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NOTES for Luk 19:20-22

Printable version
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
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The image of a harsh master who "takes what he did not deposit and reaps what he did not sow" may seem somewhat strange. Indeed, according to the general meaning of the parable, the issue is not a person, but God. But everyone sees God in his own way, usually according to his own spiritual state.

Indeed, even if we confine ourselves only to the text of the parable and keep in mind the image of the master that we see there, one can hardly speak of him as greedy and cruel. Of course, leaving a certain sum to his servants, he hopes for a corresponding profit on his return, but that is the essence of money: it must be in circulation, otherwise the very possession of any more or less large sum loses all meaning.

Of course, there is risk here, but the master is not against those to whom he entrusted his money taking risks. We do not know what the master's reaction would have been to losses from an unsuccessful investment, but his reaction to the refusal to put the entrusted sums into circulation is described in the parable with complete clarity. And as in every parable, the money put into circulation here symbolizes something related to spiritual life. Moreover, one should probably speak not even of money as such, but precisely of the readiness to put it into circulation. Of that dynamic without which money ceases to have meaning.

God gives a person life so that it may exist in constant dynamic movement. Life, in all its manifestations, from the highest and spiritual to the most ordinary and natural, can exist only dynamically. And only a person's openness to the world and trust in God can make this dynamic real. The servant who preferred to hide the money had neither one nor the other. He was sure that the master was giving him the money so that later he would have the opportunity to demand an account from his servant and get his own back. It never occurred to him that benefit from the master's money was possible both for himself and for his master.

He was sure that nothing good at all could be expected from the master. And he received according to his expectations. God gives a person life not in order to find one more occasion to reproach or punish him, but so that this life may grow in him to the fullness that the person can contain. But if a person sees a trap in God's gift, he will find himself in a trap. And it is not God who drives a person there. A person walks into his own trap himself. By his own choice.

Other notes

 
For Luk 19:12-28
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
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At first, each of us finds it incredibly difficult to accept that ‘to everyone who has, more will be given, while from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’. These words seem at first to be some absurd...  Read more

At first, each of us finds it incredibly difficult to accept that ‘to everyone who has, more will be given, while from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away’. These words seem at first to be some absurd injustice. In fact, they are full of the deepest meaning. Someone who has something possesses it because they acquired it through work. This applies especially to the fruits of spiritual labour. Whereas in the material sphere someone may possess something that is not the fruit of their own labour, in the spiritual sphere this is impossible. In His providence, the Lord has arranged things so that, even if something—some understanding, for example—seems impossible, infinitely difficult or wrong to us, if we nevertheless make an effort to grasp it spiritually, He adds strength beyond our own. But if He sees that we do nothing, remaining in our unbelief and unwillingness to understand or accept something, the Lord takes away even our last hope. In other words, one cannot be a believer only up to a point. If we merely dare to make some attempts to believe, the Lord very quickly makes us into people of deep faith, giving us the strength to overcome within ourselves everything that opposes it. But if we seem to have no objection to faith yet make no effort to unite ourselves with God, the Lord will deprive us even of the remnants of our weak faith.

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For Luk 19:12-28
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
Hide
When considering the parable of the money entrusted to the servants, both we and the original hearers might ask a question...  Read more

When considering the parable of the money entrusted to the servants, both we and the original hearers might ask a question: all right, some of those who put the money to work made a profit, while the servant who did not want to take a risk added nothing to the starting capital. But why does the parable not consider the situation in which a person invests the capital unsuccessfully and suffers a loss? Does that not happen?

Of course it happens; no one is protected from failure when taking a business risk. But what the Heavenly Father has entrusted to us differs from earthly money precisely in that it cannot produce a loss. Our abilities and opportunities differ, so we are not equally able to influence the profit that will result from investing the gifts we have received from Him. Yet success in works that He blesses is certain. That is why the parable does not consider the possibility of bankruptcy as a consequence of enterprise. Avoiding the use of the abilities we have received, however, leads to ruin—and is itself already ruin. For a time, it is possible to emerge from this state of ruin, but we should not delay...

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For Luk 19:12-28
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
Hide
Like all the Savior's parables, the parable of the ten minas, as it is usually called, is about the Kingdom. It is sometimes interpreted to mean that...  Read more

Like all the Savior's parables, the parable of the ten minas, as it is usually called, is about the Kingdom. It is sometimes interpreted to mean that the servants are those leaders, those spiritual guides of God's people, to whom God entrusted His people throughout their long pre-Christian history, while the King is the Messiah who has come to demand an account. Yet such a “historical” interpretation, even if it can be considered partly correct, can in no way be called exhaustive.

There is another aspect to the parable, one concerned specifically with the Kingdom, and it should probably be regarded as the main one. The image of the King who goes away for a time in order to return crowned is evidently connected with the age of the coming Kingdom in which we live. On the day of His ascension, the Savior does indeed, as it were, leave us and our world in order to return one day as the triumphant King of the victorious Kingdom. In His absence, His servants are occupied with increasing His Kingdom's revenues.

Money and its circulation are only a symbol here. This is not about accumulating anything, even “spiritual” riches, but about the very nature of the Kingdom, about the breath of God that permeates it. Breathing is a process; it cannot be stopped: breath that stops disappears, just as money imperceptibly disappears if it is not put to use.

The King's gift, flesh of the flesh of His Kingdom, likewise disappears and is lost if there is no trust in the Giver and no willingness to act so that the gift may unfold, increasing the fullness of the Kingdom and extending its boundaries in our world. The Kingdom is dynamic; life within it is a spiritual process that must not be stopped. It can stop, however, through distrust of the Giver of gifts, when the recipient sees the gift as a burden imposed on him so that he can later be caught out and punished, rather than as an opportunity to take part in a unique and unrepeatable event: the spiritual formation and unfolding of the Kingdom in a world that both awaits and fears it. But if this stopping does occur, the one who has stopped and fallen out of the life of the Kingdom receives nothing in the end.

Of course, the Savior is not as the cunning servant imagined Him to be, the servant who did everything possible to make himself beyond reproach. Yet “I will judge you by your own words,” Jesus tells him: you thought I was as I seemed to you; you never knew Me as I truly am, because you did not want to know Me. Well then, for you I shall be as you expected to find Me. I did not want to be a stern and merciless judge to you. But if you know and accept no relationships other than formal, legal ones, if all you can say in response to My love is, “Take Your money and leave me alone; I owe You nothing more,” then I owe you nothing either. My Kingdom is not for you. It is for those who know how to receive without keeping count of what they receive, and to give without keeping count of what they give.

The Savior's attitude toward those who return what they have received from Him without making any attempt to do anything at all for Him is not surprising. For in the Kingdom there really is nothing to count and no one to settle accounts with. Here people receive everything, in its fullness, as much as they can hold. And in return they give their whole selves. Entirely. Holding nothing back.

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For Luk 19:12-28
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem.
Hide
Experience shows that this parable is very difficult even for established Christians. The image of the king, as described in the parable, clearly points...  Read more

Experience shows that this parable is very difficult even for established Christians. The image of the king, as described in the parable, clearly points, according to the messianic biblical symbolism already familiar to us, to the Most High Judge, and the situation itself is very much like the Last Judgment. But this image itself can evoke nothing but rejection, revulsion, and animal fear: cruel, unloved by the people, greedy... and he confirms all this by his own words and deeds. But is this really so? What is this image in reality, who is its true prototype, and if it is only an image, on whose consciousness is it imprinted?

Let us pay attention to the words: "By your own mouth I will judge you, wicked servant." We must dwell on this for a long time in order to read correctly the words that follow: "You knew that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit, and reaping what I did not sow." When we read these words at an ordinary pace, we usually see in them only confirmation of what we already see: that this king is greedy, that his people do not love him, that he orders those who disagree with him to be killed before his face. All of this fits into one image and hardens in the mind, while the words "by your own mouth" remain truly unnoticed. But if we listen to them, the picture instantly changes radically. This is only one negligent servant's idea of the king, and an idea that did not help him do anything good.

People will say to us: what, then, about the idea held by all the "citizens" who sent an embassy and did not want to have such a king? But that too is only their idea. And finally: but he himself says, "slay them before me." Yet let us think: perhaps this is only an indication of the well-known words of the psalm: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet (Ps. 109:1), or of the words of another psalm: "I have set My King on Zion, My holy mountain; I will declare the decree: the Lord said to Me, You are My Son; today I have begotten You; ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance and the ends of the earth for Your possession; You shall strike them with a rod of iron; You shall shatter them like a potter's vessel" (Ps. 2:6-9)? Then this is indeed only an indication of the day of Judgment.

In fact, there is a very important point here. What often undermines our faith, what makes us suffer in confusion and doubt? Often we see people who, it would appear, should know God better than anyone saying something that sounds like complete nonsense to us. And this troubles us. But we must not forget that this is only their idea about Him, although at times it appears to us, as when reading this parable, to correspond so obviously to reality. Finally, let us note that we never learn the idea about the king held by some of the people mentioned in the parable. The idea held by the people who simply took the money and earned more. What do they think about the king? We do not know.

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For Luk 19:1-27
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Hide
Today's reading returns us once more to the question of who enters the Kingdom and how. Its main theme is the resolve...  Read more

Today's reading returns us once more to the question of who enters the Kingdom and how. Its main theme is the resolve without which one cannot enter the Kingdom. Zacchaeus demonstrates such resolve when, despite holding a substantial position, he is not ashamed to climb a tree in order to see Jesus (vv. 1–4). And Zacchaeus needed considerable resolve: according to the religious ideas of the time, he, like all tax collectors, had committed a sin from which it was impossible to be cleansed.

Jesus appreciated his resolve, giving him, as he gives everyone, the opportunity to begin a new life, which Zacchaeus immediately seized (vv. 5–10). The parable Jesus tells also concerns resolve (vv. 12–27). Clearly, conducting business with borrowed money requires courage and decisiveness: if things go wrong, one must answer to the creditor with one's own property, especially if that creditor really is ‘a harsh man’ (v. 21). Nevertheless, investing the borrowed money in a profitable business proves to be the only possible course; otherwise the borrower loses everything, like the servant who returned the borrowed sum to his master without profit (vv. 24–27).

Thinking in terms of our world, one could say that a master has no need of servants who bring in no income. But in a certain sense the same could be said of the One who rules in the Kingdom: he too needs everyone who has received fullness from the fullness of the Kingdom to increase that fullness, or else the Kingdom will not spread in the world it is to transfigure and bring into itself. That is why one cannot receive the Kingdom and then store it in a secluded place, like the indecisive servant with the money he was lent, intending to present what has been saved to the Saviour on the day of his return as proof of faithfulness. For it is not we who receive the Kingdom; it receives us, and we remain part of it only as long as it lives in us. But in our as yet untransformed world, the Kingdom's life means its spreading, and if we do not take part in this process, we very soon fall out of the Kingdom and lose it. This is no surprise: the Kingdom's life means, above all, relationships with God and with other people, and here there can be no standing still. Any relationship exists only in movement; without that movement, it dies. But movement means change. If we refuse change in an effort to preserve everything as it was at the very beginning, when the relationship was first established, it will die. And with it, we too will die to the Kingdom if we do not dare to accept the Saviour's invitation to follow him along the path to the fullness of life.

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For Luk 19:1-27
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
Hide
If earlier Jesus displeased pious people by associating with tax collectors and sinners...  Read more

If earlier Jesus displeased pious people by associating with tax collectors, that is, tax farmers, and sinners, those who openly did not keep the law, now He crosses every boundary: He enters the house of the chief extortioner and declares forgiveness of sins to him simply because he promised to change his ways. He explains this by saying that Zacchaeus too is, after all, a "son of Abraham." In that language this means that he too is a human being, that God created him for Himself, for life and joy.

In theory, we too know that "man is created for happiness," but for us humanity is still divided into those who have deserved this happiness and those who have not, into the worthy and the unworthy. We ourselves, of course, end up among the "better part"; that is why the Pharisees, like all normal people, "began to grumble" when Christ turned out to be in the house of a "sinful man." The Lord knows how to see a human being in everyone, and this is a skill that should be learned.

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For Luk 19:1-27
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
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Most Christians usually understand the parable of the minas precisely as a parable about minas - perhaps not about money in the strict sense, but certainly as a parable about the gifts God gives a person. About the fact that the talents God gives cannot be left undeveloped: after all, on the day of Judgment one must...  Read more

Most Christians usually understand the parable of the minas precisely as a parable about minas - perhaps not about money in the strict sense, but certainly as a parable about the gifts God gives a person. About the fact that the talents God gives cannot be left undeveloped: after all, on the day of Judgment one must return everything to Him with a profit. But this is only one, outer side of the situation described by the parable. It also has a deeper layer of meaning. And it is no accident that the Savior uses money as the central image of His parable, money entrusted to different people so that they would put it into circulation. Everyone knows that money must work. It must be in circulation. In constant motion. Otherwise, in one way or another, it loses value.

The value of money is maintained by the dynamics of its circulation. And it is precisely this, paradoxical as it may sound, that makes money most resemble that breath of the Kingdom which we call grace. What they have in common is precisely dynamics. As money can function normally only while in circulation, so the breath of the Kingdom, grace, can exist only in constant movement. A person receives this breath from God freely, but its further existence is determined as much by God as by the person. This is understandable: breathing is a process; it cannot be limited to one inhalation and exhalation. And this process cannot be sustained without human participation.

Meanwhile, a person's spiritual life depends on the intensity of this process. Or, more precisely, this process itself is spiritual life. A person's participation in it gradually turns the participant into a bearer of the breath of the Kingdom, turning his heart into a vessel that contains this breath. And it determines what a person will bring to God on the day of Judgment.

It is no wonder that the one who returned the whole sum to his master without profit lost what had been given to him. He had not changed. He remained the same. There was no merit of his in the breath of the Kingdom that breathed within him: he had received it freely. And he did nothing so that it would touch him in any measure. So that it would in some way change his own life. By the end of the path this man remained just as he had been at the beginning. And he was left with nothing. A sad but fitting outcome.

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For Luk 19:1-27
1 And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.
2 And, behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.
3 And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.
4 And he ran before, and climbed up into a sycomore tree to see him: for he was to pass that way.
5 And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up, and saw him, and said unto him, Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.
6 And he made haste, and came down, and received him joyfully.
7 And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner.
8 And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold.
9 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham.
10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
11 And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear.
12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.
13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
15 And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
16 Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.
17 And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
18 And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.
19 And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities.
20 And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:
21 For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow.
22 And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:
23 Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?
24 And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
25 (And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds.)
26 For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.
27 But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.
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What is meant by the minas of silver—or talents in another version—in this parable? These are not merely “talents” such as the ability to play the violin or multiply four-digit numbers in one's head. Clearly, they are everything...  Read more

What is meant by the minas of silver—or talents in another version—in this parable? These are not merely “talents” such as the ability to play the violin or multiply four-digit numbers in one's head. Clearly, they are everything that has been given to us. (And what has not been given to us?) Every good thing that appears in our lives, even occasionally, can serve as suitable currency for acquiring the Kingdom of God. Not that it can be bought, but one can “invest” in it.

Zacchaeus, for example, did not spare his money or his reputation as a respectable “bandit,” as people would say nowadays. Many did not spare their lives or, at least, their comfort and “worldly happiness.” Yet we often begrudge even a smile to a passer-by. We begrudge the strength needed to help those close to us, and the time needed to tear ourselves away from the bustle and think about eternity.

Spiritual stinginess leads to bankruptcy even faster than material stinginess. This is because, first, the return on spiritual transactions is much higher and, second, spiritual valuables cannot be kept as cash—they quickly lose their value. Therefore, the Gospel calls us to put someone else's “funds” into circulation as quickly as possible, especially since we have nothing of our own.

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