Redistribution Of Wealth

I have been in Luke 19 for a while. There is a parable that comes after the story of Zaccheus that the NIV calls "Parable of Money Usage." It is a difficult parable and MUST be kept in the context of Jesus' present circumstances. These circumstances included 1) Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem for the last time, to die; 2) as he passes through Jericho he heals two blind men who have enough faith to cry out for healing and mercy; 3) he also takes some time to visit Zaccheus' home and bring salvation to it; 4) Zaccheus takes his considerable wealth and redistributes it to the poor and the ones he has cheated in his tax collection business. Now with this as the immediate backdrop, the crowd has a supposition in mind, i.e. that "the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately." In response to that Jesus told this parable.

The parable was about a nobleman who had ten slaves. Before he left to go to receive a kingdom for himself he distributed ten minas (about 100 days labor's worth) to the ten slaves. He told them to "do business" with their mina while he was gone. On his return one had turned the mina into ten, another to five, and another had nothing to show because he hid the mina in a handkerchief assuming the master would punish him if he lost his mina. So what does the nobleman do? He redistributes the wealth. He tells bystanders to take the mina from the slave and give it to the one who has ten minas and has been put over ten cities within this new kingdom. The bystanders complain that this is not a fair redistribution of wealth because the first slave already has ten minas and, by implication, does not deserve more.

So what is the point? Verse 26 seems to be key: "I tell you that to everyone who has shall more be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does not have shall be taken away." WHAT? This can't be right! Shouldn't wealth be distributed equally? Well that is not how things work in the real world nor in the kingdom of God. Now if everyone used what they were given equally then no one would lack anything they needed. But, people do not use what they have for the good of the kingdom. When the blind men used what they had, i.e. their voices to appeal to the Master Healer, they gained sight and the responsibility that came from it. When Zaccheus accepted Jesus' invitation to come to his home that day and he received salvation, he accepted the responsibility that comes with salvation, i.e. to use what he has for the good of the kingdom. He used his wealth to bless the kingdom of God and surely was rewarded for it. The slaves who multiplied their master's minas were rewarded with more responsibility (not more luxury).

So how is this redistribution of wealth supposed to work? Each person must access what they have received from God (see 1 Cor.4:7). Then they must use it to extend the influence of the kingdom of God throughout the earth, bringing everything under the King's control. By doing so they are blessed but also receive more responsibility. This kind of redistribution of wealth requires faith that is able to take a risk and character that is willing to receive the increased responsibility that comes with success. Merely moving money from one pocket to another is not God's means of redistributing the wealth! Think about it.