The Parable of the Minas The Kingdom of God

Introduction In Luke 19:11-27, Jesus offers a parable of the kingdom addressing the issues of misunderstanding, insubordination, and accountability. May our study lead to better understanding, humble submission to the will of God, and acceptance of personal responsibility.

Misunderstanding the Kingdom Many have a flawed understanding of the nature of the kingdom. Even at the end of His ministry, many of those who listened to Christ supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately (Luke 19:11).

Misunderstanding the Kingdom In a sense, this was true. Preaching a message of repentance, John the Baptist, Jesus Christ and the apostles all taught, “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:5-7). Our Lord repeatedly affirmed, “There are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” (Matt. 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27). After the day of Pentecost, the kingdom of God is presented as a present reality (Col. 1:13-14; 4:10-11; Rev. 1:6, 9).

Misunderstanding the Kingdom Unfortunately, the Jewish people expected the Messianic kingdom to be a physical, earthly dominion (John 6:14-15). In the modern era, many believers make the same mistake. Jesus repeatedly sought to correct these misconceptions (Luke 17:20-21; John 18:33-38; Acts 1:6-8).

Rejecting the Kingdom Manifesting a spirit of rebellion, many resist and reject the rule of God (Luke 19:12-14, 27).

Rejecting the Kingdom Such defiance is prophetically foreshadowed in Psalms 2, where earthly kings/rulers take their stand against the Lord and His Anointed (Christ), saying, “Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!” (vv. 1-3).

Rejecting the Kingdom It is also observed in sinful man’s negative reaction to the preaching of the gospel (Acts 13:5-12; Gal. 4:12-20; Phil. 3:18-19). Many today demonstrate the same rebellious spirit.

Responsibility in the Kingdom Many discount the importance of personal responsibility (Luke 19:12-13, 16-26; Matt. 25:14-30).

What is a mina?” To better understand the Lord’s message, we must ask, “What is a mina?” The Greek word mna, translated “mina,” referred to a Greek monetary unit equal to 100 drachmas [Thomas 3414]. Found only in this parable, this word occurs 9x in 6 verses (Luke 19:13, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25).

What is a drachma?” What was the value of a single drachma? Generally speaking, in NT times, a drachma equaled a day’s wages. In the parable of the lost coin, Jesus referred to a woman who evidenced concern over the loss of just one drachma (Luke 15:8-10).

Responsibility in the Kingdom God entrusts each of us with various objects of considerable value (our souls, talents, time, opportunity, influence, etc.). The key requirement of stewardship is that one be found trustworthy (1 Cor. 4:2).

Faithfulness vs Unfaithfulness Determining whether an individual is able to handle greater responsibility is based upon how they handle lesser responsibility (Luke 19:16-17). This lesson is emphasized elsewhere, especially in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:20-21, 22-23) and the parable of the unrighteous steward (Luke 16:10-12). Similarly, one who is unfaithful, even in a few things, demonstrates weakness of character, and stands in need of repentance (Rev. 2:12-17, esp. vs. 15-16).

God is All-Powerful The Lord delegates responsibility to servants and subordinates. God is Omnipotent (All-Powerful), Omniscient (All-Knowing), and Omnipresent (Ever-Present). If He so chose, God could have accomplished His eternal purpose entirely apart from human agency. After all, the physical creation was accomplished by God alone (Gen. 1:1-5; Ps. 33:6-9). In the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdom of God would be greater than any earthly dominion, and is likened to a stone that was cut out of the mountain without hands (Dan. 2:31-35, 44-45, esp. vv. 34 & 45).

Yet, God Employs Us Although God doesn’t need us, nevertheless, He employs us in accomplishing His cause. Consider how craftsmen and parents provide training and guidance. What a glorious privilege to be thus used in the service of the Lord (Acts 13:1-3; 14:24-28; Eph. 3:1-13).

Conclusion Having studied Luke 19:11-27, hopefully we have a greater appreciation of the dangers of ignorance, rebellion, and slothfulness. May we continually grow in spiritual understanding. May we humbly submit to the Lord’s will. May we eagerly embrace our various responsibilities.