We’re still looking at the parable Jesus relates in Luke 19. The wealthy Man goes away and returns as King, having left His servants the responsibility of caring for His earthly Kingdom until His return. He gives each of the ten servants in the parable – ten representing COMPLETENESS or ALL of His servants – “ten minas” each (see Luke 19:13a), with each servant’s “ten minas” representing the full POTENTIAL of all the gifts, abilities and talents of that servant.
I pointed out the connection to Matthew 16:27 and First Corinthians 3:8:
“For the Son of Man is going to come in His Father's glory with His angels, and then He will reward each person according to what he has done.”
“The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.”
Your Creator knows exactly what you’re capable of. He knows when you’re serving and living up to your potential and when you’re simply plugging along. The first servant in the Luke 19 parable was living up to his potential – he doubled what the Master entrusted to him. And this servant was the only one in the parable commended with the words, “Well done, My good servant!” (Luke 19:17a).
The second servant didn’t fulfill his potential. Yes, he “turned a profit” for his Master, but had it been the best that servant was capable of, the Lord would have commended him with the same words as the first servant.
But finally, let’s look at the third servant. He tells his Master: “'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” (Luke 19:20-21a).
“His Master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas’” (Luke 19:22a, 24b).
A servant is only useful if he's serving. Jesus Christ called you to serve. He equipped you to serve. Are you serving Him?
“I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away’” (Luke 19:26; Jesus speaking).
Unless otherwise stated, Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (NIV).
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