While people were listening to Jesus
speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they
thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, “A
nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and
then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave
them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to
announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after
obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the
money, to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said, ‘Sir,
your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’ He replied, ‘Well done, good
servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten
cities.’ Then the second came and reported, ‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned
five more.’ And to this servant too he said, ‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I
was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man; you take up what you did
not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ He said to him, ‘With
your own words I shall condemn you, you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man, taking up
what I did not lay down and harvesting what I did not plant; why did you not
put my money in a bank? Then on my return I would have collected it with
interest.’ And to those standing by he said, ‘Take the gold coin from him and
give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him, ‘Sir, he has ten
gold coins.’ He replied, ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now as for
those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and
slay them before me.’”
After he had said this, he proceeded on
his journey up to Jerusalem.
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Reflection:
We are taught by our faith that all
blessings that come our way are God given. Thus, we have a responsibility to
pay it forward specially to those who are in need. Whatever these blessings
are, be it material blessings or intellectual blessings we have to share it. We
should not keep it to ourselves only we have to share it. For its only in
sharing what we have that we would receive more blessings from the Lord.
What are you presently doing with the
talent/s that the good Lord has given you? Are you using to advance God’s
kingdom in this world or you’re only using it to advance your own interest in
this world?
The third servant was not productive like
the first and second because he was fearful of the nobleman. Not only that he
was fearful; He was also lazy and selfish that’s why he simply stored the gold
coin in a handkerchief and left it there until it was taken back by the
nobleman.
The feelings of fear, being lazy and
selfish are the qualities that paralyze a person from becoming a useful citizen
of this world and a more productive servant of the Lord. If we want to serve
and share in the mission of Jesus we need to discard these negative traits. We
also need to always have a connection with the Lord. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
