Luke 19:26 “He replied, `I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

The Parable of the Minas isn’t nearly as famous at the Parable of the Talents. (Matthew 25:14-30) There are some interesting differences, but the punch line is essentially the same. The situation Jesus starts with here, of someone going off to be made king, is exactly what happened with Herod I, the king when Jesus was born, so this was a scenario his listeners could relate to, however strange it seems to us. The difference between this parable and the talents is that here, everyone starts on equal footing, receiving one mina, which, though a considerable sum of money, was nowhere near as much as a talent. In the Parable of the Talents, two men who started with different sums each doubled what they had received, and were commended exactly the same. Here, the results and the rewards vary. However, they come down to the same statement: the one who has will be given more, and the one who has not will have even what they do have taken from them. In this story, bystanders protest the seeming unfairness of it, but that doesn’t make Jesus change His tune. The whole point of stewardship is that we aren’t doing it for ourselves, but for our Lord. However, those who have proved faithful with what they start with are rewarded. Actually, this principle applies in such areas as marriage as well. If each marriage partner is focused on their own happiness, both will end up miserable, and in current society, the marriage will dissolve. It is when each focuses on the happiness of the other that both discover more happiness than they could have dreamed. Jesus expressed this to His disciples by saying that what­ever they gave up for Him would be returned 100 fold. (Matthew 19:29) Put another way, it all boils down to: when you focus on yourself, you lose.

This is something I, of course, try to communicate to couples in counseling, but I sometimes think I have less success in communicating it to church members in general. I have learned in my own experience that the Bible is true, and there is no better or shorter path to blessing than focusing fully on Jesus my Lord in total obedience, trusting Him with every detail of my life. However, in our human weakness we have trouble really believing that. I need to remember how far I have come (and how far I still have to go) as I work with those who are further back on the road, expressing to them patience and grace but never wavering from the truth, so that we may all be liberated from the lies of the enemy and walk in the abundance God intends.

Father, thank You for all You are doing in this church right now. Thank You for how You are dealing with each believer where they are, knocking off rough edges and filling in the holes, so to speak. Help me be the shepherd they need, encouraging and admonishing and speaking Your truth in love, so that we may be all that You desire, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!