Continuing through Luke’s Gospel, we now come to a well-known parable. It deals with how well we work in God’s kingdom. You may want to read Luke 19:11-27 before reading this post.
We need to remember that we’ll be judged someday. We are already found to be “not guilty” in Christ. So, there’s no fear of the future for us.
However, the judgment of believers will be more of a performance evaluation. So, we better prepare now. That’s what this parable is about.
He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘
Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
Luke 19:12-13 NIV
The nobleman makes it clear that he wants his money invested while he’s gone. He leaves it up to the servants’ discretion as to how it will be used. But he’s going to be looking for a return.
If you know anything about the money systems mentioned in Scripture, then you realize that this was a lot of money. In New Testament times a mina was roughly equivalent to three months of wages.
If it were today’s economy, it would be as if the servants received about $2,500 each. So, all in all, the nobleman gave out a fair amount of money for this investment.
The problem the servants were faced with is that there were some strings attached to this money. The man gave it to the servants with a purpose in mind.
He said, “Put this money to work until I come back.” It’s still my money – but I want you to turn a profit with it. He made it clear that he was giving them oversight concerning this money so that it would be invested for him while he was away.
I believe that the Lord is talking here about the resources that God has given us. He’s entrusted certain things to the Church. And depending on our position in the Body of Christ, we’re entrusted with more or less.
Obviously, the Bible says that those who teach are going to be held more responsible than those who don’t (James 3:1). All of us are given responsibilities, and we’re going to be judged according to the handling of those responsibilities.
That’s why it’s so important for me to seek out my gifts and callings in the Lord. As He reveals them to me, I become responsible to carry them out. Ignorance is not an excuse.
There are many believers who refuse to seek God concerning their calling so that they will not have to work for God. They’re too busy seeking their own pleasures. This is the same as hiding the mina in the ground.
God has a work for each of us to do. Whether we ask Him about it or not, we’ll be judged on how well we complete it.
Knowing that these servants were given this responsibility, we should be very interested to see the outcome. It will help us to prepare for the day when we’ll be called to give account for our actions. This is what I’ll be posting about in my next article.
Question: What are the gifts and talents that you’ve been given by God?
© 2022 Nick Zaccardi
The Spirit and the Word 