What
Do You Have
One
of the more misunderstood Gospel passages
Luke
19: 11-28
While
people were listening to Jesus speak, he went on to tell a parable,
because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the
kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his servants, and gave them ten gold coins, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’
“But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading.
“The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your gold coin has made ten more coins.’ He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’
“Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your coin has made five more.’ He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’
“Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your gold coin. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
“He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’
“He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the one who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten coins!’
“He replied, ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’”
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his servants, and gave them ten gold coins, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’
“But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading.
“The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your gold coin has made ten more coins.’ He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’
“Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your coin has made five more.’ He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’
“Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your gold coin. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
“He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’
“He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the one who has ten.’ But they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten coins!’
“He replied, ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’”
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Good
Morning Gentle Readers
Today's
Gospel is a hard one for a lot of people. No its not a story about
wealth and gaining power, no, it’s not a story about being a
spendthrift, or even about bad management. It is a story about the
kingdom of God and what will be expected of us to be there. We have
to be Kingdom builders, we cannot sit on the sidelines and expect an
invitation to the party, we have to make it happen, we have to do our
part.
Jesus,
portrayed as the nobleman in today’s Gospel, is establishing God’s
kingdom. The gold coins he offers his servants are investments in
this kingdom: opportunities to love. Those servants who use
their gold coins are welcomed into the kingdom. The ones who do
not—whether out of fear or laziness, selfishness or
busyness—deprive themselves and others of opportunities to love and
are therefore unfit for the kingdom of love.
Opportunities to love will come our way today. When we meet them, let’s keep Jesus’ words in mind: “To all those who have, more will be given, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
Opportunities to love will come our way today. When we meet them, let’s keep Jesus’ words in mind: “To all those who have, more will be given, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”
