03b5\u1f34\u03b4\u03c9<\/em> and its perfect tense \u03bf\u1f36\u03b4\u03b1<\/em> \u201ceid\u014d\u201d meaning to know or understand or perceive. The pluperfect is a Greek secondary tense that describes an action that had been completed and whose effects are felt after the completion, but all in the past of the speaker. Some translations render the question as \u201cyou knew, did you<\/mark> that\u2026?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The master pointed out that this bondservant was presuming something about him and yet did not even do anything productive. So the master called him lazy. Note that his master did not even ask if this bondservant had the right to judge his lord, while the other 2 carried out their duties faithfully. Perhaps this bondservant was saying something without basis because he did not really know. Colloquially, a \u201cpalusot\u201d in the vernacular. The accusations of this bondservant can be deemed as irrelevant, because of the arrangement made by the master with all 3 bondservants before he left for the long journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The expectation of the master (based on their prior talent-entrusting arrangement) is seen when he then schools this bondservant in the next verse (with my formal translation):<\/p>\n\n\n\n