Ten Minas

January 11, 2009

If you want to see where I’m coming from read Luke 19:11-27.

If you are alive there is no doubt in my mind you will find yourself among these 4 kinds of people. Step back from yourself and ask the Lord to show you who you are because it is easy to deceive ourselves (Romans 12:3, 1 John 1:8).

Father, open our eyes to see where we honestly fit into this important parable. Amen
On the way to Jerusalem it says that the people had one thing in mind that the kingdom was going to appear at once. But Jesus had other thoughts and he told them a story to illustrate to them what was more important.

The first group of people we see are those who (vs. 14) hated the king and didn’t want him to rule over them, these are the ones who want to do everything their way, they don’t need God. We’ll see later in the text what happens to them.

The second person is the one entrusted with 10 minas. This is a servant of the king that receives all God (the king) has for him and puts it to work for God investing it in others. In order for this servant and the next to cause the minas to increase they had to invest in another. They had to trust someone else with what they had been given to receive a return.

The third person is entrusted with 5 minas. He doesn’t have as much as the 10 mina servant but it’s not about the amount that is entrusted to the servant but what the servant does with what God (the king) gave him. I see a good attitude in this servant, he doesn’t compare himself with the 10 mina servant he just does the best he can with what he’s been given and he is rewarded with a 100 fold return just like the 10 mina servant!

The last person is the servant who is motivated by fear. This is a judgmental person. This servant judged his master unfairly. He was critical of things he knew nothing about. I say this because of the response of the king in verse 22.

In the end, that servant lost everything and it was given to the one who had the ten minas (vs.24). The first group who wanted nothing to do with the king were brought before the king and killed (vs.27). This is a warning to those who don’t think they need Jesus.

I find that this passage is more about attitudes of the heart than what they had been given or not given. Faithfulness is what God is looking for in all of those who serve him and there is a reward for this…look at verse 17. Jesus says that these were “very small matters” and because they were faithful in the “small” things the servants who were faithful were given cities to rule over in accordance with what they were first entrusted.

I think that at least one or more times in everyone’s lives they have found themselves in one or more of these positions. I had to repent of a judgmental, critical attitude myself. But if you see yourself there remember that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1) we are all learning as we go… just repent, receive God’s forgiveness and go on! Ask the Lord to help you, thank him for revealing your heart to you so that you can be cleansed of these things and learn from your mistakes.

If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, ask him to come into your life, repent of your sins as well and receive him as your only hope of survival. We will all stand before a righteous God and no one will be good enough, only Jesus. He is our attorney, if you will, and I’m going to need a good one!