Scripture:
As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, 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. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
Luke 19:11-27
“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.
Revelation 22:12
Devotional Thought:
Jesus tells a second talent parable in Luke 19 — the Parable of the Minas — and the ending is the same as Matthew 25: faithful servants are entrusted with more. But here the master’s words add a specific and remarkable reward: “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.”
The servant who was faithful with one mina in an ordinary earthly assignment is given authority over ten cities in the coming kingdom. The work you do faithfully in this life — the unglamorous, unnoticed, underpaid, behind-the-scenes service — is preparation for something you cannot imagine. God does not waste faithful obedience. He multiplies it.
Jesus ends Revelation with a word that carries the whole story: “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” This is not a threat. It is the most motivating promise in the universe. The King who gave everything for us is coming back — and He is bringing a reward shaped by what we did with the life He gave us.
This reframes everything. The board meeting where you behaved with integrity when no one would have known. The marriage you fought for when giving up would have been easier. The child you prayed over for twenty years before you saw any fruit. The unreached neighbor you kept inviting. The tithe you kept giving when the finances were tight. None of it is lost. None of it is wasted. The Master is coming, and He is a generous rewarder of faithfulness.
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” These are the words that outlast every earthly achievement. The question isn’t whether we’ll hear them — it’s whether we’re living in a way that makes them possible.
Reflection Questions:
1. What would it change about how you live today if you genuinely believed that your faithful obedience — however small and unseen — is being kept and will be rewarded by God?
2. What “small matter” in your life right now might God be watching most closely for faithfulness?
Application:
Choose one area of your life where you’ve been tempted to cut corners or coast. Commit to full faithfulness in that area this week — not for recognition, but as an offering to the One who is coming.