While they were listening to him speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God would appear there immediately. 12 So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. 13 He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’ 14 His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ 15 But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. 16 The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ 17 He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’ 18 Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’ 19 And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’ 20 Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ 22 He said to him, ‘With your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant. You knew I was a demanding person, taking up what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; 23 why did you not put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’ 24 And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and give it to the servant who has ten.’ 25 But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’ 26 ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.
This parable was first handed down by oral tradition in different forms. It is similar to the Parable of the Talents in Matthew (Mt. 25: 14-30). Jesus is on his way up to Jerusalem (Lk. 19:28). Jerusalem is approximately 2,500 feet above sea level so you would have to go up in elevation. The crowd was expecting a physical Kingdom of God, a glorious manifestation of the Messiah, to appear in Jerusalem, at any moment primarily because of the OT prophesy in Zechariah 14 where there would be a day of the Lord when there would be a world war between the nations and Israel, and God would successfully defend Israel (Zech. 14:1-3). The crowd did not understand that the Kingdom of God had already arrived in the person of Jesus Christ.
Jesus was the nobleman going on a long journey to receive kingship from his Father. The Herodian Kingdom was a vassal state of the Roman Empire, and the Herodian Princes went to Rome to receive kingdoms from Caesar. Jesus gave the treasures of the Kingdom, the Word of God, to his servants (Christians) to spread (trade) until his second coming as King (v. 13). The religious leaders (citizens) rejected him (v. 14). Some of the servants did well and spread the word of God and were given the authority to govern in their master’s kingdom (vv. 16-19). Others who heard the word of God but did not act on it would remain in their ignorance. God will be very generous to the faithful but will severely punish those who receive the Word and do nothing with it. His true disciples will be loyal to him in his absence. Those who refuse to accept Jesus (the king) will be destroyed at the second coming of Christ (v. 27).
Almighty God, shower us with your grace so that we may hear your Word and act on it according to the talents you gave us. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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