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

 

 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 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.  Now behold, 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.  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.'"  Let us first note that the text tells us the purpose of Jesus telling this parable:  because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  So we must consider why Jesus tells the disciples this story at this time, and what it means for them.  My study Bible comments that the parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  Indeed, in the version of this parable in Matthew's Gospel, the sums of money are given in talents rather than minas.  Both were a great deal of money (a talent was larger), but we should understand how our modern English word came into being from this parable.  According to some, a mina was worth several months' wages for a typical worker, so this is not a trivial sum but is equal to a significant commitment of the time of one's life and labor.  Here, my study Bible says, the minas represent the goodness God has bestowed on each person.  The amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).   The wicked servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring what he was given, as idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness, my study Bible says.  Keeping it in a handkerchief is symbolic of earthly pursuits; this word for handkerchief can also be used for the shroud covering a face or head for burial.  The bankers represent other faithful people to whom the man could have gone to help him use his resources properly and wisely.  Since help was available to hin in the Church, my study Bible says, the man has no excuse.  

Jesus speaks a parable which refers to God-given wealth.  Of course, we might consider wealth to be of a variety of substances, from our own gifts and talents, to our capacity for hard work, our time, and any number of things we could consider.  But first let's ponder the text's telling us that Jesus gave this parable because He was close to entering Jerusalem, and some thought that the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  So, He's telling this parable in the face of expectations that this heavenly kingdom was near in a material sense, which He would receive and establish in Jerusalem.  But Jesus prepares the disciples for the time to come by giving this parable teaching that our outcomes depend upon what we do with our resources.  As disciples, we are considered to be servants to the Master, to work for this kingdom and for its manifestation, and in this we take our substance.  God invests us with abilities, capacities for all kinds of things we can do as we live our lives, and we are expected to bring a "profit" out of them.  Are we capable of love?  Of the pursuit of humility which leads to the virtues Christ speaks about?  Do we have material wealth, and do we use it in the ways we're taught by Christ, especially through charitable giving?  What do we do with the resources we're given to work for that Kingdom, making a profit for it?  God's love and the gifts of the Spirit are another kind of currency which we can invest in the world and through which we build the Kingdom also, for even if we think we have nothing else, God's love makes it possible for us to love in return, inexhaustible in its Source.  The authority bestowed as reward is an authority in the Kingdom, a Christian equivalent to the positions political allies or servants might gain when a government of their party comes into power.  But authority in the kingdom of God is something else altogether, a part of the blessings of the Kingdom distributed by Christ in ways mysterious to us, and perhaps for a future not revealed to us.  In the meantime, we have spiritual investments and profits to make for the Lord while we still live our earthly lives.  Jesus is teaching here that the time of our lives is not simply a space or stretch of existence to pass and to fill us, but something that forms the ground  of all the ways we might build up the Kingdom, and that each resource we have is precious in God's sight.  Are we faithful in living and carrying out Christ's commands?  How do we invest or spend our time and talent, our resources of life, our energies?  How do we pass our time in ways profitable for the kingdom of God -- or do we spend it all in earthly pursuits of the flesh alone?  All of these things will count in the fullness of the Kingdom He will manifest at His return.  How do you invest your talent, time, and gifts?  On this day of Thanksgiving in the United States, let us consider all the ways we have a wealth of things to give, God's good work to pursue in God's name, and consider ourselves truly blessed.

 

 

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

 

 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.'"

 

- Luke 19:11–27 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, as He continues on His way toward Jerusalem.  Now behold, 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.  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.'"   My study Bible comments that this parable illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  In Matthew's Gospel, this parable is told using the example of the monetary unit called "talents" (τάλαντα/talanta in Greek).  A talent was a very large sum of money (originally it was a weight equivalent measure for pure metal such as silver or gold).  According to this numismatic website, one drachma or denarius was a day's wage; a talent at the time of the New Testament was worth 6,000 denarii.  Here in Luke's Gospel, Jesus tells this story using mina as the currency, which was worth less than talents but still substantial enough.  A mina was worth 100 drachmae, so the equivalent of 100 work days for one of these servants.  At any rate, our modern use of the word "talent" comes from the parable found at Matthew 25:14-30.    These large sums of money (either talents or minas) represent the goodness which God has bestowed on each person.  According to my study Bible the amount that each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).  It says that God does not show partiality in the ultimate reward, for all are invited to share in the same reward (authority over a city for each mina earned).  The wicked servant could not evade responsibility for ignoring the mina entrusted to him.  My study Bible comments that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To put away the mina in a handkerchief is symbolic of burial clothes, or treating the mina in a very "earthly" way.  Putting the money in a bank could represent the Church, where there are collective resources to guide us to use our natural abilities and resources wisely.  My study Bible comments that since help was available to him in the Church, the man has no excuse. 

In Matthew's Gospel, the parable of the Talents is given just prior to Jesus' discourse on Judgment (Matthew 24:31-46).  In that context, it's a reminder about how we use our resources, including time, talent, skills, and effort -- as well as material resources -- in terms of the Judgment and exercising compassion and care, especially toward the "least of these."  Here in Luke's Gospel, this parable appears just prior to Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem, and so the setting poses this parable within the context of establishing Christ's Kingdom in this world.  It also is told just prior to His Passion, death, and Resurrection, and so the parable also works to teach us -- and the disciples -- about what He expects from them, and us, while He is away in a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  As such, we are His servants, and we are asked to be profitable servants while we await His return.  In the final verse of the parable, the nobleman says, "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them."  So there are those who serve him, and those who do not, and we read the reward to each, including the faithless.  Our nominal faith is meant to be exercised, lived, and expressed through our skills, talents, resources, abilities -- and not hidden away.  This gives us an impression of what it is to be part of living Kingdom.  This not an ideas-bound idea of faith in the kingdom of God.  That is, this parable does not teach that faith is just an assent to a set of ideas or a code.  Rather, Jesus teaches us active participation, and participation that is meant to go somewhere, to grow and to generate new resources, profitable returns on investment, and a dynamic strength, even met with great reward -- and one presumes, then, new investment and profit to be generated.  If we stop to consider who this "nobleman" is, and what sort of kingdom we're talking about, we come to the conclusion that this is not meant to illustrate a worldly kingdom, but rather a spiritual one.  And so, in that light, we must consider that these are gifts of the Spirit, the kind of wealth that belongs first of all in potential for the faithful, and so must be made the most of.  When Jesus says, "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," He is echoing statements made earlier within the context of asking for spiritual gifts.  In chapter 11, Jesus tells the disciples, "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you," and, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (see Luke 11:9-13).  When Jesus is explaining the purpose of speaking in parables to His disciples, He tells them, "Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him."  This is clearly in reference to spiritual understanding and spiritual gifts.  Later on, He says, "For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more" (Luke 8:18; 12:48).  So spiritual gifts are not only precious, but must be used and work to maximize potential, yielding much more than might be expected -- and for the Kingdom, this is the natural order of things.  It is the unnatural order that such gifts remain buried or hidden, put away and not used -- and most definitely those with no faith whatsoever miss this equation entirely.  What Jesus seems to promise in this story is that for each of us there are particular gifts waiting to be used -- and when those gifts are spiritual in nature, they are of a substance to multiply.   This is exemplified in the miracles of the loaves and fish.  Moreover, our own capacity for spiritual gifts means that God will seek to give us more challenges to meet, more "authority," so to speak, capacities within which we can use those gifts for His Church.  Let us rise to meet those challenges to which we're called, for Christ always promises us more.

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

 

 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 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 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus entered and passed through Jericho on His way toward.  Now behold, 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 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.  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 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 comments here that this parable, like the one in Matthew 25:14-30, illustrates the use of gifts given by God.  (In Matthew's version, the currency is "talents" -- in Greek, ταλαντα -- a very valuable ancient currency.)  Minas were also an ancient currency; one of slightly lesser value than a talent, but still considerable within the framework of the parable.  Each designated a particular weight's worth of precious metal, gold, or more frequently, silver.  Each mina, according to some sources, was worth approximately 100 days' wages for a worker.   The money, whether in talents or minas, represents the goodness which God has bestowed on each person, my study Bible says.  It comments that the amount each receives is based on that person's abilities (Romans 12:4-7).   Let us note that in God's reward, considerable authority was given in return for being "faithful in a very little."   But the wicked servant could not evade responsibility for basically ignoring the money entrusted to him.  My study Bible comments that idleness is as much a rejection of God as outright wickedness.  To leave the money in a handkerchief is suggestive of two things.  First of all, the same term translated here as handkerchief was also the term for a shroud, a burial covering for the head.   We understand this term therefore to be associated with bodily refuse, decay, and death; in other words, things which are entirely earthly.  Therefore we could consider the resources with which he was entrusted were used for purely earthly pursuits.  The bank represents the Church, to which he could have turned to help him use his gifts wisely.   Since this was available to him, he therefore has no excuse.  

Let us keep in mind that Jesus is now journeying near Jerusalem, and also that we have just read the story of Zacchaeus, the rich chief tax collector, and prior to that the story of the rich young ruler.  The text tells us also that this parable is told because the disciples thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.  Let us remember also that the disciples have several times asked about their positions in Christ's kingdom.  If their expectation is of a worldly sort of kingdom, with Christ as a messiah-king, then we understand their curiosity about the positions they may hold in that expected kingdom.  But Jesus has over and over again taught them about humility and service, especially in response to their questions regarding who will be great in this kingdom (see Luke 9:46-48, 17:5-10, 22:24-27).   So putting these teachings together with the recent readings which involved wealth and authority, we can discern first of all a direction in terms of what we do with worldly resources.  That is, for whom and for what do we use those resources?  A dedication to Christ asks us to put things in proper order through the lens of faith, first.  We can observe the difference in Zacchaeus and the rich young ruler.  Compare these also to the recently-given lesson of the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.  Do we know how we stand before God?  Do we know what we really need, and what we really need to do with what is at our disposal?  Moreover, today's parable is distinctly directed toward the disciples, who expect that, as they are about to enter into Jerusalem, Jesus is on the brink of establishing a worldly kingdom.  We know already their curiosity and expectation of important places in this kingdom, and Christ's teachings about humility.  But what of this parable?  It teaches us again about responsibility and about resources.  He's telling them that He expects them to be good servants, good stewards -- to produce spiritual fruits and "profits" from whatever talents and resources they have, from the teachings He's entrusted to them, and the responsibilities these confer.  In some sense, it's a magnified repetition of the teaching regarding service:  "So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do'" (Luke 17:10).  Only this time, He expects more than service, He expects them to be "profitable" -- to multiply the blessings and produce of the kingdom of God to the best of their ability, or with the help and assistance available to them in the Church.  So let us consider, then, what might be the investments God has made in us?  Do you have a talent, a gift for something?  Are you intelligent, or possibly persistent?  Can you endure difficulties?  Do you have patience?  Were you blessed with an ability to make material profits or to produce material goods?  Whatever way in which you have gifts given by God, there is a way to make them profitable for the kingdom of God.  There is a way to see God's blessings on all that one does or has, and to make this the focus on one's life.  Christ leaves the disciples -- and the rest of us who seek to follow Him -- with this magnificent direction in our lives.  We're not to remain idle and await His return in expectation.  We're to seize the day, the here and the now, and remember there is always something to be done in His name.  Whether we give love to someone who needs it, a good word, a donation, our time and effort, our intelligence -- it really makes no difference what the resource or capability is -- we are expected to be working to produce a profit, a gain, to increase even a hundredfold if possible (see Luke 8:8).  We build up the kingdom of God by our participation in it, by shoring up our own faith and that of others, by glorifying God in whatever way is open to us, be that something we think is small or great.  Let us be grateful for the opportunities we're all given to do so.