Luke 19:11-27 – “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. He said: therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom and return. He called 10 of his servants, and delivered to them 10 minas, and said to them: do business until I come.
But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying: we will not have this man reign over us. And it was so that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded the servants to whom he'd given the money to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
Then came the first, saying: master, your mina has earned 10 minas. And he said to him: well done, good servant. Because you were faithful with very little, have authority over 10 cities. The second came, saying: master, your mina has earned five minas. Likewise, he said: you be also over five cities.
Then another came, saying: master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief, for I feared you, because you're an austere man. You collect what you didn't deposit, and reap where you did not sow.
And he said to him: out of your mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew I was an austere man, collecting what I didn't deposit, and reaping what I did not sow. Why did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I might have collected it with interest? And he said to those who stood by: take the mina from him, and give it to him who has 10 minas. And they said to him: but master, he has 10 minas. And then he replied: for I say to you, that everyone that has will be given, and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.”
The story for both parables is very similar. The master goes for a trip to a far country. In one, it says he's going to receive a kingdom and return; and then he entrusts the servants with his goods while he's away.
In the Parable of the Talents, he entrusts according to capacity, ability to manage; but in the Parable of the Minas everyone gets the same amount - so there is a bit of a difference there. When the master returns, he evaluates each servant on the stewardship of his goods, and the increase he's made - and clearly his expectation is gain or increase. Now gain represents a degree of faithfulness, what has been entrusted; and in response to a gain, he's then given a reward (or recompense), according to what he's gained.
The two faithful servants who made gain - they receive reward. The one who was unfaithful, and did not make any gain, but just merely conserved or preserved - he suffered loss. So, we’re just looking at the context for them; and then we want to look at the prophetic warning.
In the first one, the Parable of the Minas, the setting is on the road to Jericho. Zacchaeus has just been converted. They see the tremendous change in Zacchaeus; and so, the crowd gathered, and they expected that Jesus is about to restore His kingdom. So the context for that parable is everyone is expecting that the kingdom is going to come now. He's going to go to Rome. He's going to take over or overcome the Romans in some way.
He's going to introduce the kingdom, so everyone is crowding around Him, expecting Him to be the king. He told them the parable, to make it clear what's really going to happen - and so He tells the story. They were familiar with the story. They understood that, in terms of what had been happening already politically, locally. Basically, He wants them to see that there is a space between Him receiving His kingdom and returning, in which servants are going to be entrusted with something to do on His behalf.
In the setting with the Parable with the Talents, it's different. It's in the context of end time warning, about the coming of the Lord. It's set in the middle of three or so teachings around the end times, and particularly warnings.