Devotional Space for Grace | The Minas | 12.26

[Jim]

THE PARABLES ​

The Minas (Luke 19:11-27) ​

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The gentleman replied to him, 'I will judge you [based] on what you [yourself] have [just] said, you evil slave. [Since] you knew that I am a hard man to deal with, picking up [and keeping] something I had not laid down, and harvesting a crop I had not planted.’


Luke 19:22, An Understandable Version ​

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Context: Spoken as Jesus was on his way up to Jerusalem for the last time. The reason for the illustration, as stated in verse 11, was that “they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.” The assigned silver mina was about 3 months wages. The hearers would be reminded of an incident some years earlier when Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great, had travelled to Rome in a successful quest for kingly power, despite the Jews sending a 50-man delegation to Augustus to bring charges against him. When the new ruler returned home, he rewarded his faithful aids and punished those citizens who had opposed him.




Meaning: Jesus, the nobleman, having finished his work on earth, he went back to heaven to receive His kingdom. One day he shall return and rule as King of kings and reward his faithful servants who discharged their one mina “stewardship of the Gospel” (1 Tim 1:11,18; 6:20). This parable is not about investing in money but people as ‘spiritual offspring’ to whom you serve the gospel of grace. It is describing the dividends of love (Mark 10:29-30; 1 Thess 2:19). The unfaithful servant claimed that the Lord was austere (vs 21) or “stern, harsh”. Certain rebellious citizens refused the Lord as ruler over them, just as unbelievers refused the Lord’s grace.


Application: Have you invested the Gospel so that grace is producing dividends, not just in your own life but especially in the lives of others? Do you live in the light of Christ’s return?

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Put God’s grace to work and see the awesome harvest it will bring! ​

 

[Shelley]

Nicely brought out from this passage that we are waiting for the return of our ruler. A ruler who is kind, loving and has conquered for us.