The Gospel According to Luke 19:11-28
While the people were listening to this he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God was going to show itself then and there. Accordingly, he said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to be appointed king and then return. He summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds, telling them, ‘Trade with these, until I get back.’ But his compatriots detested him and sent a delegation to follow him with this message, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ Now it happened that on his return, having received his appointment as king, he sent for those servants to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made by trading. The first came in. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘your one pound has brought in ten.’ He replied, ‘Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself trustworthy in a very small thing, you shall have the government of ten cities.’ Then came the second. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘your one pound has made five.’ To this one also he said, ‘And you shall be in charge of five cities.’ Next came the other. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘here is your pound. I put it away safely wrapped up in a cloth because I was afraid of you; for you are an exacting man: you gather in what you have not laid out and reap what you have not sown.’ He said to him, ‘You wicked servant! Out of your own mouth I condemn you. So, you knew that I was an exacting man, gathering in what I have not laid out and reaping what I have not sown? Then why did you not put my money in the bank? On my return I could have drawn it out with interest.’ And he said to those standing by, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the man who has ten pounds.’ And they said to him, ‘But, sir, he has ten pounds.’ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has will be given more; but anyone who has not will be deprived even of what he has. As for my enemies who did not want me for their king, bring them here and execute them in my presence.’” When he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
Reflection: We just finished our elections for this year. Did your choice win? Or were they defeated? Was it by a large margin or was it a tight race? And if your candidate lost, how did you feel afterwards? Were you angry or did you brag about it to your friends or anyone you ran into on the streets or at work? Last question, how or will you support this newly elected representative, even if they were not your choice? I grew up with the teaching that in an election, that one should vote for the best qualified person for the position based on their platform and their history in government or working history. There is also a certain amount of trust given to those who serve as well as verifying their performance.
In today’s parable, Jesus tells us the story of this very thing, ‘Trust and Verify’. The King trusted his servants with money, to see how well they could invest, wisely, and quickly to reap the rewards of a handsome profit.
Our King, Jesus Christ, is entrusting in us through His prophets and His teachings, that each one of us will share with others the rewards awaiting us in heaven. How many can each one of us enlighten through our examples of God’s love and compassion. We were given the ‘pounds’ through our baptism, priest, prophet and king. Now is the time for us to reap the rewards of our efforts for the glory of God.
Action of the day: Do you know who in your parish are going through the R.C.I.A. program? We just celebrated the Rite of Welcoming to those wanting to be part of our Catholic faith. Find out ‘who’ these beautiful people are and welcome them on their faith journey and offer them your support for them in your prayers.
Audio Reflection:
Very well put, George. Thank you for sharing.