April 7 | Luke 19:11-27

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DAILY READING

Luke 19:11-27

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REFLECTION

Time as God's Gift

By Dave Mann

I really appreciate this Parable of the Minas.  I have come to value this text, especially through employing the principle of interpreting Scripture with Scripture.

Comparing the Parable of the Mina (Luke 19:11-27) with the Parable of the Bags of Gold (Matthew 25:14-30), we see these two parables have several similarities but are not identical.  In both parables, the master invests certain sums of wealth into the hands of his servants.  He charges the servants “to put his money to work.”  Then, he leaves for a time.  When he returns, he considers what the servants have done to put their master’s wealth to work.  In both parables, the third servant had done nothing to increase the master’s wealth and he was harshly scolded for lack of action.

However, there are also key differences between these two parables.  In Matthew 25, the servants were entrusted with varying amounts of wealth based on their ability.  One received five bags of gold, another two bags, and the third only one.  This distribution reflects what we see in life.  Some people naturally have greater possibilities – wealth, abilities, connection with sources of opportunity.

In Luke 19, all ten servants received the same amount – one mina.  (A mina was worth about three months’ wages.)  We are told of the yield of two of the servants.  One produced ten additional minas; another produced five.  But one servant was afraid and only hid the master’s money, awaiting the master’s return with nothing additional produced during that time.

It is easy to nod in agreement with the set-up in Matthew 25 that people are naturally endowed with varying possibilities in life.  But what is it, as in Luke 19, that all of us receive equal amounts of?  We all receive the same amount of time – 24 hours per day.  Whether rich or poor, very talented or of modest skill, well-connected or unknown by the societal shakers and movers, we all receive 24 hours per day – no more, no less.  Time is a gift from God.  It belongs to him.  What do we do with that gift of grace?  One day there will be an accounting.  For now, the Holy Spirit is available to lead us in the path of effective use of the Lord’s time which he has entrusted to us.

Here are additional Scriptures in which the Lord can give us perspective on the gift of time – Ecclesiastes 3:1-11; Colossians 4:5-6; Ephesians 5:15-16.

PRAYER

Holy Spirit, thank you for the gift of 24 hours every day.  Please awaken my mind throughout the day, as you cause my path to cross with others’.  Help me to invest my hours appropriately with the opportunities you bring my way, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

DAVE MANN

I am a Pastor for Internationals (retired) in the UALC community. I am married to Pam, father of four, and grandfather of six. Pam and I have lived twenty of our years in other countries including France, Cameroon, Haiti, and Morocco. In retirement, we enjoy writing devotionals, learning languages, and teaching English to internationals.

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