CreationFoundation
-- Home Page/Contents
31--
THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS
Luke
19:11-27
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
pounds,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 pound has earned ten pounds.'
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 pound has earned five
pounds.' Likewise he said to him, "You also be over five
cities.'
"Then another came, saying, "Master, here is your pound, 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 pound from him, and give it to him who has ten pounds.' (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."'
In addition to eternal life, one of the rewards on offer to the disciples of Jesus when the Kingdom of God is finally established on earth is rulership and authority over cities and, by extension, nations (Revelation 20:4-5 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 Corinthians 6:1-3, Revelation 5:10). That requires preparation, effort and training (2 Peter 1:3-10, 3:18, Philippians 1:6). Jesus is not going to administer everything himself.
Clearly, the far country in the parable is Heaven, and the nobleman who goes to receive for himself a Kingdom and then return is Jesus -- and the servants who are to be rewarded for their efforts and in proportion to their achievements in his absence are his disciples throughout the centuries.
As we have already seen (1 Corinthians 1:27), many of those disciples have been the poor and downtrodden and unsuccessful of the world, working class people and peasants even, who have responded diligently to their divine calling and dedicated their lives to Christ's work -- a fact that may well explain the scripture which suggest that some who have been "second" best in this life may well be "first" in the age to come (Luke 13:22-30), as also illustrated, perhaps, by the parable of the selfish rich man and the poor beggar Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).
Do we have the confidence and courage to respond to our calling, to do something, to make some kind of effort to learn and grow and do some good -- or have we let ourself be immobilized by fear, like the servant who simply wrapped up the pound and did absolutely nothing?