New Insight on the Parable of the Ten Gold Coins

While people were listening to Jesus speak,
he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem
and they thought that the Kingdom of God
would appear there immediately.
So he said,
“A nobleman went off to a distant country
to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins
and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’
His fellow citizens, however, despised him
and sent a delegation after him to announce,
‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,
he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,
to learn what they had gained by trading.
The first came forward and said,
‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’
He replied, ‘Well done, good servant!
You have been faithful in this very small matter;
take charge of ten cities.’
Then the second came and reported,
‘Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.’
And to this servant too he said,
‘You, take charge of five cities.’
Then the other servant came and said,
‘Sir, here is your gold coin;
I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,
for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;
you take up what you did not lay down
and you harvest what you did not plant.’
He said to him,
‘With your own words I shall condemn you,
you wicked servant.
You knew I was a demanding man,
taking up what I did not lay down
and harvesting what I did not plant;
why did you not put my money in a bank?
Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.’
And to those standing by he said,
‘Take the gold coin from him
and give it to the servant who has ten.’
But they said to him,
‘Sir, he has ten gold coins.’
He replied, ‘I tell you,
to everyone who has, more will be given,
but from the one who has not,
even what he has will be taken away.
Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,
bring them here and slay them before me.’”

After he had said this,
he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem. (Luke 19: 11-28)

Father David Engo recently preached a homily on Jesus' parable of the 10 gold coins. Here are some highlights.

This parable falls between Jesus' visit to Zacchaeus the tax collector and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. In this parable, Jesus is preparing his apostles for what is going to happen to him in Jerusalem.

The parable talks about a nobleman who went to a distant country to be proclaimed king. The people did not want him to be king and even sent a delegation with this news. This prepared the apostles for the rejection of Christ in front of Pilate when the people called out, "We have no king but Caesar."

Jesus warned that, on his return, the had his enemies brought in and slain before him. This was a warning to those who rejected Him.

Before leaving his homeland, the noblemen called 10 servants and gave each of them a gold coin. He asked them to invest it until he returned. 

Father David suggested thinking of the 10 gold coins as 10 vocations in life. Each person is given one of those coins. These vocations are:
Bishop
priest
deacon
religious
hermit
monk or nun
mendicant
virgin
married laity
single laity

Jesus expects a full return on the vocation that we have received. Since we do not know when He is coming, we need to be prepared for whenever He arrives for He is coming for each of us when we do not expect. He is looking to see if we have done well with what He has given us. Jesus is looking for a sacrifice of total surrender to His love, and he is a most ardent lover who wants all of our affection. He is calling for total surrender to Himself, a complete investment of the gold coin entrusted to us. Are we ready to give back to him, not just what He gave us but our gift wisely used to evangelize the world?