Luke 19:12-27 Hidden in a Handkerchief
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: October 30, 2018 Luke 19:12-27
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
(Understanding the Text) I never noticed before. The verse says that the servants were actually commanded to engage in business while their Master was gone. Thus, the servant who did not increase his one mina was disobeying his Master by doing nothing with the mina. He not only refused to take responsibility for the possibility of losing the coin, but he was lazy. There were no-risk ways to do business, but he did not do the work necessary to use them. Instead, he lazily put the coin away and then did nothing for his Master. I suppose he just enjoyed himself doing his own thing until his Master returned. Did he believe that his Master would never return; that the delegation who wanted to keep the Master from being king would succeed?
At first it looks like the nobleman just wanted more money, and that is how the lazy servant interpreted it. He had no real understanding of his Master. However, by the actions of the nobleman after he became king, we can see a different motivation. The nobleman knew that he would receive the kingdom; there was no doubt, so he was planning on who he would set up as rulers over his new kingdom. The order to do business was to see if the men that he was thinking of elevating to a higher position would be worthy of such a position. I always read this wrong. I read it as if He had given different amounts to different servants, but it actually says that He gave the same amount to each servant. Each servant received one mina. Also, I always overlooked where it says that he gave minas to ten servants. We are only told the results of three of those servants, but we can assume that these three were representative of all ten. Thus, Jesus was saying that the servants were all given the same opportunity; however, their attitude toward service differentiated the results.
(Revelation of God) It is typical human nature to try to excuse our own failure to do the right thing by blaming someone else. The lazy servant blamed the Master for his actions rather than taking responsibility for his own failures. The Master shows where even by his excuses the servant was wrong. Adam and Eve blamed someone else for their own failure–ultimately God. Although it was not God’s fault, He took responsibility for it on the cross. God takes responsibility for man’s failings, even though we chose our own way, since He created us to start with.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus told another story about what would happen when judgment came in Matthew. “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:41-46). We are judged for what we do not do. We are told to give food to the hungry and drink to the thirsty, to welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and prisoners. We have been given instructions, and yet we are too lazy to carry them out.
(Application / Revelation of God / Prayer) My application to myself is that the business that my Master has instructed me to do is to show compassion to those in need. I have to not be lazy or nervous and excuse myself from helping others. On the other hand, I don’t need to keep a checklist of the times I help others. The good and faithful servants were not aware that their deeds were important enough to qualify them in God’s sight. There is one other job that Jesus gave me to do. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). And “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20). I must be a witness and make disciples for Jesus. However, that second one can only happen with the power of the Holy Spirit. I think the one mina is the Spirit given to us by Jesus. We are all given equal amounts of the Spirit. He is with us 100%. He shows no favoritism. It is we who limit what He could accomplish through us. I pray to humbly follow the Spirit’s guidance in order to finish the work that You require of me.