11 While the people were listening to these things, Jesus told them a story. He was near Jerusalem. The people thought that God’s kingdom was going to appear right away.
12 Jesus said, “A man from an important family went to a country far away. He went there to be made king and then return home. 13 So he sent for ten of his servants. He gave them each about three months’ pay. ‘Put this money to work until I come back,’ he said.
14 “But those he ruled over hated him. They sent some messengers after him. They were sent to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “But he was made king and returned home. Then he sent for the servants he had given the money to. He wanted to find out what they had earned with it.
16 “The first one came to him. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned ten times as much.’
17 “ ‘You have done well, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘You have been faithful in a very small matter. So I will put you in charge of ten towns.’
18 “The second servant came to his master. He said, ‘Sir, your money has earned five times as much.’
19 “His master answered, ‘I will put you in charge of five towns.’
20 “Then another servant came. He said, ‘Sir, here is your money. I have kept it hidden in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you. You are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in. You harvest what you did not plant.’
22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you evil servant! So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant? 23 Then why didn’t you put my money in the bank? When I came back, I could have collected it with interest.’
24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his money away from him. Give it to the one who has ten times as much.’
25 “ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten times as much!’
26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that everyone who has will be given more. But here is what will happen to anyone who has nothing. Even what he has will be taken away from him. 27 And what about my enemies who did not want me to be king over them? Bring them here! Kill them in front of me!’ ”
Read Luke 19:11-27 in context and/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!
In many of Jesus’ parables, we can learn things when we focus in on a specific character or group that is described. In today’s journal entry, I want to focus on the two servants who increased the money given to them, and uncover some insights about what they were involved in.
Some might challenge us taking this angle on the passage, saying that Jesus doesn’t really say what these exceptional investments were, but while this is true, there are ample clues to give us direction on where these servants placed their portion of the master’s money.
The first clue comes from the third (lazy) servant’s response, which is confirmed by the master/king. In verse 22, we read the master saying, “So you knew that I am a hard man? You knew that I take out what I did not put in? You knew that I harvest what I did not plant?” Our first clue for how the servants used their money is by looking at how their master used his – strategically, in ways that allowed the money to grow with the least amount of effort.
The next clue, if we build upon the idea that these servants would do similar things with their money that the master would, is the master’s instructions in verse 13, “Put this money to work until I come back.” The second clue is that the master is not asking the servants to work for the money, but to make the money work for them. This would be like saying, “invest” the money, not gamble or squander it away.
Our third clue relates to timing. In Luke’s telling of this parable, we don’t have much in the way of clues about timing, except that the servants were given three-months pay, however, if we place this parable alongside the similar parable in Matthew, we get the picture that a long time (or perhaps a “lifetime”) passes. Matthew 25:19 tells us, “After a long time the master of those servants returned.” The third clue is that a great deal of time passes while the master is gone. These investments would need to stand the test of time.
It is possible that more than two of the servants started off well, but the others lost their money in bad investments. The two servants who are rewarded learned how to leverage what they had been given, and make it grow in a sustainable fashion. Speaking from a business sense, these two servants would have found ways to best use the money in service to others, and in ways that benefitted all involved. Looking closer at Luke 19:22 (the verse for clue 1), I could speculate that these two servants bought land or businesses that were then leased out to the former owners to manage. They were then able to collect an owner’s share while still giving fair wages and shares to the managers.
Business, in God’s eyes, benefits all the people involved. Business God’s way blends God’s way with the highest level of ethics imaginable. It is the only way to stay in business for a very long time, and it is the only way that the Master/King, when He returns, will approve of. Had the servants had dishonestly gained their money, not only would it have not lasted the whole time the master was gone, it also wouldn’t have made the master happy.
With God, the results are as important as the methods; the journey is as important as the destination.
This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus “Reflective Bible Study” package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!
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