Posted by Chester Morton / Friday 24 March 2017 / No comments
The parable of the pounds
According to Luke, Jesus told the
people this particular parable because he was near Jerusalem and because the
people were thinking that he had come to establish the kingdom immediately.
The parable went like this: a
nobleman traveled to a far away country to go and receive a kingdom and come
back. He called ten servants and gave them ten pounds to start a trading
business till he came back. His citizens, who hated him, sent a message ahead
of him, saying they did not want him as their king.
The nobleman returned with the kingdom
and summoned his servants so as to go through the accounts with them to determine
how much profit they had made in his absence. The first one said he traded with
the pounds and made ten pounds and the nobleman gave him authority over ten
cities because he was faithful in a little. The second one came and said he
used the money in business and made a profit of five pounds. The nobleman gave
him authority over five cities because he was faithful in a little.
The third servant told the nobleman
that he was afraid of him (the nobleman) because he was a wicked person who reaps
where he does not sow therefore he kept his money in a napkin. Then the servant
gave the pounds to the nobleman. The nobleman rebuked this servant, saying if
he knew he was a wicked man who reaped where he does not sow; he should have
kept his pounds in the bank so that when he came back, he would have made some
gains on it.
The nobleman asked those who were
standing by to take the pounds from him and give it to the man who had ten
pounds. When the people complained that he already had ten pounds, the nobleman
said those who had shall more be added to and those who have not, the little
they have shall be taken away.
The he said they should bring those
who hated him, who did not want him to rule over them. Then he instructed that
they must be killed before him.
In the parable, the nobleman represented
Jesus and the servants represented the Christians. In the parable, Jesus was
trying to tell them that the kingdom was not to be immediately established;
rather it was going to be established in the very distant future. His parable
was to advise them that as they wait for the second coming, they should engage
in work that would profit them. Work such as to preach to people about the
gospel and to bring them to the kingdom of God.
SAMPLE QUESTIONS
1. Narrate the parable of the
pounds.
