In this parable from Luke 19, Jesus tells a story that at first feels like a simple “use your gifts” lesson, but it runs deeper when you sit with it. The nobleman goes away, leaves money with his servants, and comes back to see what they’ve done with it — and while two step out in courage and invest faithfully, one is driven entirely by fear and hides what he’s been given. The real tension in the story isn’t that the nobleman is harsh, but that the people reject his kingship — a reminder that rejecting Jesus’ lordship leads us into broken places, not because He’s cruel, but because we’re choosing our own way. The heart of it comes down to this: fear will always talk us out of obedience, out of faithfulness, out of stepping into what God has called us to do. But when we trust God and move forward with courage — even in uncertainty — God grows what He’s placed in our hands. So as we head into the weekend, this parable invites us to let go of fear, lean into faith, and be bold with what God has entrusted to us.

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Well, good morning. It’s good to be with you on this Friday morning as we continue together in our time in Luke. I hope you’re doing well today.

Now, before we jump in — I’ll tell you — this is one of those parables where I had to pull out my tools. I’ve got my Wesley Study Bible right here, which I love, especially for the notes. They help me get some footing when I hit a text that’s confusing. And then I’ve also got a couple of online tools I use. One of my favorites is the NET Bible. It’s probably one of the most user-friendly tools for looking at Greek and Hebrew, and I really appreciate the notes — I don’t always agree with them, but they’re helpful and give me a good range of perspective.

And I’ll be honest: today’s parable did not make sense to me at first. I had to sit with it, read a little more commentary, get a different lens. But once I did, I thought, “Okay… now I see where this is going.”

So, let’s read it together. This is:

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Luke 19:11–27

“As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. So he said,

‘A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, “Do business with these until I come back.” But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, “We do not want this man to rule over us.”

‘When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, “Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.” He said to him, “Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.”

‘Then the second came, saying, “Lord, your pound has made five pounds.” He said to him, “And you, rule over five cities.”

‘Then the other came, saying, “Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.” He said to him, “I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh 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? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.”

‘He said to the bystanders, “Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.” (And they said to him, “Lord, he has ten pounds!”) “I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.”’

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Whew. Okay.
Let’s talk about this.

At first glance, this feels like one of those “use your gifts” parables — like the parable of the talents. And that part makes sense to us. God gives us gifts, and we’re called to use them well. We get that.

But what bothered me — what made me pause — was the ending.
The citizens hated the nobleman.
They sent a delegation saying, “We don’t want this man to rule over us.”
And at the end, the enemies are judged severely.

And I thought, “Oh boy… if the nobleman is supposed to represent God, what do we do with this?”

That’s when the commentaries helped.
One of them pointed out something that changed the angle for me:

The issue wasn’t that the nobleman was cruel. The issue was that the people rejected his kingship.

That clicked for me.

They weren’t right just because they didn’t like him.
Their rejection wasn’t justified simply because they said so.
And in the same way, Scripture teaches that rejecting the lordship of Jesus does have real consequences. Not because Jesus is harsh — He isn’t — but because rejecting His grace, rejecting His wisdom, rejecting His kingship… it leads to brokenness.

Then I noticed something else in the parable:
There are really three groups here.

1. The nobleman

The king figure.

2. The faithful servants

They believed. They invested. They acted with courage. They weren’t afraid.

3. The unfaithful servant

Motivated entirely by fear.

And it’s that third servant that got me.
He didn’t fail because he wasn’t talented.
He didn’t fail because he didn’t have enough.
He failed because he was afraid.

Fear kept him from being faithful.

Fear made him bury what he’d been given.
Fear made him hide instead of try.
Fear kept him from obedience.

And y’all — fear is a terrible motivator for Christian faith.

Following Jesus always involves risk.
Obedience often requires stepping into the unknown.
Sometimes serving God means giving, going, trying, building, speaking, loving — even when we aren’t sure how it will turn out.

Fear will always whisper:
“Don’t try that. Don’t step out. Don’t volunteer. Don’t give. What if you fail?”

And when fear wins… faithfulness loses.

But the other two servants?
They weren’t afraid.
They believed in the master.
They stepped out.
And great things happened.

So here’s the question for us today:

What are you afraid of?
What is fear keeping you from doing for Jesus?

Teaching?
Serving?
Giving?
Leading?
Answering a call to ministry?
Using a gift you’ve buried?
Starting something that God has put on your heart?

Don’t let fear keep you from being faithful.

Because here’s the truth:
God is good.
God is with you.
God is for you.
And God wants to grow what He has put in your hands.

So friends, as we head toward the weekend, let’s be people who choose courage over fear, faithfulness over hesitation.

Thanks for being with me today.
Have a great weekend, and we’ll see you Monday as we continue into the events leading us toward Palm Sunday.