Expectation (The Fight Part II)

Expectation. I remember being a young girl, squirming on the vinyl seat in the back of our Chevy station wagon, asking way too often, “Are we there yet?” My parents would take turns answering, “Be patient honey. We’re not there yet.” If I was really lucky, they would give me a countdown--just 2o minutes left and so on. But at that young age, 10 minutes could feel like forever because I couldn’t wait to get to where we were going!

Is it any wonder that as Jesus got nearer to Jerusalem, his followers were much the same as a young child? Expectant belief swelling in them that God’s kingdom was going to appear at any moment. Certainly, it’s here, they thought.

Jesus, being who he is, knows this and tells them a story. He speaks of a ruler who was hated and despised, but who went off to get himself appointed as king. While he is gone, he puts his servants in charge of various amounts of money called mina. The first two servants double their master's investment, but the third just buries his mina in the ground so it doesn’t get lost. That’s all he does.

Let’s pick up Jesus’ words as the ruler returns to his servants. There are protests as he has now been newly anointed king. After very generously rewarding the first two servants for their efforts, he addresses the third. After chastising him, he says:

“'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

'Sir’, they said, 'he already has ten!'

He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away..." (Luke 19:24-27).