C h a p t e r 1 4
LEADERS ARE
PRAGMATIC
“A nobleman was called away to a distant empire to be crowned king and
then return. Before he left, he called together ten servants and
gave them ten pounds of silver to invest for him while he was gone”
(Luke 19:12-13; New Living Translation).Jesus gave the above teaching immediately after the conversion of
Zacchaeus, who was a businessman. He was the “chief tax collector” in
Jericho – what we in America would call the “head of the IRS.” Because
of the corruption of the system of levying taxes in the Roman Empire,
tax collectors were especially hated! Zacchaeus was no exception. Many
were not pleased that Jesus had visited his home and dined with him.
Neither were they excited that he had been converted to the degree that
he “...gave half of his possessions to the poor.” Nor did the people
believe his commitment to make a four-fold “tax return” to “...anyone
he had cheated” (Lk. 19:8). In the face of the people’s murmuring and
unbelief over the conversion of Zacchaeus, Jesus gave a telling parable.
Since money was the issue here, Jesus told a timely parable about investing
money. The punch line of the parable is verse 13. Let me share it from
several translations:
“Occupy till I come.” (KJV)
“Do business with this until I come back.” (NASV)
“Trade with these till I come.” (RSV)