Because Jesus was nearing Jerusalem, He told a story to correct the impression that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. He said: "A certain nobleman went to a distant land to acquire a kingdom for himself and to return. Summoning ten of his slaves, he gave them two hundred dollars and told them, 'Trade with this till I come back.' But his townsmen hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We do not want him to be king over us.'
   "On his return, having acquired the kingdom, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the money to be summoned so that he might ascertain what business they had transacted. Now the first one presented himself and said, 'Master, your twenty dollars has made two hundred dollars.' He said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were trustworthy in a very little, you will have authority over ten cities.' The second also came and said, 'Master, your twenty dollars has made one hundred dollars.' He told this one, 'Have charge of five cities.' The other one came and said, 'Here is your twenty dollars, sir, which I have kept in a napkin; for I was afraid because you are a harsh man. You take up what you did not lay down and you reap what you did not sow.'
   "He told him, 'You good-for-nothing servant, I will convict you from your own mouth. You knew that I was a harsh man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, so that when I came I might have gotten it with interest?' Then he said to the bystander, 'Take the twenty dollars from him and give it to the one with two hundred dollars.'
   They said to him, 'Master, he has two hundred dollars.'
   " 'I tell you, that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Now for these enemies of mine, who did not want me for their king, fetch them here and execute them in my presence.' "
   [Another time, Jesus said:] "Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? . . . Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work. I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own!"

Taken from Lk. 19, Mt. 24, The Living Bible, The Modern Language Bible and
The Revised Standard Version. For free Lifescope book, write to Box 1575,
Carlsbad, NM 88221. Please send $1.00 for postage and handling.