Charles Spurgeon Commentary Luke 19:20

"And another came, saying, Lord, behold, [here is] thy pound, which I kept laid up in a napkin:" — Luke 19:20 (ASV)

And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

The napkin, with which he ought to have wiped away the sweat from his brow, he had used merely as a wrapper for the pound that his lord had entrusted to him for the purpose of trading with it. He had done nothing with the pound; he thought he was all right because he had not done any harm with his lord's money.

He had not joined the revolting citizens, who said, "We will not have this man to reign over us." He had not spent the pound, nor embezzled his master's money. In fact, he had been very careful to keep intact the treasure that had been entrusted to him, and he felt proud of his own prudence, and said, "Lord, behold, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin."

And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:

He had not lost it, he had not spent it, he had not even dug a hole in the earth and hidden it; but he had used a nice piece of linen to wrap it in, and had taken great care of it; and there it was just as when he received it. It had not diminished, neither had it grown at all.