Sin of WithholdingSample

Withholding Talents

Many of you reading this are familiar with the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. 

I have heard this story many times and the familiar emphasis is always on the two servants.

Verses 15 -16: ”To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.”

They received the master’s money, worked hard and diligently, doubling the master’s money.

They were praised, being called good and faithful, and pleased their master. These two servants were “all in”. They did not withhold their hearts or service from the master. 

Today, I want to focus on the servant who was practicing the sin of withholding. Verse 18 states, “But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.” This servant did not even try. He wasn’t all in, he was trying to do the very least in this relationship. He actually hid his talent, so he was not reminded of his obligation. He did not value the master. He created a strategy (hid it), ate the same food as the responsible servants, and didn’t even think the master would give him a consequence for his selfishness.

Verses 24 – 25: “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “Here, we are able to see a real symptom of withholding, which is blame. Those who struggle with the sin of withholding blame the other person in the relationship for why they themselves are withholding. Here we can also see another symptom. I call it the negative narrative. They create a negative story about the other person to justify their behavior.

Let’s see what happens to the servant who practices the sin of withholding, in verse 28-30, “So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The talent was taken from the servant. The sin of withholding can have the consequence of losing quite a bit. The servant lost the trust of the master, respect among others, and lost his home. He was cast into outer darkness which doesn’t sound like the house, meals, and relationships he had before.

The sin of withholding can often be an unseen sin to many, but it can have major impacts for the withholder and their loved ones.