Equal Opportunity

While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.’ I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.” Luke 19:11-27


It was time for a lesson in service and rewards. The disciples needed a better perspective on the upcoming Jerusalem experience, and what it would mean to belong to Jesus in His absence. Mina: about three months' wages. Represents opportunity in life. In this parable, each was given an equal amount. Each has the same opportunity in life to heed or ignore, learn or stagnate, believe or reject, share or horde, succeed or fail at investing and multiplying the spiritual assets we have been given. We are not born equal by earthly standards in size, sex, birth order, mental capacity, socio-economic status, or physical abilities. We are equal, however, in the provision God has made for each of us to come to know Him and to share His Truth in our environment. And being invested, that Truth multiplies and brings dividends.

Why do some not make the investment? Because they are negative to His Truth. They are rebellious against His authority. They "do not want this man to reign over us." Please don't miss this point. They have been given the Truth. They reject it. Some do bring in a return, based on their various abilities and the response of the souls in whom the Truth was invested. They are rewarded according to their increase. But the ones who, knowing the authority of this "exacting man," hide the Truth away, afraid to invest it at all, will have even the one mina taken, and given to the one who understood the issue and made the most of his opportunity to invest what he has received. Human viewpoint does not grasp this. The more we learn the more we know. The more we know the more we grow, and spiritual growth is not an accident. It requires an investment of our time and attention, as well as a sharing of what truth we have received. Those who squander the truth they've received, or just sit on it, do not learn, do not know and do not grow.

Once we learn a point of Bible doctrine and apply that knowledge to our own soul, we are given more doctrine to learn, regarding the plan and purpose of God (precept upon precept, line upon line -Isaiah 28:10). The doctrine we reject or ignore stops us cold. There is no growth beyond that point. Others who are positive and willing to learn and obey will pick up the torch and run with it, leaving us on the sidelines, wondering what happened, and trying to blend in with the world. It won't work, by the way. The one who belongs to Jesus will never again fit in with that crowd. He's a man without a people until he decides to get with God's program and use his divine resources as God intended.

Such was the state of Israel, during Jesus' incarnation, and even to this time in the Church Age. They shirked their duty to the King. The Truth that had been given to them has been reassigned to the Church. Now it is ours to invest, to the glory of the Kingdom. The rejectors must pay the price of their hostility. Oh, yes it IS fair. They are without excuse. The nobleman is an equal opportunity Master.