Gospel Commentary for August 30, 2025

The Poor Man Who Buried His Talent

I have always felt a bit sorry for the poor man who buried his talent “for safety.” With good intentions, he saved it from loss or theft—but he did not make it grow.
There are three kinds of people who bury their only talent.

The first is someone with such low self-esteem that they cannot see how God’s grace in them could produce much more. They are convinced they have nothing—or too little to matter. I once saw a video of a five-year-old saying, “Even a broken pencil can still make a beautiful drawing.” But this poor man never realized that.

Another person also lacks self-esteem but hides it under pride. He does not bury the talent—he shows it off. But in reality, it produces nothing. It only shines on the surface. We see this in some people whose only “talent” is being in the spotlight. But that does not bear real fruit.

In any case, the one who hides the talent is blind. He fails to see that the gift—or lack of it—is not his own. He does not recognize or thank the Lord of all gifts. He ends up poor, half-blind, and empty, even if he boasts of “keeping it safe.” His biggest mistake is not simply burying the gift, but denying the grace of God. Because whoever acknowledges God’s grace always bears fruit—not by themselves, but through the Giver of all gifts.

That is why I sometimes wonder if the end of the parable could be different. I think God would always give another chance—to see the light, to turn back, and to work hard to make the gift grow. I believe God’s mercy works like that, up to the very end. But if a person refuses and stays closed in their blindness, then indeed, everything will be taken away