As Jesus entered Jericho in Luke 19, Zacchaeus—a short man—climbed a tree to get a better view of Him. Jesus saw him and said, “Zacchaeus, come down, I want to stay at your house.” Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus in. The crowds grumbled because Zacchaeus was a known sinner.

Jesus declared that salvation had come to this house. He came to seek and save the lost. Zacchaeus showed a changed heart. Unlike the rich, young ruler, this man offered to give up half his possessions and pay back quadruple to anyone he had ever defrauded. That’s a true example of repentance and transformation.

The Parable of the Minas: 

What Are We Doing With What We’ve Been Given?

My big takeaway from this chapter came from the story Jesus told next—the Parable of the Minas. The crowd assumed that God’s kingdom would appear immediately. They were looking for the King of the Jews to rise up and overthrow the political system. Even after His ascension, many believed His second coming would happen within their lifetime. This article by The Gospel Coalition explores that question further: Did Jesus Say He’d Return within His Disciples’ Lifetimes?

But Jesus tells a story—one we need to include in our eschatological view of the second coming. The parables of Jesus are golden nuggets of truth that tend to show us who we are in light of the Kingdom of Heaven. In this parable, a man of noble birth goes away to a distant country to receive a kingdom and then returns. While he’s gone, he entrusts his servants with a unit of currency—a mina—to do business with. He expected a return on what he gave them.

Some did well. One servant earned ten more and was put in charge of many things. Another made five. But the third servant wrapped his mina in a cloth and hid it away. When the Master returned and asked for an account, he said, “I was afraid of you, because you’re a hard man.”

Jesus’ most basic point: what we do with what we’ve been given matters.

The one who buried the mina was called a wicked servant. His mina was taken and given to the one who earned ten. This echoes what we saw earlier in Luke 16—if someone can be trusted in a tiny matter, they can be trusted with more. But if they’re unfaithful with little things, they won’t be faithful in greater ones either.

It’s also a theme found in Matthew’s Gospel, in the parable of the talents (also called the parable of the bags of gold), and again with the idea of the worthless slave who squandered the Master’s money. These different parables share a clear thread: faithful servants will be rewarded, while unfaithful ones will face consequences.

Time, Talent, Treasure: 

What’s In Your Hands?

We’re all stewards of the God-given resources that He’s entrusted to us.  That includes our time, our talents, and yes—even our treasures. This is not about material wealth, but about being good stewards of the resources God has given us. 

We’ve each been given different spiritual gifts and roles: wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, prophecy, discernment, service, and administration —all working together as parts of the body for the work of the kingdom (1 Corinthians 12).

And while Jesus is away—on an extended trip, preparing a place for us—we’re not called to sit idle. He said, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself” (John 14:23). That’s the second coming. And in the meantime, we’re to do business with what He gave us. We don’t serve an earthly kingdom, but we do serve in the one that is coming.

What We Do with His Resources Matters

The end of Luke chapter 19 continues with Jesus’ descent of the Mount of Olives—the triumphal entry. It mirrors Matthew 21. The Pharisees, offended by the praise Jesus was receiving, wanted Him to silence His disciples. But He said, “If these are silent, even the rocks will cry out.”

He then wept over Jerusalem. He spoke of what would happen to those who missed the time of His visitation. Later, He drove out the money changers in the temple and said, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a robbers’ den.” The message is consistent: What we do with His house, His Word, His resources—it all matters.

Call to Action: 

What’s In Your Hands?

Take some time today to reflect. What spiritual gifts has God given you? Not sure? Try a Spiritual Gifts Inventory to help identify them. What time do you have to grow those gifts? What kind of talents can you invest in God’s work? And what about treasure—the monetary unit you’ve been entrusted with—how can it serve the kingdom?

God expects faithful service from each of us, according to our own ability, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Just like in the parable, each servant had the opportunity to do something valuable. This is about wise stewardship, not comparison.

Jesus didn’t come to condemn, but to save. He came for the lost, not the found—the sinner, not the self-righteous. Every parable builds on that reality. He’s the shepherd searching for His sheep. The host of the feast invites all who will come. And some people, like those originally invited to the feast, will decline. But others—those in need—will take their place at the table. So use what you have to go find them!

Final Thought:

Faithfulness starts with the little things. Whether you’ve been entrusted with a lot of money or just a small amount, it’s not the number that matters—it’s whether you’re putting it to good use. Are you being a good servant? I’m asking myself ALL of these same questions!

Whether you identify with the first servant, the last, or somewhere in between, the Master will return. And when He does, may we be found among the faithful servants, doing the work of the kingdom in our generation.