In Luke 19:11-27 Jesus' disciples thought that the Kingdom of God was coming to earth then and that all their problems would be solved the next day. He taught His disciples a lesson, which also applies to you and me.

"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. Therefore He said: 'A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business [occupy] till I come''" (Luke 19:11-13, NKJV).

He told a parable about a nobleman going into a distant country to obtain a kingdom and he would soon return. He called his servants and gave them each an amount of currency equal to about 4 months of salary (a mina). He told them to occupy until He came back.

There were four classes of people present at his return.

1. The group that detested his authority and did not want anyone to reign over them were banished from his presence and killed.

2-3. Others occupied or did business and traded with the currency. According to their success, they earned more currency and rewarded with kingdom authority over many cities.

4. Others did not occupy because they thought that the nobleman was a mean person whose motive was to punish them. Not only did they not get any rewards but also their currency was taken away. Fear was their motivating force. Fear always neutralizes faith. Use it or lose it! These did not despise the authority, but they were terribly misinformed! Notice, the nobleman said that they would be judged by their own words! They had misunderstood the character of the nobleman and the value of the gift.

What is this word occupy?

The word occupy means to do business (as rendered in the NKJV version), to trade for profit. Business by definition is to take a raw material or service, add value to it and make it more profitable so it can be useful or sold. It means to exchange or to even change something to make it more profitable. It is used in the Bible to describe people who had businesses, cattle farms, and other businesses both good and bad. In our context it is the same thing as overcoming.

Proverbs 3:13-18 says, "Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding. For the profit (merchandise, or occupation) from it is better than the gain from silver, and its produce more than fine gold; she is more precious than rubies; and all the things you can desire are not to be compared with her." What "currency" did God leave with you?

Some may think that this parable applies to the good gifts that our King leaves with us.

I believe that it is useful to apply this principle to the talents and assets that God gives to us, but I do not believe this it is limited to that, nor do I believe that this is the essence of this parable. Notice that the nobleman left his servants his property, not their property with which to do business. In a similar parable told in Matthew 25:14, the Amplified version actually says "his property."

What was the property that belonged to Jesus when He ascended back to Heaven after His resurrection? Matthew 28:18 says that all power in heaven and on earth was what He possessed. Jesus acquired all authority over every earthly kingdom when He was raised from the dead. Remember, back in Luke 4:5, Satan tempted Jesus with all the kingdoms of the habitable world. Jesus was tempted because this was one of His purposes, to acquire these kingdoms that were taken from Adam and Eve.

One aspect of His property that you find yourself with is His authority to turn every earthly affliction into a Kingdom jewel. However we are called, in Philippians chapter 3, to be conformed to His sufferings.

Another aspect of His property is represented by the minas, or the currency He left us to live this life. He does not expect us to make our own way in life. He wants to add all those things that we need as we seek first His Kingdom according to Matthew 6.

I believe that the minas were hidden inside horrible looking containers. They did not see the hidden mina embedded within the "package."

I have often wondered how this parable can reconcile the idea that God did not leave us with sufferings and curses, but He is the God that blesses us. He does leave us with cancer, He does not leave us with rebellious children, broken families, poverty, etc. Yet we find ourselves with curses that overwhelm us, some of which are passed down to us and some of which we perhaps brought on ourselves, or maybe even a combination of both.

I believe that those things that we find ourselves with to overcome, are simply containers or packages and wrappings for the "minas" that Jesus has for us. Minas are good. Jesus gave us minas, good rewards, but they are embedded inside of our challenges, sufferings, and generational curses.

Not everybody recognizes the package that they receive. They are not familiar with the resurrection power of Jesus; therefore they feel that their challenges in life are something to be avoided. They are discouraged because they do not see God removing their trials. Or worse, they believe that God has given them bad things to teach them a lesson or to punish them. However, if they are wise, they will discern the "mina" inside of the horrible looking package and they can be change agents for the Kingdom of God and for their own lives and those in their realm of influence.

I believe those people in the parable who thought that the master was a mean person, simply could not see beyond the wrapping of the package. They could not see that Jesus was actually giving them a mina.

Those people who did not want the master to rule over them are those who have not placed themselves under the authority of Jesus and in particular, the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

Junk does not just dissolve.

As we overcome, or occupy, or in other words, "do business" with these packages, the outer "junk" does not simply disappear, but it is transformed by the supernatural power of God. The death and resurrection of Jesus has defeated every evil. The Cross and resurrection when applied to our "outer evil packages" will transform those outer packages, and not only reveal the minas embedded within, but the transformed substance of what was previously evil actually adds to the beauty of the finished product. This is the principle of how jewels are produced. Junk, under lots of pressure and heat for a long period of time, is the process of diamonds and other jewels.

The Cross and resurrection has made every bad and evil thing a potential "friend." Notice I did not say friend, but potential friend. It all depends upon you.

Colossians 1:20 says that all things are made "friends" by the blood of His cross. "and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross."

Purpose for our lives. Most people, even Christians, never really understand their God-given purpose for life. As we go through the overcoming process, I believe that our purpose for and in life is manifested.

In this parable Jesus said that He would give authority to these overcomers. This process of turning Junk into Jewels is parallel with the process in the Book of Revelation.

Going through this overcoming process or this process of occupying, turning junk into jewels produces our ultimate purpose in life.

I submit that our purpose is as follows:

1.       Revelation 20: Satan is dislodged from his strongholds. "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while" (Revelation 20:1-3).

2.       Revelation 21: We inherit all things. "He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son" (Revelation 21:7). We are conformed to the image of Jesus and have a stronger relationship with our Father. The word "son" used here means one that is like Jesus in full relationship with the Father.

3.       God's Kingdom is established in your realm of influence. Notice also in Revelation 21:12 and following that John sees the foundation of the Kingdom of God made from jewels. This is the result of converting junk to jewels.

Junk: Something that looks and seems worthless. Even something you would not rather have.

Jewels: A priceless treasure that can only be produced by junk that is subjected to heat and pressure for a long period of time.

4.       Revelation 22: You have an anointing for ministry. "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations [literally the Gentiles, or those who have no covenant with God]" (Revelation 22:1,2).

This list outlines our purpose for life. You enter into it as you cooperate with God in the overcoming process.

One more thing.

The mina, or purpose for your life and what it looks like during and after the overcoming process is God's business and not yours. Often we make mistakes attempting to interpret what God has in mind for us.

Our responsibility is to live the overcoming lifestyle as outlined in Revelation 12:11, "And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death." Revelation 12:11. We will focus on these three lifestyle attributes throughout this series.

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. Therefore He said: "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. "So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.' "But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.' "And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had 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 ten minas.' "And he said to him, 'Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.' "And the second came, saying, 'Master, your mina has earned five minas.' "Likewise he said to him, 'You also be 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 are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.' "And he said to him, 'Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. 'Why then 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 ten minas.' ("But they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas.') 'For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 'But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.'""