Daily text, Thursday, September 29. 2016

[Queen Esther]

There is where his weeping and the gnashing of his teeth will be.—Matt. 25:30.

http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/dt/r1/lp-e/2016/9/29

In the parable of the talents, the last slave buried his talent instead of doing business with it or even depositing it with the bankers. This slave showed a bad spirit, for he deliberately worked against the master’s interests. The master rightly pronounced him “wicked and sluggish.” The master took the talent away from him and gave it to the one who had ten. The wicked slave was then thrown “out into the darkness outside.” (Matt. 25:24-30; Luke 19:22, 23) Since this third slave hid his talent, was Jesus here indicating that one third of his anointed followers would prove to be wicked and sluggish? No. Rather, he was warning them of the need to remain diligent—to ‘do business’ with their talent—and avoid the attitudes and actions of a wicked slave. (Matt. 25:16) Jesus was warning his spiritual brothers about what would happen if they lost their sense of vigilance and did not prove to be prepared. w15 3/15 3:14, 15