Luke 19:22 - Printer Friendly

ESV: He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?

NIV: 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?

NASB: He *said to him, ‘ From your own lips I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am a demanding man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow?

CSB: "He told him, 'I will condemn you by what you have said, you evil servant! If you knew I was a harsh man, collecting what I didn't deposit and reaping what I didn't sow,

NLT: ‘You wicked servant!’ the king roared. ‘Your own words condemn you. If you knew that I’m a hard man who takes what isn’t mine and harvests crops I didn’t plant,

KJV: 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:

NKJV: And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow.

Within a parable told by Jesus (Luke 19:11–21), a king is angry. Before he left, he had entrusted ten servants with one mina each, commanding them to invest wisely and make him a profit. At least two have: one a tenfold increase and the Coming Soon! other a fivefold increase. Accordingly, they received ten and five cities to rule. Another servant, however, hid his mina in a handkerchief. He didn't even try to invest it. His defense is that he knew his master was a successful businessman and he was afraid of losing what little he had.

The king uses the man's defense to condemn him. He doesn't denounce the man for failing to make a spectacular return on an investment. Rather, he criticizes the servant for doing nothing with what he was given. The king asks, "Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?" (Luke 19:23).

Jesus is telling the parable of the ten minas (Luke 19:11–27) to a crowd who is traveling with Him to Jerusalem for the Passover. They seem to think that when He arrives, He will take over, become king, and free the Jews from the Roman occupation. He is telling them that, like the king, He will have to leave for a time. During His absence, the members of the crowd—in fact, all Jews who witnessed His ministry—will have an important job to do.

They have been given a gift: the gospel, the "good news" that Jesus is the Messiah. They need to invest that gift by telling others so Jesus' kingdom can grow. The more faith they have that Jesus is the Messiah, the more their message will spread, and the more Jesus will reward them when He returns.

Those who have all the information about Jesus but do nothing with it prove that although they intellectually understand Jesus is King, they don't want to lose what they have. For many Jewish religious leaders, it was the approval of the Pharisees and their place in the synagogue (John 12:42–43). For the Pharisees, it was the love of the people (Matthew 6:5; 23:1–7).

The King James Version uses "austere" instead of "severe," which is more in line with Greek etymologically but doesn't always reflect the impact of the Greek. Here the term is meant to imply strictness, while in English we more often use "austere" to mean "plain."

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.