Jerome: He says, "Thou wast faithful in a few things," because all that we have at present though they seem great and many, yet in comparison of the things to come are little and few.
Gregory: The faithful servant is set over many things, when having overcome the afflictions of corruption, he joys with eternal joy in that heavenly seat. He is then fully admitted to the joy of his Lord, when taken in to that abiding country, and numbered among the companies of Angels, he has such inward joy for this gift, that there is no room for outward sorrow at his corruption.
Jerome: What greater thing can be given to a faithful servant than to be with his Lord, and to see his Lord’s joy?
Chrysostom: By this word "joy" He expresses complete blessedness.
Aug., de Trin., i, 8: This will be our perfect joy, than which is none greater, to have fruition of that Divine Trinity in whose image we were made.
Jerome: The servant who of five talents had made ten, and he who of two had made four, are received with equal favour by the Master of the household, who looks not to the largeness of their profit, but to the disposition of their will.
Origen: That He says of both these servants that they "came," we must understand of their passing out of this world to Him. And observe that the same was said to them both; he that had less capacity, but that which he had, he exercised after such manner as he ought, shall have no whit less with God than he who has a greater capacity; for all that is required is that whatever a man has from God, he should use it all to the glory of God.
Greg., Hom. in Ev., ix: The servant who would not trade with his talent returns to his Lord with words of excuse.
Jerome: For truly that which is written, "To offer excuses excusing sins" [[Psa 141:4]] happened to this servant, so that to slothfulness and idleness was added also the sin of pride. For he who ought to have honestly acknowledged his fault, and to have entreated the Master of the household, on the contrary cavils against him, and avers that he did it with provident design, lest while he sought to make profit he should hazard the capital.
Origen: This servant seems to me to have been one of those who believe, but do not act honestly, concealing their faith, and doing every thing that they may not be known to be Christians. They who are such seem to me to have a fear of God, and to regard Him as austere and implacable. We indeed understand how the Lord reaps where He sowed not, because the righteous man sows in the Spirit, whereof he shall reap life eternal. Also He reaps where He sowed not, and gathers where he scattered not, because He counts as bestowed upon Himself all that is sown among the poor.
Jerome: Also, by this which this servant dared to say, "Thou reapest where thou sowedst not," we understand that the Lord accepts the good life of the Gentiles and of the Philosophers.
Gregory: But there are many within the Church of whom this servant is a type, who fear to set out on the path of a better life, and yet are not afraid to continue in carnal indolence; they esteem themselves sinners, and therefore tremble to take up the paths of holiness, but fearlessly remain in their own iniquities.
Hilary: Or, By this servant is understood the Jewish people which continues in the Law, and says, I was "afraid of thee," as through fear of the old commandments abstaining from the exercise of evangelical liberty; and it says, "Lo, there is that is thine," as though it had continued in those things which the Lord commanded, when yet it knew that the fruits of righteousness should be reaped there, where the Law had not been sown, and that there should be gathered from among the Gentiles some who were not scattered of the seed of Abraham.
Jerome: But what he thought would be his excuse is turned into his condemnation. He calls him "wicked servant," because he cavilled against his Lord; and "slothful," because he would not double his talent; condemning his pride in the one, and his idleness in the other. If you knew me to be hard and austere, and to seek after other men’s goods, you should also have known that I exact with the more rigour that is mine own, and should have given my money to the bankers; for the Greek word here means money.
"The words of the Lord are pure words, silver tried in the fire." [[Psa 12:6]] The money, or silver, then are the preaching of the Gospel and the heavenly word; which ought to be given to the bankers, that is, either to the other doctors, which the Apostles did when they ordained Priests and Bishops throughout the cities; or to all the believers, who can double the sum and restore it with usury by fulfilling in act what they have learned in word.
Greg., Hom. in Ev., ix, 4: So then we see as well the peril of the teachers if they withhold the Lord’s money, as that of the hearers from whom is exacted with usury that they have heard, namely, that from what they have heard they should strive to understand that they have not heard.
Origen: The Lord did not allow that He was "a hard man" as the servant supposed, but He assented to all his other words. But He is indeed hard to those who abuse the mercy of God to suffer themselves to become remiss, and use it not to be converted.
Gregory: Let us hear now the sentence by which the Lord condemns the slothful servant, "Take away from him the talent, and give it to him that hath ten talents."
Origen: The Lord is able by the might of His divinity to take away his ability from the man who is slack to use it, and to give it to him who has improved his own.
Greg., Hom. in Ev., ix, 5: It might seem more seasonable to have given it rather to him who had two, than to him who had five. But as the five talents denote the knowledge of things without, the two understanding and action, he who had the two had more than he who had the five talents; this man with his five talents merited the administration of things without, but was yet without any understanding of things eternal. The one talent therefore, which we say signifies the intellect, ought to be given to him who had administered well the things without which he had received; the same we see happen every day in the Holy Church, that they who administer faithfully things without, are also mighty in the inward understanding.
Jerome: Or, it is given to him who had gained five talents, that we may understand that though the Lord’s joy over the labour of each be equal, of him who doubled the five as of him who doubled the two, yet is a greater reward due to him who laboured more in the Lord’s money.
Greg., Hom. in Ev., ix, 6: Then follows a general sentence, "For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance, but from him that hath not, even that which he seemeth to have shall be taken away." For whosoever has charity receives the other gifts also; but whosoever has not charity loses even the gifts which he seemed to have had.
Chrysostom: Also he who has the graces of eloquence and of teaching to profit withal, and uses it not, loses that grace; but he who does his endeavour in putting it to use acquires a larger share.
Jerome: Many also who are naturally clever and have sharp wit, if they become neglectful, and by disuse spoil that good they have by nature, these do, in comparison of him who being somewhat dull by nature compensates by industry and painstaking his backwardness, lose their natural gift, and see the reward promised them pass away to others.
But it may also be understood thus; To him who has faith, and a right will in the Lord, even if he come in aught short in deed as being man, shall be given by the merciful Judge; but he who has not faith, shall lose even the other virtues which he seems to have naturally. And He says carefully, "From him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he seemeth to have," for whatsoever is without faith in Christ ought not to be imputed to him who uses it amiss, but to Him who gives the goods of nature even to a wicked servant.
Gregory: Or, Whoso has not charity, loses even those things which he seems to have received.
Hilary: And on those who have the privilege of the Gospels, the honour of the Law is also conferred, but from him who has not the faith of Christ is taken away even that honour which seemed to be his through the Law.
Chrysostom: The wicked servant is punished not only by loss of his talent, but by intolerable infliction, and a denunciation in accusation joined therewith.
Origen: "Into outer darkness," where is no light, perhaps not even physical light; and where God is not seen, but those who are condemned thereto are condemned as unworthy the contemplation of God. We have also read some one before us expounding this of the darkness of that abyss which is outside the world, as though unworthy of the world, they were cast out into that abyss, where is darkness with none to lighten it.
Gregory: And thus for punishment he shall be cast into outer darkness who has of his own free will fallen into inward darkness.
Jerome: What is weeping and gnashing of teeth we have said above.
Chrysostom: Observe that not only he who robs others, or who works evil, is punished with extreme punishment, but he also who does not good works.
Greg., Hom. in Ev., lx, 7: Let him then who has understanding look that he hold not his peace; let him who has affluence not be dead to mercy; let him who has the art of guiding life communicate its use with his neighbour; and him who has the faculty of eloquence intercede with the rich for the poor. For the very least endowment will be reckoned as a talent entrusted for use.
Origen: If you are offended at this we have said, namely that a man shall be judged if he does not teach others, call to mind the Apostle’s words, "Woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel." [[1Co 9:9]]
Ver. 31. "When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:32. And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.34. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:36. Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.37. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?38. When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?39. Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.41. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:42. For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:43. I was a stranger, and ye took me not in naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.44. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?45. Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me."
Rabanus: After the parables concerning the end of the world the Lord proceeds to describe the manner of the judgment to come.
Chrys., Hom. lxxix: To this most sweet section of Scripture which we cease not continually to ponder, let us now listen with all attention and compunction of spirit, for Christ does indeed clothe this discourse with more terrors and vividness. He does not accordingly say of this as of the others, "The kingdom of heaven is like," but shews of Himself by direct revelation, saying, "When the Son of man shall come in his majesty."
Jerome: He who was within two days to celebrate the passover, to be delivered to the cross, and mocked by men, fitly now holds out the glory of His triumph, that He may overbalance the offences that were to follow by the promise of reward. And it is to be noted, that He who shall be seen in majesty is the Son of Man.
Aug., in Joan Tr., 21: The wicked and they also who shall be set on His right hand shall see Him in human shape, for He shall appear in the judgment in that form which He took on Him from us; but it shall be afterwards that He shall be seen in the form of God, for which all the believers long.
Remigius: These words overthrow the error of those who said that the Lord should not continue in the same form of a servant. By "his majesty," He means His divinity, in which He is equal to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Origen: Or, He shall come again with glory, that His body may be such as when He was transfigured on the mount. "His throne" is either certain of the more perfect of the Saints, of whom it is written, "For there are set thrones in judgment;" [[Psa 122:5]] or certain Angelic Powers of whom it is said, "Thrones or dominions." [[Col 1:16]]
Aug., City of God, book xx, ch. 24: He shall come down with the Angels whom He shall call from heavenly places to hold judgment.
Chrysostom: "For all his Angels shall be with him" to bear witness to the things wherein they have administered to men’s salvation at His bidding.
Aug., Serm. 351, 8: Or, by Angels here He means men who shall judge with Christ; for Angels are messengers, and such we rightly understand all who have brought tidings of heavenly salvation to men.
Remigius: "And all nations shall be gathered before Him." These words prove that the resurrection of men shall be real.