11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable,
because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and _because_ they supposed that
the kingdom of God was immediately to appear. 12 He said
therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive
for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called ten
servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them,
Trade ye _herewith_ till I come. 14 But his citizens hated him,
and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not that this man
reign over us. 15 And it came to pass, when he was come back
again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these
servants, unto whom he had given the money, to be called to him,
that he might know what they had gained by trading. 16 And the
first came before him, saying, Lord, thy pound hath made ten
pounds more. 17 And he said unto him, Well done, thou good
servant: because thou wast found faithful in a very little, have
thou authority over ten cities. 18 And the second came, saying,
Thy pound, Lord, hath made five pounds. 19 And he said unto him
also, Be thou also over five cities. 20 And another came, saying,
Lord, behold, _here_ is thy pound, which I kept laid up in a
napkin: 21 for I feared thee, because thou art an austere man:
thou takest up that which thou layedst not down, and reapest that
which thou didst not sow. 22 He saith unto him, Out of thine own
mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I
am an austere man, taking up that which I laid not down, and
reaping that which I did not sow; 23 then wherefore gavest thou
not my money into the bank, and I at my coming should have
required it with interest? 24 And he said unto them that stood by,
Take away from him the pound, and give it unto him that hath the
ten pounds. 25 And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.
26 I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given;
but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken
away from him. 27 But these mine enemies, that would not that I
should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went on before, going up to
Jerusalem.
Jesus felt impelled to deliver the parable of the Pounds because of the
mistaken belief among the crowds that on his arrival in Jerusalem he would
establish his Kingdom. He well knew that he was to be rejected and
crucified, and that a long interval of time would elapse before his return
in triumph. In this parable he definitely predicted this rejection and
warned the unbelieving Jews of their peril. On the other hand he
encouraged his disciples to wait with patience for his return, to watch
for his coming, and to be engaged diligently in his service, promising to
the faithful, abundant and gracious rewards.
This parable of the Pounds should be studied in connection with the
parables of the Unprofitable Servant, ch. 17:7-10, the Laborers in the
Vineyard, Matt. 20:1-16, and the Talents, Matt. 25:14-30. The first
teaches that no reward can be claimed as a matter of merit; in view of all
that the Master has given us, even pouring out his life for our
redemption, we never by the most faithful service could begin to pay the
debt we owe; even the most loyal devotion would be no ground for claiming
a reward.
The parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard likewise warns us against a
mercenary spirit in which we might serve the Master for the sake of a
reward, bargaining for so much labor for so much pay, jealous of those who
may receive as much as ourselves, though deserving, as we believe, less.
However, while no reward may be deserved, and while the hope of reward
should not be the motive for service, the Master has assured us that, in
absolute grace and with perfect justice, rewards will be granted to those
who are found faithful when he returns. The parable of the Talents teaches
that while opportunities and abilities for the service of Christ may
differ, those who are equally faithful will receive equal rewards. The
parable of the Pounds tells us that when opportunities are the same,
greater faithfulness will receive greater reward.
This latter parable was delivered, as Luke tells us, because Jesus “was
nigh to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was
immediately to appear.” Jesus therefore compared himself with a nobleman
who went into a far country, “to receive for himself a kingdom, and to
return.” Jesus was always indicating the fact that there would be a long
delay after his ascension before he would return, and that meanwhile his
followers should be faithful to the opportunities granted them for serving
their Master. In this parable Jesus pictured these opportunities under the
figure of pounds, that is, sums of money amounting to something like
sixteen dollars each. In comparison with a “talent” this was an
insignificant sum. Our Lord wished to suggest that to every one of his
followers something is intrusted which may be used for the advancement of
his cause.
Jesus knew that the Jews were not only to reject him but were to continue
in unbelief after his departure; thus in the parable he stated that “his
citizens hated him, and sent an ambassage after him, saying, We will not
that this man reign over us.” The main portion of the picture, however, is
concerned with the return of the nobleman and the reward of his servants.
This reward was proportioned to fidelity during the time of his absence.
By way of example, one who had so used his pound as to gain ten pounds was
made the ruler over ten cities; and one who had gained five, was appointed
over five cities. The reward for service is thus shown to be larger
service. Faithfulness in that which is very small is a preparation for
larger responsibilities and more glorious tasks. This is true in the
present, and the principle will be the same in the future.
One man was found, however, who had made no use of his pound. He had kept
it “laid up in a napkin.” His excuse was that he feared his master and he
said, almost boastfully, that he had not lost what had been intrusted to
him. He was giving back that which he had been given him. The nobleman,
however, properly rebuked this unfaithful servant in the very terms which
he himself had used. If the master was known to be so strict, the servant
should have been prepared to give a better account of his stewardship. It
is true that one cause for unfaithfulness is an ignorance of the true
nature of our Lord. Some are really afraid to undertake Christian service
because they do not know, what the parable could not indicate, namely,
that he who intrusts us with opportunities and abilities will give us
grace, if we seek to do our best and with a real desire to advance the
interests of our Lord, try to use the little which we have. Thus the
nobleman rebuked the unfaithful servant for not having done the least
which was possible. He could have placed the money in the bank and then if
nothing more, the master would have received the interest on the loan.
There is always something which every servant of Christ can do for him.
There is never any real excuse for idleness and inactivity and failure to
achieve something in the cause of Christ.
The pound was taken from the unfaithful servant and given to him who had
secured the ten pounds, because our Lord wished to illustrate the truth
that with our opportunities and privileges and gifts, the principle, use
or lose, always applies. The right employment of even small gifts results
in their enlargement, but failure to appreciate and employ that which we
possess results in its ultimate loss. “Unto every one that hath shall be
given; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken
away from him.”
The parable closes with a solemn warning to those who reject Christ. It is
not only perilous to be unfaithful in his service but pitiful to be found
in the class of those who refuse to acknowledge him as Lord. Jesus
describes in these last words not only the destruction of Jerusalem, but
the penalty of all who share in rejecting his rule. “But these mine
enemies, that would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and
slay them before me.”
The time of his departure was at hand. The nation was about to reject him.
The nobleman was just to start for the far country, for “When he had thus
spoken, he went on before, going up to Jerusalem.”