traditionally, the parable of the talents has been seen as an exhortation to jesus' disciples to use their god-given gifts in the service of god, and to take risks for the sake of the kingdom of god. these gifts have been seen to include personal abilities ("talents" in the everyday sense), as well as personal wealth. failure to use one's gifts, the parable suggests, will result in negative judgment. from a psychological point of view, the failure is the immediate result of the failure of feeling god's love. the first two servants are able to see god in a positive perception, as "understanding, generous, and kind", while the third servant sees god as "harsh, demanding, and critical".