And he said to them that stood by: Take the pound away from him and give it to him that hath ten pounds.
και τοις παρεστωσιν ειπεν αρατε απ αυτου την μναν και δοτε τω τας δεκα μνας εχοντι
6 Church Fathers comment on this verse
He instructed the ministering angels regarding those who were to come, saying to take the mina from the man and give it to the one who possesses ten minas. He declared to remove the gift of teaching from him and bestow it as a supplementary reward upon the individual with ten minas.
The latter took no actions in this regard, and the abundant gifts originally bestowed upon him were eventually withdrawn. Those who have been graced yet fail to allow that grace to flourish within them, effectively depriving themselves, will first have the grace revoked at God's judgement, leading them into darkness. What constitutes spiritual life and how can one align with it? The gifts of God are said to be unchanging—are they really? If these gifts require a commitment to surrender oneself to God and His divine commands, and if this relationship can shift based on human freedom, it cannot be confidently asserted that God's gifts are indeed immutable. Due to a breach of this commitment, they can be reclaimed. What verdict awaits one who receives a mina but does not invest it?
'Take the mina from him.' This same judgement applies to a believer found unfaithful in any aspect of their belief. While faith is a gift, it is neither unconditional nor instant. The gift of faith is preceded by an individual's own sincere desire for faith and a willingness to submit the mind to it. It is undeniable that faith, in its capacity as a gift, is potent and transcendent; however, it does not constrain the mind's freedom. The mind may resist, conjure distractions, and subsequently draw the will, heart, and entire self into a state of suspension. In such cases, where can faith's gift reside? It departs or is withdrawn. All throughout history, there have been experiences of such losses. Can we truly declare faith to be inalienable? In fact, we cannot affirm the inalienability of anything, including grace, as though it were bound by a fatal necessity. Grace operates in partnership with freedom and requires the self-willed obedience of that freedom. Should that condition vanish, grace will likewise cease to function. Furthermore, the assertion that the grace of redemption is inalienable is also misleading. The grace of redemption is present only as long as faith thrives and the fervor to abide by that faith remains, keeping individuals in a continuous state of self-denial for the Lord, thereby uniting them with the Lord’s cross. Should faith and such fervor diminish—an event possible for any free creature—the grace of redemption will also withdraw. St. Paul notes that it is conceivable for someone who has believed and received redemption to also trample upon the blood of redemption and crucify the Redeemer anew: how, then, can the grace of redemption survive in such circumstances? Therefore, it is unjust to deem it inalienable.
Having made clear the true nature of His actions to those who held animosity toward Him, and recognizing that as they approached Jerusalem, the thoughts of the people and His disciples were increasingly consumed by the prospect of the establishment of His kingdom, the Lord sought to offer His disciples an additional warning. To ensure that His message would resonate more deeply, He chose to convey it through a parable.
In this parable, He communicated several truths to temper their expectations: that upon reaching Jerusalem, He would face significant challenges to the establishment of His kingdom; that He would therefore need to depart from that city and return later to confront the opposition of His adversaries and to establish His reign; and that, in the interim, His apostles should not be idle, passively awaiting the arrival of the Messiah’s kingdom as if it would manifest without their effort, but rather actively engage in advancing the interests of this kingdom.
In this parable, more explicitly than in similar teachings, the Lord indicated His ascension to heaven, His glorification, and His eventual return in judgment upon His people to fully unveil His kingdom. It tells of a wealthy man who travels to a distant realm to secure from a powerful ruler the authority to govern his land, later returning with the title of king. Through this figure, the Savior clearly represented Himself—His ascension to reign in heaven and His eventual return to judge those Jews who rejected Him and did not desire His rule.
To emphasize the need for the apostles’ sustained effort, it was pointed out in the parable that the man entrusted each of ten servants with a mina while he went to court. Upon his return, he rewarded each according to their success in utilizing their mina by granting them a corresponding number of cities to oversee; however, one servant who failed to use his mina was stripped of everything.
The reason Jesus Christ conveyed the parable of the minas is explained by the Evangelist: at that moment, He was preparing to resume His journey to Jerusalem, which had been interrupted by His visit to Zacchaeus. Many surrounding Him believed this would be His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to establish the Messiah's kingdom. The intent of the parable is to illustrate that before Jesus manifests His kingdom, He will first affirm His kingship. Christ will unveil His kingdom in all its radiant glory, yet this will be met with a rejection from His own people. During this period, a distinction will arise between Him and His followers, prompting everyone to wisely utilize the gifts of grace bestowed upon them to ready themselves for the Lord's return.
This return will usher in a magnificent revelation of His kingdom of glory, marked by a universal judgment wherein the diligent will be rewarded, the slothful will face punishment, and those who once failed to acknowledge Him as King will be cast into eternal torment. The parable draws its imagery from the political landscape in Judea at that time, which was under Roman governance. Initially, it was ruled by its own kings with the consent of the Roman authorities, requiring new royal figures to sometimes travel to Rome for confirmation. Archelaus, following the death of Herod the Great, exemplified this when he sought validation from Rome. However, the Jewish people did not wish to have him as their monarch due to his cruel disposition, akin to that of his father, and dispatched a delegation to Rome requesting that he not be confirmed in his royal position.
The message should not be interpreted in a literal sense, meaning the affluent will simply receive more while the impoverished lose what little they possess; the focus here is not on material possessions. The act of removing the talent from the unproductive servant and granting it to the industrious servant illustrates the final judgment’s consequences: the punishment for the former and the reward for the latter. Any removal of abilities or gifts occurs within a person's earthly existence. A person’s skills and understanding grow and develop through diligent application. Conversely, when left unused, these gifts diminish and fade away as if taken from him.
Therefore, those who diligently apply the knowledge bestowed upon them by God will find that their efforts yield much more than what they initially possessed, while the slothful will, through their own inaction, lose even what they have been given.
As both the crowds surrounding Him and His disciples maintained the misguided belief that the kingdom of God would soon be unveiled in a physical sense in Jerusalem, Christ illustrated this with a cautionary parable about 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 historical event for the Jews—specifically, Archelaus's journey to Rome following the death of his father Herod the Great, where he sought royal authority from the emperor. Prior to his departure, he entrusted a mina of silver to his servants, instructing them to manage it until he returned.
Despite the resistance from many in his homeland, he successfully acquired the kingdom, and upon his return, he rewarded both his loyal servants and his adversaries based on their faithfulness and actions. However, one negligent servant failed to invest the mina he had been given, choosing instead to hide it away and presenting it back to his master along with a disrespectful accusation of cruelty. Consequently, this servant's mina was taken from him and given to one of the most diligent and faithful servants, who received ample rewards for his stewardship. Those citizens who opposed his rule were subsequently captured and executed. The lessons of this parable are manifold: they hint at the impending departure of Christ the Savior from the world; they reflect the animosity faced during His rejection; they emphasize the importance of fidelity in managing what has been entrusted to Him; they underline the uncertainty surrounding His return; they assure that all will be held accountable upon His coming; they warn against laziness; they celebrate the generous rewards for those who serve Him faithfully; and they foretell the ultimate fate of those who refuse to accept Him. This parable is further elaborated in the account of Matthew 25. For context on Archelaus, refer to Matthew 2:22.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 16 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS