Matthew 25:18

“But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.”

But the one who received the one talent, which did not after all require all that much of him, although it was still a useful sum (it was beyond most people's dreams), went away, and instead of making use of what had been entrusted to him he buried it in the earth. Burial was a recognised way of keeping treasures safe in those days. He was just doing what many people did. But the point is that he was refusing to make use of what had been entrusted to him, possibly because in his misguided view of his Master he was either frozen with fear, or resentful and unwilling to serve. Either he was terrified at the thought of losing the precious money, or he simply did not want to be bothered with it (as ever Jesus leaves each listener to apply it to his own situation). We should recognise that he was a servant, and knew that his responsibility was to make use of what he had been entrusted with. But he chose not to do so. He thus had no excuse when called to account. In the same way many are so terrified of God that they never come to appreciate His mercy, and others just cannot be bothered with Him, and resent His demands. Both can fit into this picture.