Jesus taught people with parables. A parable is a story that teaches a lesson. These stories included examples from everyday life that offered clues that helped the listener understand what Jesus was teaching.

Jesus tells this parable to encourage his listeners to get busy preparing for the kingdom of God.

The Parable of the Ten Pounds
Luke 19:12-24

Jesus told them this parable:

A nobleman was going to a distant country. So, he summoned ten of his slaves and gave them each ten pounds. He said to them, “Do business with this money until I return.”

When he returned, he summoned the slaves to see what they had earned with his money.

The first slave came forward and said, “I have made ten more pounds with your pound.”

“Well done!” the man said to the slave. “I will put you in charge of ten cities.”

The second slave came forward. He said, “I have made five pounds with your pound.”

“Well done!” the man said to this slave. “I will put you in charge of five cities.”

A third slave came forward and said, “I was afraid of you, so I wrapped your pound in a piece of cloth and set it aside.”

“You fool!” the man scolded the slave. “Why didn’t you at least put my money in the bank where it would have earned interest?” Then he said to the people around him, “Take his pound away and give it to the one who has ten pounds.”

The nobleman explained, “To those who have, more will be given. From those who have nothing, even more will be taken away.”