Matthew 25:26-27

[26] His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where not strawed: [27] oughtest therefore to have put money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

What is the context of Matthew 25:26-27?

The Parable of the Bags of Gold .( J .) (Matthew 25:14-30 true)
The Parable about the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30 true)
Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30 true)
Parable of the Three Servants (Matthew 25:14-30 true)
The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30 true)

What does Matthew 25:26-27 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Rather than commending this slave, his master gave him a scathing condemnation. Instead of being good and faithful he was wicked and lazy. To be lazy is to be unfaithful. The master used the slave"s own words to condemn him ( Matthew 25:24-25). If the master really was hard and grasping, the slave should have known he was in for trouble if he proved unfaithful. At least he should have put his master"s money into the hands of moneylenders. That would have been a fairly safe and easy way to manage it, and it would have earned some interest. The Jews were not to charge fellow Jews interest on loans, but they could charge Gentiles interest ( Deuteronomy 23:19-20).

". . . risk is at the heart of discipleship ( Matthew 10:39; Matthew 16:25-26); by playing safe the cautious slave has achieved nothing, and it is his timidity and lack of enterprise ... which is condemned. Schweizer, 473 , pertinently describes his attitude as representing "a religion concerned only with not doing anything wrong."" ^[1]