Luke 19:1-27

The Other Seven

The parable of the minas is of course highly reminiscent of the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. They both concern a master going away and entrusting money to his servants until his return. There are differences.

The major difference is that instead of giving each one a different amount they are all given the same amount in this parable. There are some areas of life where we are given different talents. Some are smarter, other are more talented, others are more athletically gifted, still others are more attractive. In regard to those areas God does not expect those with lesser gifts to have the same return as those with greater gifts. They aren’t compared with each other but only with themselves.

There are other ways in which we all receive the same. We are all given the breath of life. We are all give a certain length of days (though that length often differs from person to person). Above all we are all given the capacity to give and receive love. What we do with these things, the return we earn on them, is addressed in this parable.

We aren’t told how one earned ten and another five minas. The point isn’t really how. The point is that they did “something” with what they were given. Even the one who hid his mina would apparently have been approved if he had just drawn interest with it. Why didn’t he?

Fear. We are so caught up in the “clothes line” sins (immorality, drunkenness, profanity, etc.) that we fail to realize what an awful and deadly sin is fear. In the King James Bible in Revelation 21:8 the first sin listed that will consign a person to the second death is the “fearful.” And why was he afraid? He was afraid of his Master. It is so important that we understand the true nature of God. He has never reaped where He did not sow. In fact, He has sown many places only for the benefit of others. He is good and is pure love, a thing both dangerous and beautiful beyond imagination.

Yes, we should be aware of this. The master gave a mina to each of ten servants. (Ten is a number of completion.) Only three are recorded in this parable. Where are the other seven? We are.