THE NOBLEMAN AND HIS SERVANTS

 

The setting was on the way to Jerusalem where Jesus meets Zakkai (Zacchaeus). Zakkai`s life is transformed by Jesus. The people following Jesus are upset that the Rabbi is defiling himself by keeping company with ‘sinners’. They are following this Rabbi to Jerusalem because they were in expectation that the messiah will be enthroned and overturn the oppression surrounding them. They expected liberation from Roman slavery. They expected to live in God’s kingdom once again. Jesus then gives them this parable. He gives them God’s expectation. The parable tells the people of a nobleman who is to be crowned king in a far off land. He then makes preparation for his kingdom when he returns. He gives his servants a great sum of money (around 30 months wages), with instructions to invest while he is away. Some, hated this nobleman and made it known that they were opposed to his kingship. When the newly crowned king returns, he immediately assesses his finances, asking what returns his investments have yielded. The servants varied in their management of his investment. However, he lauds the servants who brought back yield but harshly dealt with the ‘lazy’, wicked servant. The servant who brought in the highest yield was given the investment the lazy servant was given. The other servants were shocked by this. He’s already got so much! And Jesus responds, ‘everyone who has something will be given more, but from everyone who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away. ‘ Jesus then responded to the countrymen that opposed the nobleman’s authority, they would be executed in his presence.

 

When I finished my Theological degree, I was faced with a dilemma. How am I going to serve God? This passage weighed heavily on me. I realised there was a huge need out there but I needed to use my skills wisely to get the highest yield possible. Many were encouraging me to take up the ministry in Singapore or Malaysia. But, when Jesus visited Zakkai, the people were critical of Him visiting a sinner. Jesus response was, ‘For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost’.

I felt God was telling me that I would best fulfil His plans for me by working with those who were in need. And I opted to take up nursing. God had already prepared my path by giving me a share of my grandfather’s property. My family never expected it because my uncles and aunts never helped us in seriously difficult times. But God had plans for me. I used this to travel to the UK to do my training.

When God gives us an investment, we are expected to produce the yield He expects of us. He is preparing His kingdom and we are to be using all our skills, knowledge, talents, resources and time to ensure we get the greatest yield out of our potential. He is generous to those who produce the highest yield. He also deals with those who do not produce any yield. This servant did not steal from the nobleman but he did not prepare his kingdom either. What he had was taken away!

I was very much affected by this, I didn’t want to be in that position. God wants me to prepare His Kingdom and I needed to use my potential wisely. I do get lazy sometimes and I do forget this parable, but God tends to remind me along the way.

As for those who opposed the King, God will deal with them in His presence. Our work is to decrease the amount of souls that oppose God.