Luke 19:11-27

Outcomes in an Oppressive World

Luke 19:11-27 - Parable: Ten Slaves and Ten Pounds

¹¹ As they were listening to these things, he told a further parable,

since he was close to Jerusalem

and they were of the opinion

that the kingdom of God was soon to be revealed.

Whatever about Jesus’ contemporaries and their hopes for an imminent coming of God’s kingdom, Luke was concerned to continue instructing his own community on the issues of the Kingdom, of wealth and of power. The foreboding future put particular emphasis on what he had to say.

The following story seems to have been pieced together by Luke from a variety of sources. Details do not fit well.

(The story had echoes of a visit by Herod Archelaus to Rome, when Jesus would still have been a small child. Herod had gone to the emperor seeking to be declared king of Judaea and Samaria. His two brothers opposed his move, as did a delegation of key people from both areas. Rome did not grant him his full request, and he had to be content with being declared ethnarch, along with his brothers.)

¹² So he said, “A man of high lineage

went away to a distant land

to receive royal power for himself

and then to return.

¹³ He summoned ten slaves

and gave them ten sums of about one hundred denarii

and said to them, ‘Make appropriate use of this until I return.’

¹⁴ However, his citizens hated him,

and they sent an delegation after him

with the message, ‘We do not want this man to rule us.’

¹⁵ He secured the kingdom;

and on his return he asked that the slaves

to whom he had given the money be summoned

so that he could find out what use they had made of it.

¹⁶ The first came along and said,

‘Master, your one hundred denarii yielded ten times that amount.”

¹⁷ He said to him, ‘Very well done, reliable slave.

Because you were faithful in a rather minor role,

assume responsibility over ten towns.’

¹⁸ Then the second one came and said, ‘

Master, your sum of one hundred denarii made five hundred.’

¹⁹ And he said to him, ‘And you can be over five towns.’

²⁰ Another came and said,

‘Master, here is the one hundred denarii amount.

I kept it safely wrapped up in a towel

²¹ because I was fearful of you

since you are a severe man,

taking what you did not put away

and harvesting what you did not sow.’

²² To him he said,

‘I judge you according to what you have just said, you unreliable slave.

You knew I am a severe man,

taking what I do not put away

and harvesting what I do not sow.

²³ Why did you not then give the money in a bank

so that, on my return,

I could get it back with interest.’

²⁴ Then he said to those standing around, ‘

Take the sum of a hundred denarii

and give it to the one with ten times that…’

²⁵ [They said to him, ‘Master, he has ten times that already!’]

²⁶ … I tell you, more will be given to those who have,

and from those who have not

even what they have will be taken away.

²⁷ Now as for those enemies of mine

who did not want me ruling them,

bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’”

The story was not a parable about God and God’s expectations of disciples. Quite the opposite! By no stretch of the imagination could it be taken to reflect the dealings of a merciful God taking what I do not put away and harvesting what I do not sow. The story mirrored rather the general situation in the world, and hinted at the kind of reception awaiting Jesus (who criticised unequivocally the ways of the rich and the powerful) in Jerusalem.

The interests of the man of high lineage simply were to increase his power abroad and his wealth at home: reflecting the issues of the world generally. In the static economy of the time, wealth was accumulated mainly by the exploitation of others, particularly the most defenceless. This man had no qualms with injustice.

Two of his slaves were quite prepared to cooperate with his approach – and were rewarded in line with the worldly wisdom of the day: more will be given to those who have.

The third slave was not prepared to collaborate because he feared the ruler; but he was prepared nevertheless to name the injustice of the whole system. The response of the powerful to those who speak the truth was swift: from those who have not even what they have will be taken away.

To emphasise the injustice of the whole system, the story then returned to those who were rash enough to have said: We do not want this man to rule us. The response was ruthless: bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.

Within the week the social and religious elites of Jerusalem would crucify Jesus. The point of the story was obvious.

²⁸ After saying that, he led the way, going up to Jerusalem.

Luke’s concluding comment tied the story clearly to Jesus’ pending death in Jerusalem. The fate of Luke’s community of disciples - rebels, too, against the oppressive system operating in their world - was similarly evident.

Next >> Luke 19:28-40