Taking Opportunities
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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.[a] ‘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 they have 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.’”
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Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits[b] to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings[c] we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
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The Christian Life
The context of this encounter is in Jericho, just after the Zaccaeus story and just before Palm Sunday. This is Pentecost, crowds were on their pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Jesus tells a story about a Lord who is going away and who will return King. Little did his hearers know, Good Friday would be in a few days and Jesus would ‘go away’ and return King of Kings.
In the parable Jesus told he offered 10 Minas to 10 people (60 Minas amount to 1 talent) to invest for the master [about 1/4 years wages !]
So let’s say £10,000. So now you know whether you are a cautious person or a risk taker. Well the good news is this: God made you like that, God knows your personality traits, if you are cautious that may be just your make-up – that doesn’t make you bad news in this story.
When God looks at you he sees the potential you have, you are someone who he will give 10 minas of opportunities to shine for him (to glorify him).
That’s how I read this parable. Good News & bad news. The Good News is that two people who received 10 minas were credited ‘well done my good servant’. The Bad News is one person who received 10 minas was described by Jesus as ‘a wicked person’ (that’s bad News FOR HIM). Secretly, we may be dreading that we might end up being the Bad one in the story.
But I have good news for you!
Let us look
1. THE GOOD NEWS
2. THE BAD NEWS
3. THE UGLY NEWS
1. THE GOOD NEWS
So lets look 1st at THE GOOD NEWS v13 ‘he called 10 servants and gave them ten minsa.’ ……The first issue to clear up is ‘what is a mina a picture of? Are minas=wealth =gospel =life? Let me suggest that 10 minas is meant to give the idea of some precious opportunity entrusted to these workers. (I am putting my head on the block) I believe a mina is a picture of the opportunities life will give us to be the light of Jesus, opportunities to turn a neutral situation into a kingdom opportunity. (Glorify God). Such as? Precious opportunities entrusted to us through this church centre, precious opportunities where you live or work, or in the way you respond to a friend or family. As Christians in here, how are we going to use this place and our time? Are we going to be faithful in prayer for its use. Or are we going to wrap it in a cloth and miss that opportunity (v20). … I could go on…but I’m sure you’re making connections with your own opportunities things which are unique to you, things so precious about you that Jesus would paint a picture of a 1/4 years income - what are your golden opportunities. Opportunities not judged by success or failure but in terms of taking a risk or keeping it as it is (playing it safe). That’s the Good News what about the ‘bad news.’
2. THE BAD
The Bad guy is the focal point of this whole parable and I expect we’re all secretly dreading that we might end up being the Bad one in the analogy. We’re the types who would rather settle for £10,000 rather than push on for £100,000 or even more. Well the good news is this: God made you like that, God knows your personality traits, if you are cautious that may be just your make up – that doesn’t make you bad news in this story.
When God looks at you he sees the potential you have to bring his love into people’s hearts and homes God looks at you & sees golden opportunities for you in prayer, in ministry, in witness, in worship. Of all the things we may think God wants us to do for him let me say this our chief purpose is to glorify God and enjoy him (Westminster Confession).
The opportunities God gives us will be to glorify him (Colossians 1v18) ‘that in all things Jesus must have the pre-eminence.’ This parable is not so much about what they did with the minas, it’s more about the relationship they had with the master.
The Bad News is one of them was fearful of the master(Luke 19:21) ‘I knew you were a hard man’ This was not someone who knows the master well, someone with a ‘him up there’ idea of God, the great ogre in the sky. The Bad guy wrapped his mina in a cloth - his God opportunities - no risks taken - safety first. .. do nothing. The BAD news in this story is some one tried to do nothing when God’s opportunity was to do something. In Almancil we have the opportunity with this centre and our homes to be stretched or we could try and keep it safe, do very little, maintain the congregation we have don’t rock the boat too much don’t preach for people to be ‘converted’ hold back on telling our friends and neighbours about Jesus Christ. Do we do nothing or do we risk it, there are opportunities at all different levels?Maybe a simple invitation to church, the community lunch, Advent and Christmas services, some of the other things that are going on up to Christmas. It might be sharing your story with someone. These are opportunities. I believe this is a parable for us right now.
Conductor Sir Michael Costa was holding a rehearsal. As the chorus rang out by scores of instruments, the piccolo player (smallest)stopped playing. Maybe she thought her contribution would not be missed amid such a cacophony.
Suddenly, the conductor stopped and said, "Where is the piccolo?" The sound of that one small instrument was necessary to the whole piece, and Sir Michael Costa missed it when it dropped out. To the Conductor, there are no insignificant instruments in an orchestra. Sometimes the seemingly least important one can make a great contribution, even if it doesn't seem to make much of a difference to the audience at large, the Lord the conductor knows.
In the Christian family, the instrumentalists and the instruments are diverse -different sizes, different shapes, different notes, different roles to play. But like the piccolo player in Michael Costa’s orchestra, we sometimes decide that our contribution is not significant, it won’t make a difference so we stop. Stop doing God’s work stop taking God-given opportunities. We stop. But the Conductor immediately notices. From our perspective, our contribution may be small, but from His, it is crucial. Maybe I'm talking to some piccolo players today. Have you dropped out of the orchestra, for whatever reasons: pain, exhaustion, insecurity, criticism, laziness. Convinced that your contribution doesn't mean much in the bigger scheme of things. The bad news in the story is someone buried his talent. The good news is God gives opportunities/talents for growth. What’s it to be Good news or bad news?
3. The UGLY
You have heard of the film, The good the bad & the ugly. The last verse in our gospel reading today is a bit ugly. The ‘UGLY’ is the part of the parable I’d rather not have to talk about. This parable is known as a ‘judgement parable’ and the last verses 27 passes judgement (LUKE 19:24 take the minas from the Badman and v27 ‘those enemies who did not want me to be king – bring them here and kill them in front of me.’
The problem with the Bad guy was he showed no sign of sadness or repentance. He tried to justify his action ‘master I knew you were a hard man’ I expect if he’d said he was sorry, he had messed up, he’s not fit to be his servant, the parable would have had a different ending. But that’s not the way it went, it was UGLIER than that. Where there is no repentance there is no hope of salvation, where there is no remorse the BAD will never do anything to change his ways. The enemies of the kingdom of God will not receive eternal life.
To finish where we started, I asked you a £10,000 question at the start, but it was the wrong question. The question is not how much, but what are you doing with the opportunities God is giving you. Will you step outside your comfort zone into the world of risky Christian service, would you risk praying with someone giving some money to someone who has a need, would you risk telling your testimony to someone who doesn’t know the gospel, would you risk an act of kindness to a neighbour or a friend. That’s the challenge of this parable for us do we bubble wrap what God has given us or do we take a risk and do something with our opportunities?
