And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
All Commentaries on Matthew 25:30 Go To Matthew 25
Jerome
AD 420
Calling together the Apostles, He gave them the Gospel doctrine, to one more, to another less, not as of His own bounty or scanting, but as meeting the capacity of the receivers, as the Apostle says , that hefed with milk those that were unable to take solid food. In the five, two, andone talent, we recognise the diversity of gifts wherewith we have beenentrusted.His proper servants are three, as there are three sorts of those that bear fruit. He that received five talents, is he that is able to raise all the meanings of the Scriptures to their more divine significations; he that has two is he that has been taught carnal doctrine,(for two seems to be a carnal number,) and to the less strong the Master of the household has given one talent.
“He that had received five talents,” that is, having received his bodily senses, he doubled his knowledge of heavenly things, from the creature understanding the Creator, from earthly unearthly, from temporal the eternal.
“After a long time,” because there is a long interval between the Saviour's ascension and His second coming.
He says, “Thou wast faithful in a few things,” because all that we have at present though they seem great and many, yet in comparison of the things to come are little and few.
What greater thing can be given to a faithful servant than to be with his Lord, and to see his Lord’s joy?.
The servant who of five talents had made ten, and he who of two had made four, are received with equal favour by the Master of the household, who looks not to the largeness of their profit, but to the disposition of their will.
Also, by this which this servant dared to say, “Thou reapest where thou sowedstnot,” we understand that the Lord accepts the good life of the Gentiles and of the Philosophers.
Or, it is given to him who had gained five talents, that we may understand that though the Lord’s joy over the labour of each be equal, of him who doubled the five as of him who doubled the two, yet is a greater reward due to him who laboured more in the Lord’s money.
Many also who are naturally clever and have sharp wit, if they become neglectful, and by disuse spoil that good they have by nature, these do, in comparison of him who being somewhat dull by nature compensates by industry and painstaking his backwardness, lose their natural gift, and see the reward promised them pass away to others. But it may also be understood thus; To him who has faith, and a right will in the Lord, even if he come in aught short in deed as being man, shall be given by the merciful Judge; but he who has not faith, shall lose even the other virtues which he seems to have naturally. And He says carefully, "From him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he see meth to have,” for whatsoever is without faith in Christ ought not to be imputed to him who uses it amiss, but to Him who gives the goods of nature even to a wicked servant.
