The first part of the parable of the Gold Coins has a semblance to the story of a historical leader of Israel who sought the approval of the Roman authority in Syria to be the king of Israel instead of his brother.

Before leaving, this nobleman entrusts his wealth to his servants. He expects them to invest. He gets approved by Rome, against the will of his people. When he returns home, he asks for an accounting from his servants. Those who increased his wealth are entrusted with more responsibility, while the one who did not is punished severely.

Christians must make good of what is entrusted to them no matter what. Suspicions and misgivings do not help. In this age and time, if you disobey your authority because you believe he is corrupt, you may still find yourself in trouble. But be firm. We must consistently do good amidst doubts, confusions, and contradictions. In God’s Kingdom, God rewards those who perform well. There is no excuse for doing nothing in this imperfect world.

Most admirable and worthy of everlasting remembrance was the mother, who saw her seven sons perish in a single day, yet bore it courageously because of her hope in the Lord. Filled with a noble spirit that stirred her womanly heart with manly courage, she exhorted each of them in the language of their ancestors with these words:

“I do not know how you came into existence in my womb; it was not I who gave you the breath of life, nor was it I who set in order the elements of which each of you is composed. Therefore, since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man’s beginning, as he brings about the origin of everything, he, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of his law.”

Antiochus, suspecting insult in her words, thought he was being ridiculed. As the youngest brother was still alive, the king appealed to him, not with mere words, but with promises on oath, to make him rich and happy if he would abandon his ancestral customs…

In derision of the cruel tyrant, she leaned over close to her son and said in their native language: “Son, have pity on me, who carried you in my womb for nine months, nursed you for three years, brought you up, educated and supported you to your present age. I beg you, child, to look at the heavens and the earth and see all that is in them; then you will know that God did not make them out of existing things; and in the same way the human race came into existence. Do not be afraid of this executioner, but be worthy of your brothers and accept death, so that in the time of mercy I may receive you again with them.”

While people were listening to Jesus speak, he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the Kingdom of God would appear there immediately. So he said, “A nobleman went off to a distant country to obtain the kingship for himself and then to return. He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’

His fellow citizens, however, despised him and sent a delegation after him to announce, ‘We do not want this man to be our king.’ But when he returned after obtaining the kingship, he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money, to learn what they had gained by trading. The first came forward and said, ‘Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.’

He replied, ‘Well done, good servant! You have been faithful in this very small matter; take charge of ten cities.’… Then the other servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it stored away in a handkerchief, for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding person; you take up what you did not lay down and you harvest what you did not plant.’ …’ ‘I tell you, to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.’”