11 Jesus went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that God’s Kingdom would be revealed immediately. 12 He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him, and sent an envoy after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to reign over us.’

15 “When he had come back again, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by conducting business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten more minas.’

17 “He said to him, ‘Well done, you good servant! Because you were found faithful with very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’

18 “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, Lord, has made five minas.’

19 “So he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Another came, saying, ‘Lord, behold, your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief, 21 for I feared you, because you are an exacting man. You take up that which you didn’t lay down, and reap that which you didn’t sow.’

22 “He said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant! You knew that I am an exacting man, taking up that which I didn’t lay down, and reaping that which I didn’t sow. 23 Then why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank, and at my coming, I might have earned interest on it?’ 24 He said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has the ten minas.’

25 “They said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘For I tell you that to everyone who has, will more be given; but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away from him. 27 But bring those enemies of mine who didn’t want me to reign over them here, and kill them before me.’” 28 Having said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.

Luke 19:1-10 - World English Bible

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus told the parable of the mina, a Greek coin common in first century AD and worth about three months wages. In the story, a nobleman went off to secure himself a kingdom through imperial patronage. Besides Persia, Rome controlled the known world at the time; any kingdom within that world would have been a client state for the Empire, not unlike Herod's Palestine. Indeed, the people sent envoys to the imperial court to plead for relief from the aspiring despot.

Before the nobleman left, he gave three servants minas to invest, not unlike the parable of the Ten Talents in Matthew 25:14-30. Notice the difference between the two parables, however. In Luke's account, the three servants received a total of ten minas to invest, but the first servant returned ten minas to his master, the second servant returned five; the new king rewarded the servants with regional power, the first over ten cities, the second over five cities. The reward clearly outweighed the task given to the servants. But, like Matthew's account, the last servant received punishment for returning his mina out of fear. In a twist to Luke's ending, the new king had his opponents executed in his presence.

The tone of the parable left an uneasy sense, reflecting a belief in the coming end times. Luke saw Jesus as the noble Son who left to secure the Kingdom. He entrusted his disciples with a treasure and a task, the message of salvation and the duty to evangelize. To those who spread the Good News and succeeded, Christ would give power; to the lazy, he would give nothing. In the end, he would defeat the dark powers that opposed him.

How have you evangelized others this week?