Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (Posted each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series.
From Luke 19:11-27, we reflect on Jesus' judgment and the rewards for faithfulness, recognising that our response to His calling reveals the reality of our faith.
You can listen to this devotional below
‘While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12 He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13 So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ 14 “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ 15 “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. 16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ 18 “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ 19 “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ 20 “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21 I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 “His master replied, ‘I will judge (condemn) 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? 23 Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ 24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ 25 “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ 26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away. 27 But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me.’” (Luke 19:11-27)
Do We Still Believe in God’s Judgment?
Today, we have read the Parable of the Ten Minas in its entirety. First, we saw how this parable calls each of us to acknowledge Jesus as our King. Second, we reflected on our responsibility to use our gifts and resources for His service during these Last Days before His return. Now, I want us to focus briefly on what happens when the King comes again. Jesus’ return will bring both joyful and dreadful realities. Many today attempt to portray Jesus without reference to His wrath or judgment, but we must see that He frequently used these themes to inspire repentance and faithfulness.
Different rewards based upon our faithfulness
It is striking that although ten servants were each given a mina—equivalent to about 3 months' wages—only three responses are recorded. These responses illustrate the three different ways God will judge us based on how we have used what He has entrusted to us. Notice that His responses vary; He does not judge everyone the same way. Faithfulness matters to God. Like the individuals in the parable, each of us will receive one of three possible responses from Jesus when He returns.
1. Great Reward
The first servant is an example of great faithfulness, and he receives a great reward. He diligently invested what was entrusted to him and saw it multiply tenfold. True success is not about how much we have but about our faithfulness with what God has given us, no matter how small.
2. Lesser Reward
The second servant also increases his minas, though only by fifty percent. He is rewarded but to a lesser degree than the first. He has been faithful, but perhaps distractions, fear, discouragement, or periods of spiritual struggle limited his fruitfulness. Yet, he still receives a commendation and reward.
3. Great loss and ‘condemnation’
The last servant in The Parable of the Minas offers a sobering lesson. Gripped by fear and a distorted view of the king’s character, he fails to act on what was entrusted to him. His excuse—“I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man…”—exposes a contradiction: he did not even act in accordance with what he claimed to believe. Likewise, many who appear religious and respectable may not truly know Jesus. Their fear and inaction reveal an absence of faith, and as a result, this servant is not only reprimanded but, as seen in the parallel Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:30), ultimately cast out from the king’s presence.
This warning comes in the context of Zacchaeus' transformation, where Jesus declares, “Salvation has come to this house” because Zacchaeus repents and his life is changed. This parable does not teach salvation by faithfulness but rather salvation through Jesus and faith in His finished work. However, true salvation is always accompanied by a radical love for God and a life devoted to His service.
A Call to Faith and Obedience
This is written to inspire faith and obedience. Do we know Jesus? If we hide our light, hide our faith, misuse our gifts and wealth, how can we say that we know Jesus?
Prayer and Reflection
Do I see God as harsh and distant, or have I experienced His gracious love through Christ?
Am I investing my gifts and resources because I love God and want others to know Him?
Do I need to ‘dig up’ my gifts and start putting them to work with fresh expectation?
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together.
Balanced Time Allocation - Please ensure a balanced focus on discussion, SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite), and prayer so that each section is meaningful and fruitful.
On Sunday, we explored Luke 19:11-27, where Jesus, building on Zacchaeus' example of wholehearted repentance and response, emphasises the call to unwavering devotion. Through the Parable of the Minas, He challenges and inspires us to renew our commitment to Him in every aspect of life.
Please read Luke 19:11-27 and discuss:
1. Is Jesus your king?
Take a moment to explain the reason for your answer.
2. Can you list the specific ways that you have been entrusted with resources (e.g. skills, time, finances, passions, spiritual gifts, opportunities) that have been given to you by God?
Take a moment to write as many of these down as come to mind.
Take another moment to share your answers with one another.
3. Do you feel you are investing what Jesus has given you or hiding it in a handkerchief?
What does that look like in practice? (i.e. How do you / can you multiply what God has given you?)
Do you feel you are actively involved in making disciples?
4. Are you prepared for Jesus to return at any moment?
Take a moment to explain the reason for your answer.
SIV (Serve, Invest, and Invite)
Mission inspiration from the text - What does this passage reveal about Jesus’ mission and our role in it?
Share Stories – Have you had any recent experiences of Serving, Investing, or Inviting someone toward Jesus? Let’s encourage one another.
Practical Next Steps – Who is God putting on your heart to reach? Spend some time discussing and praying for those you regularly engage with, including any ‘people of peace’ in your life.
Let’s pray together:
Let’s pray for one another based on our study, and bring before God any other needs or requests for prayer.
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