Occupy Until...Намуна

As we continue the parable we started reading yesterday, we see how each servant exercised the practice of occupying.

Luke 19:15-24 (ESV) tells us that when the nobleman returned, three of the ten servants came forward to share how they took care of his business while he was away, here is what he finds:

The first servant was given ten minas and made ten more minas The nobleman was pleased (verses 16-17).

The second servant was given ten minas and made five more minas The nobleman was pleased (verses 18-19).

However, a third servant who was given ten minas had not increased or decreased it. The nobleman was very unhappy with this. The servant's logical, yet demeaning reasoning as to why he had done nothing with it made matters worse, and he paid a high penalty for it (verses 20-24).

As a reminder, all three of these servants had the same instructions and opportunities.

As we see with the first two servants, the nobleman was pleased with how they multiplied the minas. I want you to think of minas as your time, talents, and treasures which we have all been given. And I would dare to say that when we choose to use them to advance the kingdom of God and fulfill the assignment given to us by Him, we are being good stewards of what we have been given.

I often wonder what the first servant did differently from the second servant that made his increase of minas greater. I'm only speculating here, but what if the second servant found himself along the path of being preoccupied and busy and wasn't immediately working to increase the investment given to him by the nobleman? However, along the journey, like with Zacchaeus, the second servant recalled his assignment to invest his minas (i.e. time, talents, and treasure) before the nobleman returned, and got back on track which ultimately pleased God.

Something to consider.

Now for the final servant. As we read, the last servant didn’t invest at all. He chose to remain idle, comfortable, and unfruitful. This might be like a person whose gifts are used only for personal advancement, growth, or lifestyle preferences. Like Zacchaeus until he met Jesus. They allow fear, anxiousness, false beliefs, and other factors (see verse 21) to hinder their obedience to God ultimately having nothing to show for the time, talent, and treasure they were given.

The nobleman, who represents God, made it very clear how he felt about that servant. The same is true about us if we choose to be idle and self-focused, like the third servant.

Here is what I want you to know, to occupy is to take what you have been given by God and multiply it for His glory. Your gifts, talents, and abilities can be used in the marketplace, the ministry, the store, or the streets but should ultimately be used to serve God and advance His Kingdom.

Why would Jesus share the story of the parable right after the encounter with Zacchaeus? I believe one of the many reasons is to show us that occupying won’t always require us to change our occupation, but it always requires us to change our outlook. If we don’t, we will end up just like the third servant. It’s not too late to start occupying, so let’s begin today!

If you enjoyed this reading plan by Rachel G. Scott, you'll love the complementary resource she created called The ‘UNTIL’ Checklist:15 Practical Ways to Occupy Until the Lord Returns. Grab your copy HERE.