1. It is a parable of ten servants, but only the first three are referenced. I wonder if "ten" had any significance.
2. Luke says that the purpose of the parable was to dispel the notion that the Kingdom of God would begin right away. This is nice of Luke because we know what Christ's purpose was, which helps us interpret the parable correctly.
3. There is no difference between the servant who made ten times the original amount or five times the original amount. They get the same reception: Well done! However, their reward is different and appears to be based upon their output. The point is that the king tells them both, "Well done!"
4. The worst thing that one can do is nothing. The servant who did nothing with the money entrusted to him is given the harshest punishment. He loses everything.
5. While the punishment for those who did not want the king to rule may seem harsh to our modern ears, to Christ's hearers this would have seemed perfectly just and normal. A king was sovereign ruler, deciding on matters of life and death within his realm. He had certain subjects who were rebellious; who did not want his rule and reign. They were rebellious subjects and worthy of death. Christ's hearers would have agreed with him. This is what rebellious subjects deserved.
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