A surface level, shallow reading of the story teaches us that the guys who doubled their investments are the ones that the Master respects and rewards. The difference between these guys and the wicked and lazy servant who buried his talent is totally financial. It's all about the gold. It's all about the increase...success...achievement...victory...outcome.
If God's self expression was limited to these few verses, and that's all we could know about him, most of us would be in big trouble. Perhaps the surface level, shallow version of the Master is all that the servant with one talent knew. No wonder the guy was terrified. If his Master was all about profit, he better not screw up. How many of us live life just like that poor guy? "If I don't do anything, I can't screw up."
Many religious people behave as if our walk with God is just this simple: Performance is all that matters. Those who perform are good and faithful and those who don't measure up are wicked and lazy.
But if we look at what the Master said about the two successful people in the parable, we see a little deeper. In praising them, the Master uses the words, "Good" and "Faithful", not "Smart, Shrewd or Stingy." And the reward given to the successful servants was not gold. It was more work to do.
If it was all about gold, all about profit, shouldn't the servants have shared in the gold? Instead the master saw that the servant was good and faithful with gold and gave him charge over 10 cities. That sounds like a lot of work, not a reward. I'm not even sure I want that much reward. Does anyone?
Cities are full of people. Christ was all about people. Charge over 10 cities is about people. Christianity is about three things: People, People and People. Some are good and faithful. Some are wicked and lazy. Some are "none of the above". They're just living their lives, doing their best, hitting home runs from time to time and screwing up.
But still, when the Master returns and looks at my life, what will he say? I hope He can find something that makes Him disagree with my mirror.