Today’s gospel is a deep one with many layers to it. We have entered the part of the liturgical season where the Church sets before our eyes the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven, and Hell. In the midst of these events, we also have what the Gospel presents to us today: the Second Coming of Christ. And so, the overarching message of this gospel is that the King will return and judge the people.
St. Luke sets the Eschaton before us after the manner of a historical process by which a noble would journey to Caeser to receive the kingdom and the authority to rule from him. This is what happened with the Herodian rules for example. In this case, the noble in the parable is Christ. He leaves gold coins in the possession of His church and expects a return when He comes back.
“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.’” Luke 19:12-13.
Each of us is given graces that Our Lord expects us to multiply, not only for our salvation but for the salvation of others as well. These are represented by the gold coins. We are to engage in the work of salvation until the King has gone to receive His kingdom. Christ returns to the Father at the ascension and leaves the Church in the hands of the Apostles and the faithful under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. But He will come again one day to see what the faithful have done with the graces given.
“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.’” Luke 19:15-23
Here we can see that those who cooperate with the graces given in life will be rewarded with even greater joy. This is indicative of heaven, our allotment in the Kingdom will be greater in accord with the graces cooperated with in life. Thus, we can see the distinction between the ten cities and the five cities given. But we should also heed the third servant who did nothing with the graces given. He was offered a place in the kingdom and yet through his rejection of the graces given, he has excluded himself. We can see that Christ has offered all the necessary grace to get to heaven, but the reality is that not all will cooperate with that grace. This third group is those who are brought into the church but nonetheless squander the great gift given.
Finally, there is the last group mentioned. It is a group that works against the king.
“His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’… “Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king, bring them here and slay them before me.’” Luke 19:14; 27.
This final group is the most terrible of all. They received nothing because they actively worked against the king. This group is for those who reject Christ and do not accept the graces offered. He has very dire words for them, they will be slayed for their hatred of Him.
This parable, as terrifying as it is, is a great aid in our understanding of the spiritual life. We have the opportunity to cooperate with great grace to ascend to the heights of heaven to be united with God. We must labor here on earth for the glory of the kingdom that is to come. The King will return shortly. Let us pray that we have sufficiently multiplied our gold coins.
Great reflection! Thank you!