Trusting and Entrusting with Trust and Love
Luke 19:11 ¶ 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.
Luke 19:12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
Luke 19:13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
Luke 19:14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
Luke 19:15 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.
We usually read this parable and focus on the ten servants and what they did with what the master gave them. And that’s good.
But did you notice the people they are overseeing? The citizens hated that man. They hated him enough to send a delegation to the master and say “We don’t want this man to rule us.”
Wow!
So not only is this guy going to be a faithful steward of the master, he’s going to be doing it all with people that hate him. Jesus never addresses this or includes it in the explanation of the parable, but He certainly threw it in there on purpose.
I think it’s in there to give us some sympathy and to take away our excuses, depending on where we fall in this.
If we are being led by others, it is still their task to lead us, whether we’re jerks or saints. And if we are leaders, we are leading, whether it’s a herd of horses or a herd of donkeys.
And the steward still succeeded. They still made an increase to what the master entrusted to them. Whatever they had to work with, the master trusted them. And in the end, the master called them to account for what they had.
There are a thousand pastel-colored curios that say things like “you can’t change your circumstances but you can change your attitude” but they say it cuter and probably rhyme. They probably say it in the papyrus font, too.
They’re not wrong. (Ok, cheesy, but not wrong.)
When God entrusts us with something, He doesn’t make a mistake. He’s not uninformed like so many worldly managers that we may encounter. He knows exactly what He’s giving us to work with, and the state of our hearts to accomplish His purpose.
So if you find yourself herding donkeys and you think you should be a cowboy, don’t be sad. The Lord knows the things that He has entrusted to you, and He trusts you. You can trust Him to help you out and be with you as you move along together.
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