These miniature parables of Solomon are wonderful. They will follow a theme and yet each one looks at a very different aspect of the theme.
What does the parable mean then in this particular application? It means that the deluded person, the unconverted – let's start with him – does everything to his own advantage. He thinks he is serving the Landlord of the Universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords but he cheats. He comes once a week to a service; that is the only portion of his life he gives. ‘I am a Christian, I serve the Lord.’ Well, what do you do for the Lord? If you are the Lord's as you think you are, what are you yielding up to him? Where is your praise and your commitment and your dedication? You think you are the Lord's and you are going to heaven and he is going to bless you, but it is cheating; it is the absolute minimum you can spare and there is no depth of commitment. Well, really, that is a test. How can you be a true servant? How can you be a child of God with that spirit?
But then there are some Christians like this. They really are saved, no doubt about it, they have come to the Lord. But you ask, ‘What are you going to do with your week?’ ‘Ah, I will do this for me and I will do that for me and I will have this pleasure and I will have that pleasure.’ They are not absorbed for the Lord, they are not committed to him, they have no service for him. Then again, what are they doing with their resources? It is another test of commitment.