Note 23 at Mt. 25:29: This is a familiar theme among Jesus' teachings (see ref. v at Mt. 25:29, p. 406). Those who have will be given more, and those who have not will have the little that they did have taken away. This could be misunderstood as being unfair on the Lord's part. In the parallel passage to this verse at Luke 19:24, that is exactly what those who were standing by said.

However, this parable makes it very clear that that which was being taken away from this unprofitable servant was not his own but his lord's money that had been entrusted to him. In Luke 19:13, the nobleman who gave his servants the money specifically said "Occupy till I come," and the same thing is implied here. These servants were only stewards of their lord's money (see note 4 at Lk. 12:42, p. 272) and as stewards were accountable to their lord for their use or misuse of his resources.

Likewise, we did not save ourselves. Jesus purchased redemption for us and has given salvation to the whole human race as a gift. However, only those who take hold of His gift and use it in their lives are truly saved. There will be those who are like this unprofitable servant, who knew the truth of the gospel and never denied it but never did anything with it. These will have the grace that God had given them taken away and bestowed upon those who would receive it while they themselves will be cast into outer darkness where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.