For I was afraid of you because you are an austere man, taking up what you did not lay down, and reaping what you did not sow.
Luke 19:21
This is one of those verses that can cause confusion if one is not careful. To be austere did not necessarily imply that this master was a crook. What this servant is saying is that he knows his master is going to expect a return on his investments. The servant would have to assume some risk as well.
This master might have planned to come back later to take everything back, without choosing to reward the servants. Or, he may have chosen to demand the full Mina if any part was lost in the attempt to gain by it. Thus, this servant was focused on how his master might be planning to end the arrangement. He did not, however, give thought to how to use his master’s money for good purposes, as did the other servants.
Heavenly Father, thank You for what You have supplied to us. You give us truth and power and peace. We know and see the impact of sin, and that it has not disappeared. But we also know and see the impact of the Son upon this old world. We know that this present darkness is temporary and shall be shattered. We see already the power of Your work among Your people, and we rejoice! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.