The OTHER Stewardship Sin
Fenn’s crazy treasure hunt ultimately led to multiple trespassing and vandalism charges, several lawsuits and the death of five men.
It’s not what you’d call the “typical” response to bad news.
When art dealer and author Forrest Fenn was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 1988, he hid a bronze chest in an undisclosed location, attempting to create the ultimate treasure hunt. He contemplated using that same location as his final resting place until – against all odds – he beat and survived the illness.
Twenty-two years later, Fenn self-published a memoir that described the gold coins, gemstones and artifacts held within that chest, plus a series of clues of where to find it. His book launched a decade-long frenzy of treasure hunters whose greed resulted in multiple trespassing and vandalism charges, several lawsuits and the death of five men who succumbed to the dangers of traversing rough, uninhabited terrain.
Finally, in 2020, the treasure was found—but again, not without issues. The finder, who planned to remain anonymous, was forced to reveal his identity due to legal battles about the rightful ownership of the chest’s artifacts.
The Master’s Intentions
As it turns out, burying your treasure creates a host of problems.
But Jesus could have told us that.
As a matter of fact, He did!
In the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus tells about a man who was preparing for a trip and entrusted three of his servants to manage his wealth while he was gone. Two of the servants invested the funds, reaping a profit to present their master when he returned. The master celebrated their shrewd behavior. To both, he said, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25: 21b, 23b)
The third servant, however, buried his treasure because he feared the master’s wrath. Not only did the master call this third servant “wicked,” but he also took away the money he’d been given and cast him out into the darkness.
We often talk about the sin and perils of wasteful spending, but the opposite behavior is just as sinful and problematic. The Bible makes it clear: hoarding and burying our God-given resources goes against the Master’s intentions.
We can’t afford to bury what we’ve been given out of greed, fear or sloth. To those God has entrusted wealth, He expects wise and active stewardship. God’s money must be put to good use for Kingdom purposes and for His glory.
So how is God directing you to invest the resources He has entrusted you to manage?
Don’t bury the treasure!
You, good and faithful servant, have been entrusted with so much. Enter the joy of the Master by stewarding earthly resources for God’s eternal good.
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This article was originally written for Barnabas Foundation and published in Generosity Today (2025, Issue 1).
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