To everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him

Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas. ' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.' Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' "

- Luke 19:11-27

In yesterday's reading, we learned the story of Zaccheaus, the man of short stature who climbed a sycamore tree to get a look at Jesus above the crowd, as Jesus passed through Jericho. Zaccheaus is a wealthy tax collector, considered by the crowds to be a sinner, but Jesus calls out to him that He must stay in his house. Zacchaeus receives Christ "joyfully" and then proclaims his own charitable perspective which he will fulfill. Jesus says, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham, for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."

As with yesterday's reading, my study bible has a note which bears upon the whole of today's passage: "A noble ruler gives the same sum of money to ten servants; only three give an accounting to him. . . . A mina: a measure of money equivalent to about three months' wages. Rather than waiting for the Kingdom in lazy occupation, we are to anticipate and plan for the Kingdom to come through wise use of the King's resources."

Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. We know that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem with the disciples, and all along this journey to the Passion, He has attempted to prepare them for what is to come at Jerusalem, and the life of the church beyond - for the fullness of their ministry, mission and discipleship. Here, we're given their messianic expectations -- fittingly, as recent readings have focused on Jesus as Son of Man, a fully messianic title as part of Jewish prophecy and popular expectation. We have been told, also, that although Jesus has told the Apostles what will happen to Him at Jerusalem, they simply could not take it in.

Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return." Here Jesus refers to Himself, in His risen form - in which He will fully receive the cosmic Kingdom and all power from the Father, but He will no longer be physically present to his servants.

"So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' " My study bible teaches us the value of a mina (in the note above), but we recall that in this story as it appeared in the Gospel of Matthew, these servants were given talents. A talent ( τάλαντον in the Greek) was a unit of mass for weighing metal: in the case of Palestine at the time of Christ, it meant a unit of silver worth a great deal of money. A Greek talent in ancient times could fund, for example, many years of skilled labor or the full crew of a ship for transporting goods and trade - a great sum for doing business. The use of the word talent in this story is the source from which the modern popular meaning of the word in English derives. It is a gift or skill - precious and given by God. It's interesting that Jesus says that the citizens hated him, and refused the kingly reign that the nobleman was about to receive. We have a picture, then, of what is about to occur.

"And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas. ' And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.' Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?' And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') " This parable, about the coming of the Kingdom, teaches the disciples (and us) about what kind of servants He wishes to have. In the day of the Kingdom, all are called to produce what they've done with what has been invested with each one. We invest our talents a certain way, use them for gain or profit for the Kingdom, and we receive of that Kingdom. How do we use what's been invested with us, to produce what? One can think of this mina, these talents, in so many ways - all the personal gifts we have which can be put to use in service, whether that be our capacity to love or to give charitably in any form, to instruct, to uphold, and an infinite creative sense in which the Holy Spirit can work in us and through us for this kingdom. It is those who use this capacity who will receive the great blessings of the Kingdom. We have an active faith when we seek to build that Kingdom in any way we can, and allow the Spirit to work through us and grow in us, and produce profits and expand that growth.

" 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.' " We may proclaim our faith and ourselves as servants, but what do we do with that faith, how do we carry on as servants as we await the King's return in power? These are the questions posed here - and the great power expressed in Judgment is taught here too. " To everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him." It's not enough to profess or believe, but active faith rests in God and grows and expands with all one's heart and soul and mind and strength: that is, all the talent we can bring to bear to work for this kingdom. And there is Judgment here as well, in the note that sounds at the end about those who refuse the reign altogether.

So how do we use our talents - the things that have been invested with us? It is my belief that an active faith is one in which we allow ourselves to be led by Spirit - and through Spirit not only does our prayer grow (and dialogue and relationship to God) but also the ways in which our innate "talents" may develop and be used as we go forward in the mission and journey of faith. The servant who leaves the mina wrapped in a handkerchief and hidden away is like a person whose true talent or skills lie dormant within - untapped and untouched by this hand of faith, and unopened to God (and the world) in this sense. Elsewhere Jesus teaches us about letting our light shine, and being the salt that does not lose its savor. These are other ways He teaches about using our gifts and skills. And there's a deeply personal application of this teaching, too. I believe that repentance and change is a part of this profit for the kingdom, this growth, and the multiplied treasures Jesus has spoken of, the resulting spiritual gifts. Life itself is a precious gift. We have a certain time in the world within which we live that life. The question is, "How will you live it?" What treasure will you find in the gifts and talents - in the action of faith and the Spirit - that you can bring out of yourself? How will you live your life and what will you do with it? Jesus gives us an undeniable and stark picture of those who fulfill this process, and those who fail to do so. Your life, your time, is precious. Ask the Master in prayer where to go from here to continue to use it for the best profit for the Kingdom, and to grow its yield and resources through time. This is the best service possible. You may be surprised at the gifts you find that you didn't know you had hidden away as this growth continues and expands.