Luke 19:11-27. This is Luke's telling of the parable of the talents (or here, ten pounds) and the servant who hid his allotment until the master returned. I am more used to hearing this as told by Matthew (Matthew 25:14-30 ), and it is Luke's little differences that I am noticing this morning.

First, Luke tells us that Jesus told this parable because "they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately." In other words, Jesus is telling them (and us) that there will be a long period while he is away, and it is our job to build his kingdom in his absence - we are not to sit around waiting for him to come and fix everything! He has entrusted each of us with talents and gifts that we are to use to build that kingdom. They are not just for us to enjoy for ourselves, or share with those we love, or to make money, or to be hidden away out of fear, they are to be used in whatever way we can in order to bring people to him. 

Also, in Luke the master gives the servants who increased his money dominion over cities, not just more money. This is a clear statement of how Jesus' kingdom is the world, it is meant to be here, and it will encompass all our cities when it comes to fruition. In this version, the master is indeed a king that has gone away to receive his "kingly power" (just as Jesus has done). Many hate this king, in fact Luke says "his citizens hated him" and said "We do not want this man to reign over us." Thus, the job of the servants was much harder than just investing their master's money well - they had to increase the king's return all while being hated for serving him! One can see how the servant who hid his money might have been scared by the worldlly hatred to reveal who he was working for!

This is how hatred works, and the devil is sowing a lot of it today. He convinces people to hate the king - our Lord. Then they come to hate anyone who loves and serves Jesus. This makes Jesus' followers afraid to speak the Truth, and then they do not build the kingdom, they bury their talents and the Truth out of fear -. they go along to get along, and they tell themselves that God will understand.

Jesus is telling us here, very emphatically, that God will not understand! We have all been giving gifts, including the Church, which teaches us the Truth. We have a moral responsibility to share our gifts and teach that Truth to others. The Holy Spirit has blessed us with Truth in a lying world, we absolutely must seek it, speak it, and spread it, otherwise we will be like the wicked servant.