"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' (Matthew 25:19-23)

The parable continues.

The two servants are pronounced good and faithful (agathos and pistos) for being faithful (pistos) in a few things.

What is the nature of this faithfulness?

The Greek suggests being loyal, trustworthy, and convinced. Pistos is the adjective form of the verb peitho. The verb is to persuade or be persuaded. Pistos is to behave as one who has listened, considered carefully, and come away convinced.

Convinced of what?

In verse 14, yesterday's first line, we read that the master "entrusted" his property to the three servants. The Greek is paradidomi. This is a giving over to another to treat as one's own. The master is transferring ownership.

It says something about us that we (or certainly I) immediately assume the master has returned to reclaim his property. This is encouraged by the translation "settled accounts." The literal Greek is to share in elevated conversation, or raise up truth, or talk together of very high things.

The first two servants had confidence that their master had truly turned over his property. They also had confidence in their own ability to make more of what they had been given.

Tomorrow we will consider the third servant.