FOLLOW THE LEADER“Buy and sell with these while I go and return.”
(Amplified)
“Use this money to trade with until I come back.”
(Phillips)
“See what you can earn with this while I am gone.”
(TEV)Regardless of the translation, you quickly get the picture of what the
money investor had in mind for his servants. He wanted them to wisely
invest, and produce a profit. The key word in this passage is the word that
is variously translated: “Occupy, do business, trade, buy and sell.” This
is the only place in the entire New Testament where this word is found. It
is the Greek word pragmateuomai. Even if you can’t read Greek, it is easy
to see the meaning of this word. It rightly sounds like our English word,
“pragmatic.” The Greek root word is pragma, which can mean: “a deed, a
work, to busy oneself, to trade, occupy, to be busy, active, practical.”
Jesus is giving a Parable of Practicality. He is challenging this newly
converted businessman, Zacchaeus, to change his perspective of money.
He is to no longer pervert profit for his own selfish use – but to practically
invest it for God’s glory. Zacchaeus was to be as pragmatic and practical as he
had always been with money – but for a new purpose! No longer was he
to go for the “fast buck” through cheating and corruption. Now he was to
be a wise and practical investor of his resources where it would bring the
greatest return for God’s glory. That’s what this Parable of Practicality
is all about. It is a special call to Christians in the business world to use
their natural entrepreneurial abilities for the Kingdom of God. To be
pragmatic and practical in their pursuit of profits – for God’s glory for the
good of others.
Every effective leader – just like every effective businessman – must be
pragmatic and practical in his leadership. A good leader is oriented toward
practical solutions to people’s problems. He or she does not “spiritualize”
everything by giving simplistic “pat answers” that will only further
complicated life problems. Pragmatism is based upon realism! A wise leader
must continually face reality. He must constantly ask himself the hard
questions that others don’t want to face. He is not interested in whether
the organization is just efficient. He wants to know if it is effective. He