Living in expectation of the Parousia

The parousia was the return of Christ when he would inaugurate the final period before God's kingdom was established in its completeness. This parable gives purpose to the period between Jesus' resurrection and final judgement, encouraging people to remain faithful during Jesus' absence, living in such a way as to be always ready to meet the Lord whenever he should arrive. The parable expands what it means to watch and be ready. Vigilance is not passive watching and waiting but active, responsible service. When Christ returns, the question will not be if the date is right, but 'What have you been doing?'.

Parables

Parables are predominantly about what the Kingdom of God is like. The use of parables was a popular method of teaching. Parables (from the Greek 'parabollo' to place side by side) are stories which place everyday events side by side with an important point about God. They enable the listeners to understand them at whatever level they can and also to remember them easily. Later on parables were often treated as allegories and individual details were given specific significance, but that was not the original way of understanding them. Here an allegorical interpretation would identify the Master as Christ, the journey as going to heaven and the judgement as God's judgement at the end of time.

Kingdom of Heaven / God

This is the central theme of Jesus' teaching, involving his understanding of himself and his work in relation to God. The kingdom is something God gives, not something men build. It is not a Utopia, a new social order or a disposition within people's hearts. It is an act of God, breaking the power of evil, bringing in God's reign over people and the world. But people still have their part to play because they make their response to God's kingdom in their acceptance or rejection of Jesus. Jesus had come to restore God's damaged creation to its original destiny in perfect obedience to his will. Since Jesus came, God has reigned in a new way (as shown by Jesus' actions in miracles and words in parables) but its fullness is still to come. People long for that day and the early Christians thought it would all be finalised in their lifetime.

The term 'Heaven' was used because Jews avoided using the name of God in case the third commandment was transgressed inadvertently. Luke's gospel was written for gentiles and so 'Kingdom of God' is used.

Judgement

In Old Testament / Hebrew Bible times the final Day of the Lord was to be a day of judgement on Israel, but later on it became more of a day of triumph for Israel and of doom for everyone else. Israel would be glorified and the Gentile world destroyed. This developed into an idea of judgement for the individual as well as the nation. Everyone would have to submit to the divine judgement and their destiny would be decided on the basis of good or bad conduct. In the New Testament, this came to mean a return of Jesus and a judgement day with salvation for those believing in Jesus and destruction for those who rebel. It is a dramatic finale. How far such beliefs required a literal interpretation can be debated.

Possible meaning(s)

• The master is Jesus on whose return there will be an unavoidable settling of accounts. His absence is an opportunity for the servants who love their master to put the resources given to them to good use.
  
  
• Money / Talents probably represent personal abilities and gifts, which can be put to use for the master.
  
  
• The first two servants took risks and were rewarded. The servant given fewer talents is given the same reward as the one with more. It is not a matter of how much one is given but how one uses it. The Master acts generously, inviting the two faithful slaves to participate in his joy. (Luke 25:21,23,28).
  
  
• The last servant did nothing except play safe. By burying the silver, he protected it against theft. This precaution meant he would not have to pay out of his own pocket in case of loss or robbery, or have sleepless nights worrying about an investment that might make a loss. His culpability was heightened by his knowledge that his master expected profit. In trying to protect himself he lost everything (this echoes Matthew 16:25 - those who wish to save their lives will lose them). He tried to shift the blame to the master: fear of his harshness froze him into inaction. Fear is the opposite of love and trust (1 John 4:18-20) and dictated his choices and led to his downfall. The approach of love is not 'How will I come out of this deal?' but 'How best can I serve?'

What did Jesus intend the parable to mean?

Parables could be understood in different ways. Here are suggestions as to what Jesus was getting at:

• Challenging all hearers to work for the coming of the kingdom. Christ's Kingdom is not to appear now as expected: he must depart in order to receive it. The task of the disciples is to extend the possessions of Jesus which had been entrusted to them, to promote the coming world-wide mission. Whoever does not employ God-given abilities and opportunities for God's service will lose them; whoever uses them will receive even more. The issue at stake is not stewardship: they must be ready for the return of Christ.
  
  
• Reproaching the Jewish authorities for not having made the gift of the Torah bear fruit. Through fear of contamination by the Gentiles, the Jews had not used their priceless heritage.