Occupied

A recent divorcee was speaking of a meeting that morning. She and her lawyer met with her ex and his lawyer. The meeting was called to discuss specific items that her ex was demanding. As she finished, she summed the meeting: “Nothing changed. Every thing he said he would be asking for was never came up. Everything we agreed upon was what we were already doing. Of course, he might tell it differently.”

And, she’s right. We hear what we want to hear out of conversations. We go into meetings, into marriages, into life, with preconceived notions that can only be changed through study and understanding.

Reading stories that I’ve known for decades, there are still details I now find that I’ve missed before.

As a child I heard about three servants who received a pound from their master – and returned to him twenty, ten and his own one pound upon his return.

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. (Luke 19:13 KJV)

First off, Luke says ten servants were given ten pounds. Where did I miss those other seven as I focused on the outcome of three? Perhaps the focus was on the two who said:

Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds. (Luke 19:16 KJV)

And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds. (Luke 19:18 KJV)

Or, maybe on the object lesson the teachers usually put forth:

And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow. (Luke 19:20-21 KJV)

Fear kept this third servant from doing anything. He never knew what he could do for he never tried.

I’ve missed a good object lesson in: Occupy till I come. (Luke 19:13 KJV)

They were never told what to do other than to keep themselves occupied – assumedly in their regular, every day activities. Well, except for one other verse in there:

But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. (Luke 19:14 KJV)

The ‘nobleman’ of verse 12 was disliked. Just as God is disliked. Just as His servants are disliked. Have been since time began. Those who love God appear to be in a minority in this world. Or, are they as the quiet seven servants who did not received attention in these verses.

Oh, two did outstandingly. One feared. But seven of the servants occupied and were never mentioned again.

Where do we stand in our occupation?