Take Away His Pound - Luke 19:24

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, you good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have you authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, your pound has gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be you also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up that you laid not down, and reap that you did not sow. And he said unto him, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow. Wherefore then gave not you my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?”, and in chapter nineteen and verse twenty-four of his book Luke shared how Jesus tells how the nobleman says, “take from him the pound, and give it to him that has ten pounds” where we read:

And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that has ten pounds.

The verse reads, “And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, ...” Luke began with the words, “and he said unto them that stood by” or “and the nobleman uttered, declared and proclaimed to the people who were around the third servant”, “take from him the pound” which means “raise up, elevate, lift and move from the servant the weight of three hundred shekels or weight and sum of money equal to one hundred drachmae”. Luke shared how Jesus said the nobleman instructed the people surrounding the “third servant” to “take his pound” away from him.

The verse continues, “... and give it to him that has ten pounds.” Luke added the words, “and give it to him” or “and grant, bestow, furnish and supply the pound to the servant” “that has ten pounds” which means “who holds and possesses ten weights of three hundred shekels or weight and sum of money equal to one hundred drachmae”. Luke shared how Jesus said the nobleman continued his instruction to those around the “third servant” by telling them to give the withdrawn “pound” to the servant who possessed “ten” of them.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn how the nobleman took his “gift pound” back from the third servant and “gave” it to the one who gained “ten”. This may not seem “fair” at first, but Jesus will tell us the reason for this action in our next verse. The idea is not to be “idle” with that which the “master” has given. God gives gifts to people, and when they receive His greatest gift of forgiveness of their sins through His Son Jesus, they are to “use” their additional gifts within His Kingdom. God wants to bless every person who will yield their lives to Him, and when they receive “gifts” from Him, they can do no better than to use them for His honor and glory until the day they shall give an account.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus tells how the nobleman says, “take from him the pound, and give it to him that has ten pounds”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".