Then the one who had received one talent also came and said, “Lord, I knew that you are a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter seed.”
This statement reveals the inner condition of the servant who did not act, but justified himself. His words are full of fear, accusation, and an attempt at self-justification. Instead of confessing his inactivity, he tries to shift the responsibility onto the Lord, saying that the Lord is hard-hearted. He shows that his heart is not guided by love, but by fear and distrust. The expression, “you reap where you did not sow,” symbolizes the distorted understanding a person can have about God, thinking that He only demands but does not give. Yet in reality the Lord is faithful and just, and this servant’s reply testifies not to the Lord’s harshness, but to his own coldness and hopeless attitude. This statement shows that when a person loses the driving power of love, faith becomes fear and duty and, as a result, inactivity. Here Jesus reveals that a wrong understanding of God’s character can become the root of unfaithfulness.