What does Luke 19:26 mean?

The king in the parable of the ten minas (Luke 19:11–27) is talking about an unfaithful servant who refused to publicly represent the king by investing the money the king entrusted him with. Jesus is talking to a crowd about the treasure He has given them—the understanding that He is the Messiah—and challenging them to invest that treasure wisely.

What will the crowd members do? Many think they do have faith, but theirs is an assumption that Jesus will march into Jerusalem and return independent rule to the Jews. But what happens to their faith when He is hanging on the cross, or dead? Even when He is resurrected and their faith is restored, what happens when He ascends to heaven (Acts 1:1–8)? Will they remain faithful to represent Him, invest the treasure of the gospel by spreading the good news, and wait patiently until His return?

Some will, for sure. Others, like the unfaithful servant, will refuse to let understanding become faith. They will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah 6:10: their blinded eyes and hardened hearts will not accept their own Messiah. These include the Pharisees who do not want to lose their influence and some of the rulers who do not want to lose the approval of the Pharisees (John 12:37–42). "For they [love] the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:43).

This passage is not saying someone loses their salvation if they don't evangelize. It's not saying someone can lose their faith at all. It's saying that a saving relationship with Christ means more than simply intellectually agreeing to certain facts about Him. Salvation does not come by approving the idea that Jesus is the Son of God and died to take away the sins of the world. To be saved, one must accept their need for salvation, and of Christ as their Savior. Those who resist and stop at surface-level understanding may find their understanding of Jesus slipping away.