Commentary on the Four Gospel Books
The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ
G115 The Lord Jesus and Zacchaeus,
The Parable of the Ten Minas
Luke 19:1-27

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All New Testament verses quoted in this article are from the English Majority Text Version, and Old Testament verses are from the King James Version, unless otherwise noted.

Luke 19:1-27

1 And having entered, He passed through Jericho.

2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and this man was rich.

3 And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

4 And running up ahead in front, he went up into a sycamore tree so that he might see Him, because He was about to pass by that way.

5 And when He came upon that place, Jesus looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay in your house.”

6 So he hurried and came down, and received Him, rejoicing.

7 But when they saw it, they all were complaining, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a sinful man.”

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor; and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I restore fourfold.”

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

11 Now as they heard these things, He told another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13 And having called ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

15 And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, that he commanded those servants to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, so that he might know who gained what by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’

17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’

18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina made five minas.’

19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

20 Then another came, saying, ‘Master, behold your mina, which I had laid away in a handkerchief.

21 For I feared you, because you are a harsh man. You take up what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’

22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a harsh man, taking up what I did not deposit, and reaping what I did not sow.

23 Why then did you not give my money to a bank, and when I came, I would have collected it with interest?’

24 And he said to those standing by, ‘Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’

25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’

26 For I say to you that to everyone who has, more shall be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

27 Nevertheless bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ “

The Bible passage we are studying together in this lesson is recorded only by Luke. The event took place after the Lord Jesus healed a blind man outside the east gate of Jericho, before He entered the city (Luke 18:35-43).

Luke 19:1-3

1 And having entered, He passed through Jericho.

2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, and he was a chief tax collector, and this man was rich.

3 And he was trying to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature.

After healing a blind man outside the city, the Lord Jesus entered Jericho and was likely walking on the main road of the city. A large crowd was still following Him. The crowd was probably noisy, talking among themselves about the miracles Jesus had done and the words He had spoken. Because of this, the people in the city knew that Jesus had come into their city.

In the city, there was a wealthy man who was the chief tax collector there, named Zacchaeus. The name Zacchaeus comes from Hebrew, meaning “pure” or “clean.”

Tax collectors at that time were despised and hated by the people of Israel because they worked for the Roman government, a foreign power ruling Israel. Most tax collectors exploited their Roman authority to overcharge and enrich themselves. But Zacchaeus, like Matthew, was likely a person with a heart that feared and respected God.

We can understand that Zacchaeus had heard much about the Lord Jesus. Now, knowing that the Lord was in the city, he sought a way to see Him. However, because of his short stature, Zacchaeus was unable to see Jesus amid the large crowd.

Luke 19:4-6

4 And running up ahead in front, he went up into a sycamore tree so that he might see Him, because He was about to pass by that way.

5 And when He came upon that place, Jesus looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay in your house.”

6 So he hurried and came down, and received Him, rejoicing.

Zacchaeus ran ahead a short distance, climbed up a sycamore tree, and waited for the Lord Jesus to pass by so that he could see Him. We see that Zacchaeus truly had a heart longing to see the Lord. He used his wisdom to overcome the inconvenient circumstance. Zacchaeus’s heart and effort were rewarded when the Lord called him. This reminds us of the Lord’s saying:

″And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.″ (Jeremiah 29:13).

Surely no one who sincerely seeks God and desires to live a holy life according to His will will fail to meet Him.

By the inspiration of the Spirit, the Lord Jesus knew that Zacchaeus was in the sycamore tree looking at Him. Therefore, when He came to the tree, the Lord Jesus looked up, saw him, and called him. Jesus clearly told Zacchaeus that on that day, He must stay at his house. Zacchaeus quickly came down from the tree, joyfully welcoming the Lord.

It is hard for us to fully understand Zacchaeus’s feelings at that moment. Not only was his longing to see the Lord fulfilled, but he was also personally called by Jesus, who expressed the intention to stay at his house.

In the statement of the Lord Jesus, the word ″must″ expresses the necessity for something to happen and be fulfilled appropriately. The word ″stay″ indicates dwelling or lodging. Jesus needed to stay at Zacchaeus’s house that day to bring salvation to him and his household.

In His statement, Jesus told Zacchaeus, ″Hurry and come down!″ In response, Zacchaeus ″hurried and came down.″ We need to have a joyful and eager attitude in responding to every command of the Lord. We must recognize that every word the Lord speaks to us is beneficial. Joyfully and eagerly responding to all of the Lord’s commands will bring us ″every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ″ (Ephesians 1:3).

Luke 19:7-8

7 But when they saw it, they all were complaining, saying, “He has gone to be a guest with a sinful man.”

8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my possessions to the poor; and if I have extorted anything from anyone, I restore fourfold.”

When the crowd heard the exchange between the Lord Jesus and Zacchaeus and saw Him go with Zacchaeus to his house, they began to mutter and speak against Him. They considered that a tax collector like Zacchaeus was a sinner. Tax collectors at that time often cooperated with Gentiles to oppress their own people. Among them, there was extortion to enrich themselves, which was no different from abusing power to rob the people. According to the general view of the Israelites at that time, prophets and those who preached God’s Word should not associate with or enter the houses of those regarded as sinners.

The murmuring of the crowd probably reached Zacchaeus’s ears, so he stopped and told the Lord that he would give half of his possessions to the poor. Furthermore, if he had wrongfully taken anything from anyone, he would repay them fourfold. Tax collectors in the Roman Empire at that time often threatened people or falsely accused them of tax evasion to collect more than the required amount.

Giving half of his possessions as charity was a great sacrifice compared to those in his position who typically amassed wealth through extortion, like other tax collectors. But Zacchaeus willingly did this because he recognized it was pleasing to the Lord.

Falsely accusing someone to extort taxes was common in that time. It is very possible that Zacchaeus had also sometimes committed this wrongdoing. However, he was willing to make amends by repaying more than what the law required, as recorded in Leviticus 6:5. The law only demanded compensation of the stolen item plus one-fifth of its value.

Zacchaeus’s words to the Lord Jesus showed his determination to change after meeting Him. It is hard for us to know exactly how the Spirit moved in Zacchaeus at that moment, enabling him to recognize that Jesus is the Christ and willingly change his lifestyle to please God.

The lesson for us is: when we have accepted Christ, are we willing to change our way of life and correct our wrongs in order to live a new life that pleases God?

Luke 19:9-10

9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;

10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

In some Greek manuscript copies, it is written as ″Jesus said to him.″ However, based on the context, this was likely a spelling error during copying. In Greek, the words for ″them″ (αυτους) and ″him″ (αυτον) are written very similarly, which easily caused confusion.

We think that following Zacchaeus’s response to the Lord Jesus, He spoke not to him but to the crowd to address their murmuring.

″Today salvation has come to this house″ means that on this day, the homeowner welcomed the Lord Jesus and was willing to repent of his sins. Salvation is granted immediately when a sinner sincerely repents and trusts in the Lord Jesus. Although the word ″house″ literally means a dwelling, it also implies a family. Salvation came to Zacchaeus’s family. What remains is whether each member of Zacchaeus’s family joyfully receives it. A person joyfully receives salvation when they sincerely repent, demonstrated by a determination to correct wrongs and live a new life pleasing to the Lord.

The Lord Jesus reminded the crowd that Zacchaeus was also a descendant of Abraham, a person within the covenant of God. Therefore, Zacchaeus deserved God’s punishment if he rebelled and became a sinner by breaking God’s commandments. But he was also deserving of God’s mercy, forgiveness, and restoration if he sincerely repented. This was written in the law (Deuteronomy 30:9-10).

The purpose of the Lord Jesus coming into the world was to seek and save those who are lost. This means that even when a person has not yet sought the Lord, He still comes to give that person the opportunity to believe and receive salvation. Being lost means being eternally separated from God and suffering in hell. The lost are sinners because they have violated the God’s commandments. Ultimately, the lost are those who have chosen not to believe in God.

The phrase ″which was lost″ in verse 10 is used to refer both to sinners and to all creation, which suffers because of humanity’s sin. The Lord’s words in Genesis 3:17-18 and Romans 8:20-22 help us understand this. Acts 3:21 and Romans 8:21 speak of the restoration of all creation.

Luke 19:11

11 Now as they heard these things, He told another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately.

The Lord Jesus continued to teach the crowd who were listening to Him. He taught them a parable to correct the wrong thinking in their hearts. Because He was approaching Jerusalem, the people thought that He was about to announce the establishment of the Heavenly Kingdom. They believed that the Heavenly Kingdom would appear immediately, with the Lord Jesus using His power to overthrow the rule of the Roman Empire.

The Lord Jesus wanted them to know that there would be a period of time before He would return in glory to reign as king over the world. Each of His disciples has the responsibility to faithfully carry out the tasks He has entrusted to them. Those who oppose Him will receive the appropriate punishment.

Luke 19:12-13

12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.

13 And having called ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’

The term ″nobleman” literally means being born well, implying being born into a noble lineage, especially a royal line. The Lord Jesus was born into a royal lineage because He is a descendant of King David. Yet He is also the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords” (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16).

The term “far country,” in its literal sense, refers to a distant land and was used by the Lord Jesus to symbolize heaven. In ancient times, kings of vassal states would travel to pay homage to the emperor to receive authority to rule their territories, a process called being crowned king. Specifically, in the Roman Empire during the time of the Lord Jesus, the system of “client kingdoms” required local kings to come to Rome to receive recognition and the right to govern from the emperor or the Roman Senate. After His resurrection, the Lord Jesus ascended into heaven to receive the royal authority over the Heavenly Kingdom from God (Ephesians 1:20-22).

Receiving a kingdom means receiving the title and authority to reign as king.

The number “ten” in the phrase “ten of his servants” symbolizes all servants, as the number ten represents completeness in quantity. The ten minas given to the ten servants imply that each servant receives a full opportunity and means to serve the master equally. A mina was 100 drachma. A drachma was a Greek silver coin about the same weight as a Roman denarius. A denarius was equivalent to a day’s wage during the time of the Lord Jesus.

The ten servants and the ten minas entrusted to them represent:

• Each person receives the same calling to be a disciple of the Lord Jesus.
• Each disciple is entrusted with the same Gospel to proclaim.
• Each disciple has the same opportunity to serve the Lord.

Every single disciple of the Lord Jesus shares:

• The same common responsibility: “Do business till I come,” meaning to preach the Gospel until Christ returns (1 Corinthians 11:26).
• The same goal: to produce profit for the master, implying jointly advancing the Heavenly Kingdom through diligent Gospel preaching.
• The same time frame: from when the master departs until the master returns, meaning throughout the entire Church age—from the Lord Jesus’ ascension until His return to take the Church out of the world.

The opportunity and means to serve have been equally given by the Lord Jesus to each disciple. What remains is whether each person is determined and devoted to serving the Lord.

Luke 19:14

14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’

While the “ten of his servants” symbolize all the disciples of the Lord Jesus throughout the Church age, the “citizents” represent both the nation of Israel and the other nations. Because the Lord Jesus is the “King of Kings and Lord of Lords,” He will rule over the Kingdom of Israel but also govern over other nations in the Millennial Kingdom and the Eternal Kingdom, in the new heaven and new earth.

The term “a delegation” means a group of representatives. The delegation of the people of Israel is the Sanhedrin, consisting of priests, scribes, and Pharisees. They represented Israel in rejecting the Christ and handing Him over to the Roman authorities for crucifixion. The delegation of other nations includes religious organizations, most of them bearing the name of the Lord, preaching a Christ different from the Christ revealed in the Bible. It also includes rulers, philosophical systems, ideologies, and movements opposing Christ.

Luke 19:15-17

15 And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, that he commanded those servants to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, so that he might know who gained what by trading.

16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’

17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’

The Bible records the words of the Lord Jesus that when He returns to take the Church out of the world, He will reward each of God’s people in the Church according to their works.

″For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will render to each according to his works.″ (Matthew 16:27).

″And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to each one according to his work.″ (Revelation 22:12).

Although each disciple of the Lord is given equal opportunity and means to serve Him, the results will differ.

The “mina” symbolizes the opportunity and means to preach the Gospel that the Lord has equally given to each person.

The one who makes one mina yield ten minas represents the person who wholeheartedly uses the opportunities and means given by the Lord to serve Him, thereby achieving complete fruitfulness.

This fruitfulness is having many more opportunities and means to serve the Lord.

The number “ten” symbolizes completeness in quantity in the result.

That person deserves to be called a “faithful and wise servant” of Christ.

Preaching the Gospel is called a “small task” because it is easy to do—it only requires sharing with others the salvation one has received from God. This task costs nothing, does not require extraordinary talent, nor does it require a high social status. All it needs is a person’s obedience to the Lord out of love for Him and a heart that desires others to be saved just as they have been.

Today, preaching the Gospel is easier than ever, since anyone can use mass media tools to proclaim the Gospel online. God’s people should take advantage of these opportunities and means to preach the Gospel. They should create many social media pages and daily post or share sermons that present the truths of God’s Word. Everyone is free to repost sermons on our website, preachingfromthebible.net. Even if each social media page leads just one person to salvation, that is already a great result because a soul is worth more than the whole world (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36-37).

The phrase “have authority over ten cities” symbolizes ruling jointly with Christ at the highest level in the Heavenly Kingdom.

Luke 19:18-19

18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina made five minas.’

19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’

The person who made the one mina grow to five minas symbolizes someone who used the opportunity and means given by the Lord to preach the Gospel but for some reason did not achieve the same result as the first person. This person did not receive the praise, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” However, he was still rewarded with authority over five cities. Authority over five cities represents sharing in ruling with Christ in the Heavenly Kingdom, but to a lesser degree than the other.

Each of us should reflect on why, although we are all given equal opportunities and means, some do not achieve full and complete results in serving the Lord.

Luke 19:20-21

20 Then another came, saying, ‘Master, behold your mina, which I had laid away in a handkerchief.

21 For I feared you, because you are a harsh man. You take up what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’

Another servant reported to the master that he had kept the master’s mina wrapped in a cloth. This shows that he did not obey the master’s command: ″Do business till I come.″ The main reason could only be laziness. He was content to live on the master’s blessing without caring about serving him. Many of God’s people are like that. They enjoy God’s blessings but do not preach the Gospel, as commanded by Him and clearly recorded in the Bible (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 11:26). They do not understand that those who partake in the Lord’s Supper without preaching the Gospel are eating and drinking unworthily (1 Corinthians 11:27).

Many are given the gift of a beautiful voice by God. If they sing praises to God in Church gatherings and share their worship songs on social media, that is also a way of preaching the Gospel. Sometimes, even one line of a song can bring someone to the salvation of the Lord. Often, songs of praise and worship bring comfort, encouragement, and joy to listeners. Let no one hide the talent God has given them wrapped in a cloth.

The servant who did not serve the master made an excuse that he did not use the master’s mina to ″do business″ until the master’s return but instead kept it because he feared the master. He called the master a ″harsh man,″ implying that the master was someone who rewards and punishes justly, so he was afraid that if he failed, he would be punished. He preferred to keep the master’s original capital intact.

The statement, ″You take up what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow″ was a false accusation. The servant accused the master of being greedy and exploitative, meaning taking from others without investing effort. In reality, the master entrusted the capital (the mina) to the servant and generously rewarded the faithful servants. The servant slandered the master to shift the blame for his own failure to serve.

Today, in the Church, there are also people who live passively, enjoying the blessings of the Lord but not serving Him. They excuse themselves by saying, “I don’t have the ability; the Lord has not given me any gift!” Although the Lord has entrusted each person with at least one talent. Some have been given spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit, such as singing, teaching, and serving… yet they do not use the gifts the Lord has given to serve Him and the Church. They do not work for the Lord because they fear pressure or want to stay safe. They think, “If I don’t do anything, I won’t make mistakes.” Some even do not serve out of laziness.

Luke 19:22-23

22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was a harsh man, taking up what I did not deposit, and reaping what I did not sow.

23 Why then did you not give my money to a bank, and when I came, I would have collected it with interest?’

The master’s response reveals the wickedness and the false excuses of the unfaithful servant. First, the master calls him a ″wicked servant.″ He is wicked because he was not faithful in serving the master and even slandered the master to justify his own wrongdoing. Next, the master refutes the servant’s argument by pointing out that if the master truly took what he did not put down and reaped what he did not sow, the servant would not have dared to disobey him. On the contrary, he would have diligently followed the master’s command to avoid punishment.

In reality, the servant was lazy and unwilling to serve the master. Even if a person does not want to be busy buying and selling, he could have entrusted the money to bankers who would lend it out at interest.

God’s people, if they cannot directly preach the Gospel, can pray and support those who do. By doing so, they also share in the rewards of those they pray for and assist.

Luke 19:24-25

24 And he said to those standing by, ‘Take the mina away from him, and give it to him who has ten minas.’

25 “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’

“Those standing by” could be the angels on the day of judgment.

“The mina” symbolizes the opportunity and means to serve the Lord. Those who do not use the opportunities and means given by the Lord to serve Him will have them taken away and given to those who diligently serve the Lord with fruitful results.

Luke 19:26-27

26 For I say to you that to everyone who has, more shall be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him.

27 Nevertheless bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ “

The truth about “to everyone who has, more shall be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him” was previously taught by the Lord Jesus, as recorded in Luke 8:18. This principle can occur both in this life and in the life to come.

The word “has” and the words “does not have” can be understood as having faith and obedience to the Lord and lacking faith and obedience to the Lord.

Those who have faith and obedience will be granted increasing opportunities and means to serve the Lord in this life; they will receive greater rewards in the life to come.

Those who lack faith and obedience will have their opportunities and means to serve the Lord taken away in this life; their rewards already assigned for them in the life to come will also be taken away.

Finally, the master with authority commands the execution of all those who previously rejected his authority. These represent all who reject the Christ and will be judged by Him to eternal death in hell.

We conclude this lesson here.

May the Holy Spirit guide us into all the truths of God’s Word (John 16:13). May the Word of God sanctify us (John 17:17). May the Faithful *God of Peace Himself sanctify our spirit, soul, and body entirely, without blame (1 Thessalonians 5:23), at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Beloved Savior. Amen!

Timothy Christian Huynh
Priscilla Christian Huynh
07/19/2025

Note:

About Using “*God”, “the God” and “holy spirit”

Wherever the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts of the Bible use a definite article with a noun to denote GOD, we translate it into English as *God or “the God” to refer to God the Father. We understand that “God,” without a definite article, was used as a collective noun for all and any of the three Persons of the Godhead. And “God,” with a definite article, was used to refer to God the Father.

In the Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, the term “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) without the definite article “the” (το) is used to denote the power of God, which is given by God the Holy Spirit. “The Holy Spirit” (το πνευματι το αγιω) is God, and “holy spirit” (πνευματι αγιω) is the power that comes from God.