The above quotation was written by Nehemiah during the period in which the Jews were rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The work apparently went more rapidly than he himself had expected, so he injected the above explanation. What a lesson is contained therein!

We have attempted to encourage members of the church to "get to work" in personal evangelism, but very few respond. Of course, the reason is that most Christians do not possess the "mind" to work.

Rather than being a group "zealous of good works" (Tit. 2:14), Christians sometimes are more aptly described as "slothful" (Rom. 12:11) and "sluggish" (Heb. 6:12).

The only cure is repentance and prayer to God for cleansing from unrighteousness (1 John 1:8-2:1) for this sin of laziness. We must remember that the one-talent man was guilty of but one thing (so far as the record reveals) -- burying his talent. The Lord still called him a "wicked and slothful servant" and thus listed as his fate to be "cast into outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 25:26, 30).

TRUTH MAGAZINE XIII: 12, p. 3
September 1969