Luke 19: Living fearlessly

The parable of the ten minas ought to be a wake-up call for those of us who tend to be a bit timid in living the Christian life.

Jesus tells the story of a nobleman who gives 10 of his servants each a mina, a rather large chunk of money, to do business with while he was away.

When the nobleman returns, one servant reports that he has made 10 more minas with his mina. And his master replies, "Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities" (19:17).

Then another servant comes forward, saying, "Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man" (19:20-21). Suffice it to say, the nobleman isn't quite so pleased with him. He commands: "Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas" (19:24).

Like the nobleman with his servants, Christ expects us to be bold, diligent, and fruitful in our lives as Christians. We must use the resources and opportunities he has given us to do his work, and to do it well. We can't just hang back, whether out of self-satisfaction, indifference, or fear.

The latter servant was too scared to take a risk with his mina. Therefore he was unprofitable. As Christians, we must overcome our own fears and insecurities and act boldly in Christ's name, lest we go before him one day with nothing to show for our lives.

(Image: Rembrandt, "The Parable of the Talents," 1652)