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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 read the story of Zacchaeus. This occurred as Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, on His way toward Jerusalem. There was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold. And Jesus said to him, "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."
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. In recent readings, Jesus has given us all kinds of teachings that are meant for this time, as we await the fulfillment of the Kingdom, His second return. Here, as they approach Jerusalem, it's clear that the disciples expect the immediate coming of the fullness of the Kingdom. Jesus' teachings about what is to come become even more pertinent -- something they will recall after the events of His death, Resurrection and Ascension.
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.'" My study bible notes here: "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."
In various readings recently, as Jesus has been on His way toward Jerusalem, He has attempted to prepare His disciples for what is to come. They clearly expect the arrival of the Kingdom, as today's text tells us. This would be the expectation of Messiah, entering into Jerusalem (an event we celebrate at Palm Sunday). But all of these expectations are to be thwarted, and thwarted in an appalling way, one that is too difficult at present (in the place where we are in the Gospel) for the apostles to take in, to understand, although Jesus has warned them three times what is to come (see Monday's reading). Over and over again on the road to Jerusalem, they've been given lessons about the time in which we now live, this time in which we await His return and the fullness of His Kingdom. Today's parable is explicitly and openly given to refer to this time. What do we do as we await His return? Each of us is given something in our lives: our lives themselves and whatever we have at hand to make use of including talents, a thinking mind, a capability for making choices, for work (including that for which we are not paid!). If we think of everything we do as an investment -- and keep in mind Who it is ultimately that we are working for -- then we have a better frame of mind for the ways in which we are to be occupied awaiting His return. Ultimately, this time is tied up with Judgment; there's no escape from it. It's crucial how we make our choices, what we invest in, what kind of return we get for our labors. It's not about material reward -- that is the analogy in the parable. What return does one get on volunteering to help someone? And yet, for Jesus, this investment in helping those who can't help themselves is all the worth of the goals and values of the Kingdom (what we give in secret our Father will reward openly). How much investment do we make when children are raised with love? When we approach all our relationships with love? In serving God, it's all about an investment made for the Kingdom, and that is a well-lived life. We all have something we can invest. We all have choices to make. We all have time. Even if it's to pray for others, we're making an investment with our choices, our labor and our time. We all have the chance to build up values for the Kingdom. The key is to remember Who we serve. We look to yesterday's reading to teach us: Zacchaeus is clearly a hard worker, an industrious man, someone rich and prosperous. But that's not the labor Christ had in mind. Zacchaeus is saved by his voluntary actions for the Kingdom, his "shrewd bargaining" with the One who sought and saved. This is the real investment we're to keep in mind.
