Jesus the Employer

Luke 19.11-27

One of the last roles that we think about is Jesus's role as an employer. In Scripture, he is mostly portrayed as lord or savior, but in this passage, he is portrayed as an employer.

Jesus tells a parable because he knows that people have false expectations about who he is and his plans. They think that Jesus's kingdom would be established immediately. Therefore, the parable talks about a nobleman who represents Jesus and who needs to go to a "far country." Furthermore in this parable, all of the citizens hate this nobleman. All of this describes some of the reasons why it is difficult to live a Christian life. We also have false expectations about how God should work; we also live in an environment that is constantly hostile toward Jesus Christ; and the return of Christ feels like it is far away.

The point of the parable is that the best way to wait for the return of Christ is to be faithful stewards. The nobleman gives minas to his servants of various amounts (a mina is a way to measure money). Some of his servants are faithful and are able to multiple their minas. In response, the nobleman is greatly pleased so he gives them even authority over cities. However, there is one servant who does not do anything with his assigned minas because he had a distorted view of the nobleman's character. in response, the nobleman is greatly offended and has him (and those who hate him) slaughtered.

All of us who are in Christ have also been entrusted with minas. The passage doesn't specify what minas are exactly, but we know that they are things given to us so that we can be faithful with them. So they can be something as simple as our education, our family upbringing, or the jobs that we have. Or it can be something deeper: our individual strengths and gifts. Most importantly, however, is that they can represent our salvation and our relationship with Jesus: we actually know God in a loving way; we are in Christ; we have a new identity, purpose, joy, and peace in Christ. Whether our stewardship will be faithful or not does not depend on our work ethic or discipline; instead, it depends on how we perceive God (i.e., his character and the way he is involved in our lives).

Jesus, the employer, takes our stewardship very seriously. In many ways, you can say that he takes it personally. Our faithful stewardship will bless him deeply; but our lack of faithful stewardship will deeply offend him. As we wait for his return, there will be times where life and our minas are monotonous. But let us remember that Jesus is not only lord and savior, but he is also our employer as well.