Today’s Gospel:  Luke 19:11-28

REFLECTION
Today’s Gospel is of great interest because it appears to have been based upon a well-known historical event. When Herod the Great died, his kingdom was divided between Herod Antipas, Herod Philip, and Archelaus. The division of the inheritance was not legally valid until it had been ratified by the Romans who were the actual overlords of the country. The Jewish historian Josephus, in his “Antiquities of the Jews,” describes how Archelaus, to whom Judea had been left, went to Rome in order to persuade Caesar to permit his entering into the inheritance. He was followed by a deputation of 50 men who opposed this act; they did not want him as ruler. Augustus Caesar refused their request, but compromised in that he did not grant to Archelaus the full powers of kingship. It will be remembered that this parable was uttered by the Lord somewhere near Jericho, and the occasion was all the more suggestive for it was at this city that Archelaus had erected a most magnificent palace. Jesus used incidents which although simple, perfectly illustrated what He desired to teach.

As the disciples continued their journey to Jerusalem their excitement increased, for the coming of the kingdom appeared to be very imminent. The Lord recognized the symptoms and tempered their optimism with caution. The word translated pounds is “minas,” which in present value equalled nearly 1,000 pesos. The servants were entrusted with this amount and told to trade on the Master's behalf during his absence. The spiritual implications of this story were obvious. Christ was about to receive a kingdom - but not in Jerusalem. He was to travel into a far country - Heaven, where the kingdom would be ratified by the Great Ruler of the Universe - God Himself. During the Lord’s absence on this special mission, the disciples were to be active on His behalf. They were instructed to trade with the talents with which He had endowed them.

Let us turn our attention to Verses 16-27.  There are four kinds of people in this passage. (1) The Faithful. (2) The Less Faithful. (3) The Unfaithful. (4) The Faithless. Let us consider the first two together. Both started equal; both received one pound. How the one man succeeded in making twice as much profit as the other we are not told; maybe he was more diligent in his business associations. The possibility exists that the one man worked equally hard making five pounds as did the one who made twice that amount. Yet, of this we cannot be sure. The second man might have been perfectly content that he was doing a very fine job, and resting on his satisfaction, watched the bank balance increasing. The first man, energized by a great ambition, probably invested his money, withdrew it again at the opportune moment, and reinvested it where the dividends were higher. He, constantly watching the investment, saw his initial sum increasing by leaps and bounds. He worked hard making money. Faithful service is one thing, but enthusiasm breathing new life into that service is another thing. Within the Church are those whose loyalty can never be questioned; yet alongside those same members may be others whose enthusiasm animates the Church way beyond expectation!
It will be remembered that there were ten servants, and that only three are now mentioned. Seven are not mentioned again. This is probably explained by the fact that Jesus was citing types or examples. There might have been more than one faithful servant; there might also have been more than one less faithful. The third type indicated in the text was a man who excused his indolence by criticizing his master. Some details are obvious. (1) He was cautious. Probably he was either lazy or seared. The money in his hand might disappear! If he lost it, the lord would be angry. He therefore wrapped it in a napkin and stood guard over it until the day came when it was brought once more into the light. Some might find merit in the act, but sober reflection reveals the man was stupid. He might have placed the money in a bank; he might have emulated the example of his fellow servants; he might have used part of the pound, at least, to try to make money; in fact he might have done anything, and that would have been better than doing nothing. In most matters of industry it is better to try and fail than to sit still and go bankrupt! (2) He was Critical. Even when the day of reckoning arrived, there was no sense of regret; there was no apology for the obvious failure to please the master. The indolent servant indirectly blamed the nobleman for an example which had paralysed his own initiative. “It was not my fault, Master. You are a hard man, and if I had failed, you would have criticized me. Because you are so clever reaping that which you never planted, you expect everybody else to be as ruthless and as clever. I do not have the brains that you possess, so it was your fault in the first place to give me the job.” We seem to hear echoes from Eden. “Oh God, it was not my fault. The woman thou gavest me, she made me eat. If you had left me alone in the first place, that woman would not have upset me. I did not ask for her; you gave her to me, so it was your fault.” Possibly this unfaithful servant was also a little jealous of the master’s possessions, and bitterness poisoned his spirit. (3) He was Condemned. There is always danger when we permit ourselves to remain negative. Many people spend a lot of time talking about history but never make any. Each new task presents a fresh opportunity; every new battle affords the chance of gaining a new victory. Each time the sun rises, it reveals a new world, and that world should be captured for Christ. To fail in the hour of supreme need; to hide our talents in a napkin just because of the ugly thought of failure, is to miss the challenge that comes from a perishing world. The man in the text knew (1) all he possessed, had first been received from his master: (2) his master desired a certain course of action: (3) other servants were succeeding (4) there would come a reckoning day: (5) he knew beforehand what the results of inefficiency would be. At least he could have tried to please his lord. The fellow worked hard doing nothing. His descendants are still with us!

Today’s Reading:  Rev 4:1-11

PRAYER
Lord, thank you for the resources and opportunities that you have given.  I promise to make full use of them that your honor and glory may be multiplied.  In Jesus’ Name we pray.  Amen.