And it came to pass that he returned, having received the kingdom: and he commanded his servants to be called, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading,
και εγενετο εν τω επανελθειν αυτον λαβοντα την βασιλειαν και OMIT και ειπεν φωνηθηναι αυτω τους δουλους τουτους οις εδωκεν το αργυριον ινα γνω τις τι διεπραγματευσατο
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When Christ, magnificent in both His human nature (for He is of a regal heritage) and His divine essence, returns at His second coming, He will manifest alongside the apostles as the King arriving in the glory of the Father. At that moment, every knee will bend before Him, and He will undoubtedly require an accounting from the servants who have been entrusted with His gifts.
They are favored and attain the inheritance designated for the holy ones. For when a noble individual, namely Christ, returns after having received the kingdom, they will be deserving of commendation and will rejoice in extraordinary honors.
Upon His return after obtaining the kingdom, this pertains to the Second Coming when He will arrive in immense power and splendor, taking His place on the throne of glory. He commanded the servants of those to whom He had entrusted the silver to be brought before Him, in order to discern the gains of each. At that time, He will reward every individual according to the actions they have performed while under His charge.
Meanwhile, mothers approached Him with their children seeking His blessings. For reasons not made clear, the disciples tried to prevent them from reaching Him. The Lord intervened, stating that those who wish to receive the honor of God's kingdom must possess a childlike spirit.
In revealing the true significance of His actions to those who bore animosity towards Him, the Lord observed that as they approached Jerusalem, the hopes of the people and His disciples were increasingly focused on the anticipated establishment of His kingdom. To further guide His disciples, He chose to express His message through a parable, aiming to temper their expectations.
This parable conveyed essential truths: in Jerusalem, He would face significant resistance to the realization of His kingdom; thus, He would need to leave the city temporarily before returning to confront His adversaries and to establish His reign; meanwhile, the apostles were to avoid passivity and should actively labor for the advancement of this kingdom rather than waiting idly for its arrival without their efforts.
In this parable, more distinctly than in similar teachings, the Lord depicted His ascension to heaven, His exaltation, and His eventual return in judgment for the full unveiling of His kingdom. It portrayed a wealthy man journeying to a far-off land to secure from a powerful ruler the authority to govern his nation, after which he would return as king. This figure symbolized the Savior, signifying His ascent from earth to reign in glory above and His return in judgment upon the Jewish people who rejected His sovereignty. To illustrate the imperative of the apostles' diligent work, the parable included the notion that the nobleman entrusted ten of his servants with a mina each to invest, and upon his return, he rewarded each according to their productivity with cities to govern, while one who failed to utilize his mina lost everything he had been given.
The rationale behind the parable of the minas presented by Jesus is addressed by the Evangelist: at that moment, Jesus was preparing to continue His journey to Jerusalem, which had been interrupted by His visit to Zacchaeus' home. Many among the crowd believed that this would be His majestic entrance into Jerusalem to establish the Messianic kingdom. The intention of the parable is to illustrate that prior to the manifestation of His kingdom, there will be a time of preparation. Jesus will unveil His kingdom in all its divine glory, yet there will be a rejection of His authority by His own people, creating a distinction between Him and His followers.
During this period, everyone must diligently utilize the gifts of grace entrusted to them, readying themselves for the Lord’s return; this return will entail a magnificent revelation of His glorious kingdom, accompanied by a universal judgment in which the faithful will be rewarded, the negligent punished, and the untrusting adversaries—who once failed to acknowledge the Lord as sovereign—will face eternal condemnation. This parable draws its imagery from the political climate of Judea at that time: Judea was under Roman dominion, initially governed by its own monarchs, but with the approval of the Roman authorities. For instance, Archelaus traveled to Rome after Herod the Great’s death to secure his position, yet the Jewish people, unwilling to accept him due to his tyrannical nature inherited from his father, dispatched a delegation to Rome requesting that he not be recognized as king.
Upon Christ's return to judge humanity, He will come back as the Sovereign of Heaven. He will require an accounting from His servants regarding the gifts granted to us. We will need to reveal the outcomes of our actions, specifically the good deeds we have accomplished and what we can offer to validate our lives.
As both the common folk and His disciples maintained the misguided belief that the kingdom of God would soon manifest in a tangible manner in Jerusalem, Christ shared a cautionary parable regarding a nobleman who “went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself and return” (Luke 19:12-27). This narrative drew upon a familiar event known to the Jews, specifically the journey of Archelaus to Rome after the passing of his father Herod the Great, where he sought the emperor's approval for kingship. Prior to his departure, he entrusted a mina of silver to his servants to manage in his absence.
Despite the resistance from various citizens, he ultimately received his kingdom, and upon returning, rewarded both his loyal subjects and those who opposed him based on their faithfulness and actions. One unproductive and disloyal servant chose to bury the mina entrusted to him instead of putting it to good use; upon returning it to his master alongside an unfitting complaint about his harshness, it was taken from him and awarded to the most faithful servant. The diligent servants were richly compensated, while the defiant citizens who resisted his rule faced severe consequences. This parable contains numerous implications: it foretold Christ's imminent departure from the world, illustrated the animosity He faced during His rejection, emphasized the importance of faithfulness in using what He has entrusted to us, pointed to the unpredictability of His return, assured that all would have to account for their actions, condemned laziness, promised great rewards for those who serve Him faithfully, and foretold the ultimate downfall of those who turn away from Him. Additional insights into this parable can be found in the interpretation presented in Matthew 25. Additionally, refer to Matthew 2:22 regarding Archelaus.
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Greek text, 24 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS