What does Luke 19:27 mean?

Jesus finishes the parable of the ten minas with a horrifying conclusion (Luke 19:11–27). In the parable, a nobleman leaves to meet the ruler who will crown him king. When he goes, those of his citizens who did not want him to be king send a delegation to the ruler to try to stop the coronation. Their protest doesn't succeed; the nobleman is now king and is ready to execute his traitors.

The parable impacts our lives on several different points. Jesus is not going to rule from His earthly throne immediately; He will have to die, be resurrected, ascend to heaven, and wait until the time is right for His return (Luke 24:50–53; Revelation 19:11–16). Until that time, we need to decide whether we believe that He is our Savior enough to identify with Him and spread the gospel.

Additionally, there's more than one way to reject Jesus. There's the way of the third servant who understood the nobleman was going to return as king. Yet he had no trust and the lack of faith led to a lack of action. He was afraid to invest the mina he'd been given for fear of losing it. He represents the leaders of Jerusalem who knew Jesus was the Messiah, "but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:42–43).

And there's the way of the rebellious who do not want Jesus to reign over them (Luke 19:14). This is an apt description of the members of the Sanhedrin and other religious leaders who are jealous of Jesus' following and convince Pilate to crucify Him (Matthew 27:15–25).

The punishment sounds harsh, but it is just. Jesus is King of the Jews. He is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. If someone has enough information to know that but refuses to submit to Him because of selfishness, pride, and/or envy, they are Christ's enemies. In the end, they will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 20:11–15).