What You See is What You Get

SCRIPTURE: Luke 19:11-27
¹¹ While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. ¹² He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. ¹³ So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

¹⁴ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

¹⁶ “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

¹⁷ “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

¹⁸ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

¹⁹ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

²⁰ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’

²² “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

²⁴ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

²⁵ “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

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. ²⁷ But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

OBSERVATION: I have always thought this is an interesting parable. I have heard it taught may times, always as a lesson on stewardship, which it is. But it is also about how a person views God and what they get from the relationship as a result. There is no negative view of God expressed by the first two servants who were entrusted with the master's money. Only the last servant saw his master as a "hard man" who took things that didn't belong to him. As a result, he got from his master exactly what he thought he would get; nothing.

APPLICATION: I read an article by an atheist once which called Jesus a horse-thief and a dictatorial megalomaniac who thought he could just take what ever he wanted from people. It was reading the story of the triumphal entry that gave him these ideas. He said he had read through the gospel accounts and that is the picture of Jesus that he came up with. In my view, that is about the most twisted way of interpreting those stories you could possibly have. What about all the miracles of healing, setting people free from demonic possession, raising people from the dead, etc.? I have a view of Jesus as a benevolent, loving man who would not abide lies, deception or oppression by authorities who did not have the interest of the people they ruled at heart. As a result, I expect, and get, good things from God. When bad things do happen to me, I don't blame God, I examine myself to see where I might have been at fault. If I can't see anything I did wrong, I just take it as a lesson in trusting God even when I don't understand all the "whys" of a situation. But others, like the atheist whose article I read, have a negative paradigm of God. They will get nothing from God, and in fact, will face judgment at the end time. These are the type of people who have a rebellious heart, think they are "owed" by God, and tend to have either a totally defiant attitude toward all authority or they have a perpetual "victim" mentality. Sometimes they have both. The point is, our view of God has everything to do with what we get from him in our relationship with him.

PRAYER: Father, continue to teach me your ways and to show me more about yourself. I want to have a correct paradigm through which I interpret your Word and your character. And help me to be a discerning person when it comes to sharing you with others. Help me to see from their viewpoint and to have wisdom in navigating around any idealogical roadblocks they may have so they may see your beauty and your truth. In Jesus' Name, Amen.