Living a Profitable Life

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Opening Prayer

Father, I want to tune my heart to the frequency of the Spirit. I will trust and obey.

Read Luke 19:11–27

^[11] While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. ^[12] He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. ^[13] So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ ^[14] “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ ^[15] “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. ^[16] “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ^[17] “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ ^[18] “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ ^[19] “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ ^[20] “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. ^[21] I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ ^[22] “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? ^[23] Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ ^[24] “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ^[25] “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ ^[26] “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ^[27] But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in front of me.'”

Meditate

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Pet. 4:10).

Think Further

• It is hard to believe that Jesus would have approved of ruthless capitalists bent on making ever more money, but this did not stop him from using stories about them to make his point. Hiding in the wings here is the actual visit of the sons of Herod to Rome in order to be given royal power in their regions—but this is to give the parable some local color. The proper lesson to be derived is about the need for faithful service and stewardship in light of the fact that the coming of the kingdom of God might be delayed (11). The nobleman goes away, receives a kingdom and then after a time returns, just as Jesus would go to the Father, be exalted as king and then return in judgment. Beyond that, any likeness to Jesus himself is strictly limited. Jesus is a different kind of king.

In life we are all given something. We may not be given the same amount, or talents or opportunities (in this sense life is not equal), but we are supposed to be doing something with what we do have. Two of three servants entrusted with their master’s wealth manage to render some profit from it and offer it back to the master. The third servant placed the money in a cloth and simply returned it untouched and unused; not even the bankers were allowed to increase it. In response, the master deprives the third servant of everything. His crime was not that he had wasted what was given but simply that he had done nothing.

To do nothing with our lives is perhaps the greatest crime of all. God has given us life and expects us to do something with it. A life without profit is not worth living, and it certainly does not have a future.

Apply

Reflect further on verse 26. What do you think are the implications of this verse (1) for our present life and (2) for the life that is to come?

Closing prayer

Heavenly Father, I thank You that I have been gifted and blessed. Use me to touch lives with the Gospel to the glory of Your name.

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