In Luke 19:11-27, we find a parable Jesus taught to a crowd as they went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. It’s a familiar one, where a departing nobleman entrusted money to his servants, and upon his return, they had to give an account on what they gained from the money. One servant gained 1,000 percent on the investment, and another gained 500 percent. Each one who earned money received this commendation: “Well done, good servant.”
In this parable, Jesus is the nobleman. It’s a clear and beautiful depiction. He’s the King who leaves the earth, receives the kingdom from His Father—and at one point He will return. So, when He says, “Do business until I come,” He means “Increase My investment in you.”
How you serve the Lord today will determine your service in the future kingdom. That should change the way we live. As Jesus said, “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20). You’ve been given the greatest treasure known to man. Shouldn’t you now give it away to as many people as you can? We are stewards of the gospel, and we should multiply our spiritual capital.
I want to focus on the third servant in verses 20-26, the one who returned the nobleman’s investment to him with an excuse: “For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow” (v. 21).
The nobleman asked why he didn’t put the money in the bank where it would have collected interest. Now, we don’t know why the servant did nothing with the investment. Maybe he was afraid of taking the risk, or maybe he didn’t think the master was coming back.
One of the greatest incentives to the Christian life is knowing Jesus Christ can come back at any moment. John said, “Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself” (1 John 3:3).
The servant lost his reward to the one who gained a 1,000 percent profit, but no other punishment was mentioned. So, the way I see it, this is somebody who is saved but unfaithful. If we don’t use what God has given us, then why should we even have it? It’s just wasting away.
Here’s what I want you to notice. The third servant had a wrong view of his master. He accused him of being severe, harsh, demanding, unfair, and even a thief. All of this was wrong. He was living with the wrong concept of his master. This is why theology and Bible teaching are so important—because wrong ideas about God will keep you from fulfilling His greatest intention for your life. It will keep you from investing it the right way.
A. W. Tozer said, “Nothing twists and deforms the soul more than a low or unworthy concept of God.” So, do you want to be faithful, fruitful, and satisfied? Do theology. Read your Bible and understand it. Get a right concept of God.
Our Master is absent, but He’s coming back. Until then, we have a task: spreading the message of Christ. And we should be constantly evaluating ourselves: How do I spend my time, my money, my resources, my influence? A faithful, fruitful Christian is somebody who leaves behind more than they found. You can complain—or you can do business until He comes so that you can hear “Well done, faithful servant.”
