Luke 19:24 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

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

NASB: And then he said to the other slaves who were present, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

CSB: So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

NLT: Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’

KJV: And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds.

NKJV: “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’

This is a tricky statement, because taken out of context it could be used to imply that someone can lose their salvation if they don't evangelize. However, there is more to the situation than that. In this parable, the mina symbolizes the gospel, not necessarily salvation. Even so, it may seem disconcerting that one of these men is having his "mina" taken away.

Jesus is in a crowd, headed for Jerusalem. Many in the crowd think He's going to become the king of the Jews in the next few days. He's explaining that He will first have to leave to be crowned King, but He will return. Before He leaves, He will entrust His followers with a precious treasure: the understanding that He is the Messiah. While He is gone, they need to invest that treasure by spreading the gospel, building the church, and adding to God's kingdom on earth (1 Corinthians 3:10–15).

Jesus is explaining this through the parable of the ten minas (Luke 19:11–27). A nobleman gives ten servants one mina, then leaves to be crowned king. When he returns, he judges how his servants have invested his money. Two do very well. One wouldn't even put the money in the bank to earn interest; he was too afraid of losing what he had, so he hid it. The king commands that the one mina be taken from the faithless servant and be given to the one who earned the most.

If the mina is the gospel, it seems to say the gospel can be taken away from someone if they don't evangelize. That's not what's going on. The third servant knew the gospel, but he didn't accept it. He is like the ancient religious leaders who would rather kill their Messiah than lose their reputation with the people or lose their reputation with the Pharisees (John 12:37–43). These are people who know who Jesus is but will not accept Him as their Savior.

It's equally important to note that people can be in this state for a time, but it doesn't mean it's permanent. After Jesus' ascension—even after the Sanhedrin beat the apostles for spreading the gospel—"a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith" (Acts 6:7). So long as you are alive, there is always the opportunity to accept Jesus' offer to forgive your sins and reconcile you with God (2 Corinthians 6:2).

Luke 19:11–27 is the final passage of a series of stories about the kingdom of God. In a parable, Jesus explains that He cannot take the kingdom now; He must leave to receive it. His followers will be those who have understanding about His kingship: the gospel. Those who faithfully spread that message will be greatly rewarded. Those who plot against Him will be destroyed. This parable is about responsibility with the gospel; the similar parable of the talents is about responsibility with resources like time and spiritual gifts (Matthew 25:14–30). Next comes the triumphal entry (Luke 19:28–44).

Jesus approaches Jerusalem by way of Jericho. Along the road, he encounters Zacchaeus: an unusually short man and infamous tax collector. Zacchaeus responds to Jesus' invitation and demonstrates humility and repentance. Jesus gives a parable explaining a believer's obligation to encourage the spread of the gospel. Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, upsetting local Pharisees. As He rides, Jesus weeps to think of the future destruction in store for the city. He once again drives corrupt businessmen from the temple grounds. His enemies are furious, but too afraid of the adoring crowds to take direct action.

Luke 19 finishes the "travelogue of Christ to Jerusalem" and introduces His first actions there (Luke 9:51—19:27). This long passage semi-chronologically records Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the theological reasons why He must go to the cross. It finishes here, in this chapter, with Jesus meeting Zacchaeus and the parable of the ten minas. The chapter continues with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as its king—the triumphal entry. Jesus mourns over Jerusalem, its rejection of their Messiah, and its coming destruction in AD 70. He also cleanses the temple and teaches there. In the next segments, Luke covers the last hours of Jesus' earthly life (Luke 22—23) as well as Jesus' resurrection (Luke 24).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.