Luke 19:11-27 The Faithful Slaves

Luke 19:11-27 Parallel passage Matthew 25:14-30. Parable of the master who commissioned his slaves. A difficult story. The master gives his slaves different amounts of money to manage while he goes on a long trip. Two of the slaves invest wisely and double the asset. The third hides it in a safe place. When the master returns he rewards the two enterprising slaves but punishes the one who wanted to play it safe. He gives the money that was kept in a safe place to the slave who was the most industrious. And there is an added, seemingly irrelevant annex about the citizens who sent a messenger to the master to tell him that they did not want him to rule over them. These he commanded to be brought before him and slain in his presence.

          As a parable of the kingdom of God, parts of this are easier to interpret than others. The slaves are in the master's employ, and it doesn't say that he kicked out the slave he called worthless (ponere- wicked). The ones who reject His rule will be destroyed in the lake of fire. (Rev 20:15).

          The reward of the faithful slaves in heaven is consistent with other passages. (Matt 5:12, 6:4-6, 6:18, 10:40-42, Mark 9:41, Luke 6:23 & 35, I Cor 3:8, 9:17-18, Heb 11:6 & 26, Rev 22:12) The taking away of the single talent from the fearful slave is accompanied by  an odd statement. The slave feared the master and the master confirmed the slave's fears - that he was a hard master, reaping where he did not sow and taking up what he did not lay down. And so the slave's own fears became the basis for his judgment. And then asking the slave why he did not at least put the money in the bank so he could collect interest. It does not appear that the slave was affected by covetousness of other slaves' endowments. It was simply a missing of the master's heart. He saw the master's actions, but did not understand something. Here is the point where our understanding of how God works enters in. God stands behind His people and empowers them, and blesses their Holy Spirit-empowered efforts with fruit. He seeks to use them. To not do anything is to miss out that God is inviting His servants to become co-laborers with Him, to enter into His joy as they enter into His work, and recognize that the fruit He seeks, He also enables and produces. To do nothing is to quench the Holy Spirit. The slave with a single talent may not have been able to produce as much return as the other slaves, but if he had done something - even the minimum of taking the money to the bank to earn interest - he would have gotten a minimal return, rather than nothing.