A Familiar Parable?

Today's Verses -- Luke 19:11-27

Context:
continuation from last week. Jesus and the apostles are on their final trip to Jerusalem for the Passover, and they've stopped at Zacchaeus's home for dinner.

Text:
11While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. 12He said: "A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. 13So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.[a]'Put this money to work,' he said, 'until I come back.'
14"But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'
15"He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.
16"The first one came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned ten more.'
17" 'Well done, my good servant!' his master replied. 'Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.'
18"The second came and said, 'Sir, your mina has earned five more.'
19"His master answered, 'You take charge of five cities.'
20"Then another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. 21I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.'
22"His master replied, 'I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? 23Why then didn't you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?'
24"Then he said to those standing by, 'Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.'
25" 'Sir,' they said, 'he already has ten!'
26"He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. 27But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and kill them in front of me." (NIV)
Footnotes:
Luke 19:13 A mina was about three months' wages.
taken from www.biblegateway.com

This story sounds vaguely familiar, yet different. My NIV Study Bible references Matthew 25:14-30, the parable of the talents, as a similar story. There are some significant differences, though. It's Monday morning, so I'll try to wake your brain up with some questions today (since mine is too sleepy to answer them!).

The parable of the talents was told to the apostles in private when Jesus was on the Mount of Olives. The parable of the minas was apparently told to those attending dinner at Zacchaeus's house.

A talent was worth about $1000, a mina worth about 3 month's wages.

The Parable of the Ten Minas raises far more questions for me. The man of noble birth gave one mina each to ten servants (the same amount to each instead of varying amounts in the Parable of the Talents). Yet we only hear the results of three servants' efforts. What happened to the other seven minas? And look at what the two servants who invested the minas received -- not more money to manage, but whole cities! That's quite a jump in stature for a servant. Do you think the two were overwhelmed?

This story has a pretty garish ending, too. The man who would be king has his enemies killed in front of him. Yes, I would agree he is a 'hard man'!

My study Bible has lots of notes related to this story that speculate about Jesus' meaning. Was the man of noble birth Jesus, himself, or was he Herod, who had come in and declared himself king just as the man in the story? Does the death of his enemies refer to the coming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70? Of course the listeners wouldn't have a clue about that.

The story of the talents leaves us with a pretty clear message -- be a good steward with your Masters' things (including your 'talents'), and you will be rewarded. Do you get the same message from this parable?

Look back at the beginning of this parable. Why did Jesus tell this parable? How does the story fulfill that purpose?

Given our current classwork related to Bible study methods, what research would you like to do to better understand this passage?