Our Accountability of Willing Stewardship

Luke 19:11-27

The Parable of the Minas

11 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. 12 Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

15 "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. 16 Then came the first, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned ten minas.' 17 And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' 18 And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' 19 Likewise he said to him, 'You also be over five cities.'

20 "Then another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. 21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' 22 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. 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest?'

24 "And he said to those who stood by, 'Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.' 25 (But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 26 '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. 27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'"

Jesus loved to talk in parables so only those who God granted understanding could grasp the full implications of the surface stories He told with definite purpose and precision to the soul.  Here He began to explain why the kingdom of God would not immediately come as they had imagined it would because He had come to tell them many things which they still did not grasp.  He spoke of a nobleman traveling away from his home and servants to claim a far off kingdom as his own and return to them after entrusting them each with a different amount to steward over in business transactions in his absence.  Unfortunately, some of the citizens of his home tried to stop him from gaining that distant land to rule over and sent messengers to stop him or dissuade those of that land to give him the kingdom.  They failed.  He returned after receiving that kingdom to rule over and required an account from the three servants he left in charge of his affairs.  This is a picture of Christ and those who rejected Him and His rule (John 1:11) over them and tried to stop Him at the cross from going to His Father to bring the Kingdom to earth and reign even over those opposing Him like the Pharisees and Sadducees and scribes who reinterpreted the word of God to rule over others themselves.  The stewards are like us who have been entrusted with His rule in this world until His return and are held accountable (Romans 14:12, 1 Corinthians 3:11-13, Galatians 6:4-5, 2 Timothy 4:1-2) for what we have been given responsibility to manage for Him until then.  These first two servants were faithful to invest in the present and coming kingdoms and received appropriate rewards (Luke 3:8, Colossians 3:24, 2 John 1:8, Revelation 22:12) for their faithfulness and loyalty to their master.  However, there was the third man who resented the master and buried the treasure given him to invest and multiply to give back to his master when he returned, and this one was held accountable and lost everything he had to another who was faithful.  Whoever has, will be given more.  Whoever does not have fruit of true faithfulness will lose it all.  Whoever is his sworn enemy and rejects or tries to overthrow His kingdom will be eternally punished as if slain like those in this parable who opposed their master and tried to keep Him from the cross and resurrection to rule over them and us all in this coming kingdom of God.  These are those who reject this king as Lord, just as they deny Jesus is the Lord.  These truths are meant to inspire our faithful living for the Lord and not to instill fear of losing our place in the kingdom of God in Christ.  We are accountable, but never forsaken (1 Corinthians 3:14-15) as those who oppose the gospel of Jesus Christ.  May we then be inspired to be faithful stewards of the gospel as examples to others and well pleasing (2 Corinthians 5:9, Hebrews 13:21) to our Lord and Master by His working in and through our willing stewardship.  This is our accountability of a willing stewardship.