Gospel: Luke 19:11-28
Jesus was now near Jerusalem, and the people with him thought that God’s reign was about to appear. So as they were listening to him, Jesus went on to tell them a parable. He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country in order to be crowned king, after which he planned to return home. Before he left, he summoned ten of his servants and gave them ten pounds of silver. He said, ‘Put this money to work until I get back.’ But his compatriots, who disliked him, sent a delegation after him with this message, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’
He returned, however, appointed as king. At once he sent for the servants, to whom he had given the money, to find out what profit each had made. The first came in, and reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver has earned ten more pounds of silver.’
The master replied, ‘Well done, my good servant! Since you have proved yourself faithful in a small matter, I can trust you to take charge of ten cities.’ The second reported, ‘Sir, your pound of silver earned five more pounds of silver.’ The master replied, ‘And you, take charge of five cities!’
The third came in, and said, ‘Sir, here is your money, which I hid for safekeeping. I was afraid of you, for you are an exacting person: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.’
The master replied, ‘You worthless servant, I will judge you by your own words! So you knew I was an exacting person, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow? Why, then, did you not put my money on loan, so that, when I got back, I could have collected it with interest?’
Then the master said to those standing by, ‘Take from him that pound, and give it to the one with ten pounds.’ But they objected, ‘Sir, he already has ten pounds!’
The master replied, ‘I tell you, everyone who has will be given more; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. As for my enemies who did not want me to be their king, bring them in, and execute them right here in front me!’”
So Jesus spoke, and then he passed on ahead of them, on his way to Jerusalem.

Reflections
“Everyone who has will be given more.”
One cannot help but think highly, with tears, of the courage of the mother and her seven sons in the First Reading. Theirs was an ordeal extremely difficult to bear. But they possessed a faith so strong to bend. Even with the promise of safety and friendship benefits, they were not swayed. The mother even faced the persecution with joy. What happened? They faced a test of allegiance. They faced a test of friendship. Either they please the earthly king and displease the heavenly king, or either they obey the earthly king and disobey the heavenly king. But the mother knew and she told her sons that only to the Creator of life should they submit their obedience. So they chose the heavenly king, to make him happy and to make him proud.
The gospel parable is instructive of the same. The king in the parable is God, the heavenly king. We must please him. We must make him happy and proud but this time by making use of the treasures he entrusted to us. May we have the same resolve as the mother and her seven sons and the good servants to please God above all and in everything that we do in life.

© Copyright Bible Diary 2019