Luke 19:23
“Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’”
What does Luke 19:23 mean?
This is part of Jesus's parable about a master who gives money to his servants before traveling away. The servant in question buried his portion out of fear, doing nothing with it. The master's rhetorical question points out that even the most cautious, risk-free option (depositing money with a bank to earn interest) would have been better than complete inaction. The parable uses money and investment as a picture for how we use the gifts, opportunities, and faith God gives us. The point isn't really about banking strategies, but about whether we're actively engaged with what we've been given or paralyzed by fear. Burying your talent—whether that's literal ability, time, relationships, or trust in God—means you're not just failing to grow; you're wasting what was entrusted to you. Even modest faithfulness matters.