Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 25:26

"But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter;" — Matthew 25:26 (ASV)

The master condemns the servant on the basis of the servant’s own words, which prove his guilt. If the master really was so harsh and greedy, should not the servant at least have put the money where it would have been relatively safe, earned interest, and required no work?

The OT forbade Israelites from charging interest against one another (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35–37), but interest on money loaned to Gentiles was permitted . By NT times Jewish scholars already distinguished between “lending at interest” and “usury.” It is wrong to assume that Jesus is here either supporting the Jewish tradition or setting aside the OT law. The question does not arise, for Jesus’ parables are so flexible that he sometimes uses examples of evil to make a point about good (e.g., Lk 16:1-9; 18:1–8).