Luke 19:24-27 24And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas.’ 26I say to you that to everyone who has, it will be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 27But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them bring here and slaughter them in my presence.”
The outcome for the third servant was not good. His fear and ignorance about the character and will of the king were disastrous for him. What little responsibility he had was taken away. Those in the court of the new king who were watching all the dialogues were surprised at all that was happening. Perhaps the servant was right in one respect in that the king could be perceived as harsh, but that was only to those who failed him or were his enemies. Those who did not prove faithful lost what little they had. The king took his business seriously.
Verse 26 gives the timeless principle in the form of a proverb that guides the parable and applies it to discipleship. The same proverb is given in 8:18. The point is simple and does not need explanation, but the application is difficult to live out. The challenge is more if this refers to this lifetime or after judgment. When applied to this life, often the case is that those who faithfully serve King Jesus will be given greater responsibilities and opportunities. However, this is not always what happens. Sometimes, people serve faithfully, but there is no apparent earthly reward or change of a situation. We should not serve with the expectation of personal benefit or higher status. The saying could also be applied to eternity with the sense that faithfulness on earth will result in heavenly rewards. In either case, the parable serves as a motivation to be faithful while awaiting the return of Jesus.
Verse 27 is a contrast to verse 26 and warns of unfaithfulness, like the last of the three servants. It goes even further by calling the opponents enemies of mine. These are people who refuse to accept the sovereignty of the nobleman when he returns from his journey to his new kingdom. The scene is vivid and harsh, with the enemies being killed right in front of the king. This harshness is one of the shocks of the parable that shows the seriousness of accepting Jesus as the messianic King. Those who do not accept his kingship are his enemies and will face the judgment of God. The parable brings up the crucial question: what do we do with Jesus? The story calls for obedience and faithfulness as disciples while awaiting the King’s return.
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