Understanding Scripture: Parable of Ten Minas (Luke 19:12-27)(NIV)

Understanding Scripture: Parable of Ten Minas (Luke 19:12-27)(NIV)

 (1) A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. (2) So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. “Put this money to work,” he said, “until I come back.” (3) But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.” (1) He was made king, however, and returned home. (2) Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. The first one came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned ten more.” “Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” The second came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned five more.” His master answered, “You take charge of five cities.” Then another servant came and said, “Sir, here is your mina. I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.” His master replied, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, didn’t you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?” Then he said to those standing by, “Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.” “Sir,” they said, “he already has ten!” He replied, “I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. (3) But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them -- bring them here and kill them in front of me.”

I see three messages here. For all of my 81+ years until today (Friday 20 October 2023), when reading this parable of Jesus, I understood only the second of these -- what elsewhere is referred to as the Parable of the Talents, that we are all given certain abilities and are to exercise and multiply our gifts. I sum this up as follows: “We become our true selves as we develop and utilize our God-given talents and abilities in loving service to others.” There is also the dire warning that if we do not do so, even the few talents we have will be taken away. This message as (2) above is in ordinary type.

Just yesterday, however, I was reading a small booklet by a contemporary Apostle John entitled “The Mission of Jesus,” and he extracts from the parable the first message, which I highlight in bold type as (1). Apostle John says that these two rather short sentences refer to Jesus himself, for he as the Son of God is of noble birth in this world, goes to a distant land (heaven after his crucifixion and physical death) where he is made king, and then returns to this world. Amazingly, this had never once occurred to me, though it seems obvious now that it has been pointed out.

The third message, which I have put in italics as (3), has always been there, but since it is only two sentences out of a rather long parable, I have overlooked it until now and don’t even recall reading the first of the two sentences. This passage has ominous implications, for one could easily interpret the “enemies” of the king as the Jewish people -- the Children of Israel -- or at least the leaders (Scribes, Pharisees, and Sanhedrin) who hated and rejected Jesus in his lifetime and insisted on his crucifixion in Matthew 27:25, Mark 15:14, Luke 23:23, John 19:15. It seems clear that they are destined not for forgiveness and reconciliation but for death and destruction, if not for the Lake of Fire found in Revelation 20. Roman General Titus destroyed Jerusalem 40 years after the Crucifixion.

So my question for YOU is: How have you understood this parable heretofore? What lessons did you learn from it?