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Master, He Has Ten Minas

Keraza Magazine issue 43-44, November 11, 2016

In the parable of the ten minas, St. Luke mentions that when the master found that his servant hid his mina in a handkerchief, not trading with it, he ordered that this mina be taken from him and given to the first servant who had ten minas. Those present were surprised saying, "Master, he has ten minas" (Luke 19:25). This disapproving statement bears much surprise and objection, yet this surprise stems from ignorance of the laws of the kingdom. The natural person subdues his understanding of the kingdom to human logic and judgments. As for the Lord, the good Teacher, He corrected the erred perceptions of the kingdom, declaring a firm truth and heavenly law: "Everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him" (Luke 19:26).

The human mind, in logical calculations and trials to keep fair distributions, sees that the one who does not have should be the one to take, and the one who has should be the one giving, not the one taking. Worst-case scenario, if the mina must be taken from him and given to one of the two successful traders, would it not be better to give the mina to the one who gained five minas, instead of the one who gained ten minas? Also, why did the master take the mina from the servant? Was it not enough punishment that he had gained neither profit nor fruit?

Yet, the Holy Spirit, of whom it was said that He blows where He pleases, has His own specific laws. The initial distribution of minas was based on the principle of equality; no one was favored. They were all servants, were all granted the same gift, and all of them began at the same starting point. This is what happens at baptism; all are equally granted the same gift without preference to one over the other; this gift is the seed of the kingdom and the new man. This means that in baptism we are passive receivers of the free gift which we exerted no effort to receive. As for the second distribution, this comes at the time when we have to give account for our stewardship; this distribution is not based on gratuity, but on excellence of struggle and labor to get profits.

If we review the parable, we would find that the Holy Bible did not mention the outcome to the other seven servants, but it would be easy to infer a repetition of these three samples among them, which means a second cycle of redistributing what was hidden in the handkerchiefs. The first distribution aims to test, but the second distribution is to reward and recognize. In truth, the twelfth mina that was added to the first servant was not given for him to trade with it, like the first mina he had been given, since the time to trade is over and the door has been closed. This is the difference between the first mina and the twelfth mina. The first gift is a deposit of the kingdom; it is not for boasting, but rather for struggling. The final one is the kingdom itself and the crown of victory and joy. This twelfth mina has a distinct taste that differs completely from the ten minas the servant gained by his effort. This is the reward for the perfect, those who were not satisfied with the mere struggle (like those who gained five minas) but went for the perfect struggle.

Bishop Youssef
Bishop, Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States