How does one interpret the Parable of the Ten Minas? What wrong did the servant do when he kept the mina in a cloth?



The Parable of the Ten Minas
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
14“But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.’

15“He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

16“The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

17“ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

18“The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

19“His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

20“Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

22“His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

24“Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

25“ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

26“He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me."

The blessings we receive from God are to be put to good use in the sense of multiplying blessings into His Kingdom. Don't read this parable as being about the need to multiply our finances - the meaning is much deeper than that. God has blessed us with the gift of Salvation and continues to bless us each and every day. These blessings should be received with a thankful heart and with the sense that we now have a duty to multiply these blessings in the lives of others.

Thanks for the clarification, Steve.

I aggree with steve, the way I put it is like this (the version I read mina is translated talents as in talents of gold) but I take it as the talents that God gave you - he gave me a talent for making music & I try to brighten ppls hearts with that talent & even wrote a few biblical songs that I have performed over the years in various places including the side of the road. Like the bible says there are gifts of the spirit - if he gave you the gift of helps for instance, in order to fulfill this passage you have to use that gift by helping ppl, if you don't you have buried it within your heart & it had no chance to multiply - the multiplication may come from when ppl see you using your gifts; they may decide to copy your actions therefore the goodness that god gave you winds up spreading like wildfire - Jesus said that we are lights set on a hill & that we should not hide behind a bush, but rather be placed in a position to cast light unto our surroundings.
As far as I can tell there is only one gift of the spirit that is for self-edification (speaking in tounges) all the rest are for use with other people, in order to edify them. This passage tells us that God doesn't give us a gift with the intention for it to go unsused.