Use it or Lose it Luke 19:11-27

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1 Use it or Lose it Luke 19:11-27 By most measures he was an old man, approaching his 90th birthday, but the legendary man of science still walked with a sense of purpose as he raced to the front of the crowded auditorium to deliver his annual lecture. There were no professors or university administrators in the room, even though some would probably have risked their tenure to sneak in and hear Linus Pauling talk about chemistry. The only person to win "two unshared Nobel prizes," as he was so often described, had laid down only one condition for his agreement to give the talk each year at Stanford University. Only graduate students were permitted in the room. "Well, I guess you would like to know what we are working on in the institute," he said as he referred to his research lab not far from the campus. He picked up a piece of chalk and went to one corner of the room, which had three walls covered by backboards. At the top of the first board he wrote an equation. He described one experiment that forced a modification of the equation, which he also wrote. He continued developing the equation until the entire wall was filled. Then the second wall. And then the third. When he finished, the work that had been his most recent obsession covered all three walls, each equation leading to another, and another, and another. The old man didn't look so old anymore as he turned and smiled. "Are there any questions?" he asked. Not a single hand went up as the students sat there, awed by an intellectual Tour de Force that demonstrated that the old guy was still very much in command. Pauling's message was simply this: the human brain is like any other muscle. Exercise it, train it, use it, and it will serve you well. Neglect it and it will fail. What Linus Pauling was demonstrating with chemical equations we know instinctively. That s why we do cross word puzzles and sudokos in our spare time. If we don t exercise our brain, which is nothing more and nothing less than the most complex muscle in the universe, we ll lose it. It s why we chose to go for a walk or run on Sunday afternoon rather than lie on the couch and eat nachos and cheese. It s why we exercise our muscles. If we don t use them we ll lose them. Use it or lose it is a principle for life. It s also a kingdom principle. Jesus told a parable which demonstrated that if we don t use the resources, opportunities, and talents God gives to us, we ll lose them. He will take them away and give them to someone else. The gifts of God are too precious to be wasted, so if we re not going to use them, he ll give them to someone who will. Sermon Body The Parable of the Pounds or Minas is a unique parable because it is the only one whose story is part based on an actual historical event. In the year 4 BC Herod the Great died and his kingdom was divided into 3 regions to be governed by his 3 sons. This transfer of power had to be ratified by the Roman authorities, so the sons had to travel to Rome to make the case for their ability to rule. One of the sons, Archelaus, was positioned to be the ruler of Judea. Before he made it to Rome a band of about 50 citizens pre-empted him, appealing to Caesar that he not be anointed King of Judea because of his noted cruelty. Despite these appeals Caesar approved Archelaus

2 request to rule Judea, though he didn t give him the title of King. Instead he was made tetrarch, a ruling position but one not as prestigious or powerful as king. His cruelty found expression in his slaughter of 3000 Jews not long after his reign began. Caesar, ultimately relieved him of his responsibilities in the year 6AD because of his incompetency, cruelty, and lack of control over his servants. That s what Jesus is referring to when he began his parable, A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return (1912). He went on to say, But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, We don t want this man to be our king (19:14). Anyone in Judea, on hearing the parable, would immediately remember the historical circumstances on which it was based. But let s backup for just a moment to understand where Jesus was when telling this parable and the circumstances surrounding it. We learn from the beginning of chapter 19 that Jesus was in Jericho, a town about 15 miles west of Jerusalem. In Jericho, Jesus meets a wee little man named Zaccheus, has dinner with him, and alters his life forever. Following the radical conversion of Zaccheus, Jesus and his disciples are on the way to Jerusalem where Jesus will make his triumphal entry into the city of Zion. It was the season of Passover and there was an air of excitement surrounding Jesus. People were thinking he might be ushering in the Day of the Lord (Amos 5:18). The thinking was, if salvation can come to the house of a sniveling tax collector then salvation is surely coming for all Israel. These people following Jesus to Jerusalem were expecting the kingdom to come, Israel to be released from bondage, and all nations to bow down and submit to the God of Abraham. So Luke s recounting of this mood begins in verse 11, While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once (19:11). At once!! Jesus was about to inaugurate the kingdom of God and it was going to happen soon. Ethel, stop making vacation plans, the kingdom is coming. Henry, don t worry about saving for retirement, the kingdom is coming. Sally, no need to clean your room, the kingdom if coming. Billy, quit writing editorials for the paper about protecting the environment, we re going to heaven, and it doesn t matter anymore. That s the danger isn t it? When we start getting too excited about the kingdom coming soon, about Jesus returning and ending it all, we neglect the ordinary acts of faithfulness. There is this belief that the earth doesn t matter. We don t need to care for the environment because Jesus is coming soon and creating a new heaven and a new earth. There is the tendency to get slack about making plans for future growth for the local church. If Jesus is coming next week, why are we worried about paying off the church debt. Who cares about paying off Cardinal State Bank when Jesus is coming? If Jesus is coming next week why did I spend 2 days last week preparing sermon series for 2011? Why are we sweating over a church budget? You see the problem don t you. Jesus saw the problem so he offered this parable. The Gift The parable centers around the departure of a nobleman. As we ve seen, Jesus is alluding to the historical trip of Archelaus to Rome to secure his crown. But Jesus is

3 also speaking allegorically, referring to himself through this parable of the nobleman. Jesus, too, is about to make a trip to a distant country, a return trip to his heavenly father. He will leave his servants in charge of his kingdom while he is gone and he is expecting them to make the most of their opportunity to serve him well while he is away. So the parable is historically alluding to Archelaus, but allegorically referring to Jesus. The nobleman called 10 of his servants and gave each of them a pound and said, Put this money to work until I come back (19:13). The NIV uses the phrase 10 minas which literally means 10 units of money was equivalent to about 3 months wages. No small sum! They were told to put the money to work, to invest the money, until the nobleman returned. It would be a while for he had traveled to a distant country. He wasn t going to the local grocery store to get a gallon of milk. He wasn t even going to a nearby country. He was going to a distant country, implying he would not be back soon. Of course, Jesus is implying that his own return may be delayed as well. The buzz on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem is that the kingdom will of God will appear at once. It s not going to happen. Long-term faithfulness is needed. We are also informed that the nobleman faced opposition. In fact, some of his subjects hated him and announced they didn t want him to be their king. Again, there is clear historical reference to the opposition Archelaus faced, but we shouldn t overlook the implication that Jesus is addressing the opposition he faced. Many Jews didn t want him to be their king. They made that very clear. So Jesus, the nobleman in the parable is manufacturing a test, a test of loyalty while he s gone. He s going to see who will be faithful to him and his kingdom while he is not physically present with them. Jesus is telling us in story form that his disciples will face opposition while he is away. While he is gone, his servants who have been entrusted with the gospel will have the freedom to act faithfully or to hide their light under a bushel. That s what happens in the parable. When the nobleman returns he asks his servants to give an accounting of what they did with the money. Remember, they didn t know if he would be granted his kingship. The story assumes those living in Judea know of the political instability of the days between kings. Archelaus was going to Rome to claim royal prerogative, but there was strong opposition against him. He might not receive it. So perhaps the prudent thing to do would be bury the money, hide it in a napkin, don t let anyone know you ve been given this money by Archelaus. Do you see what Jesus is doing? In speaking of the political instability of Judea, he s also referring to the instability of his own kingdom. There are powerful forces in Rome and Jerusalem that are opposed to him. And yet, he calls some disciples, he teaches them the principles of the kingdom, he empowers them to preach the Gospel and heal people in his name. But such loyalty will put his disciples at risk. They will be tempted to close their mouths and keep the Gospel hidden in a napkin, to not let anyone know they have chosen sides. Do you remember how the Apostle Paul faced this dilemma? He said, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation of everyone who believes, first for the Jews, then for the Gentile (Rom 1:16). Can you see the implication for us? For his disciples living in the 21 st century? The parable is a subtle appeal for loyalty to the Gospel in the midst of opposition. How appropriate is this for us living in America at the beginning of the 21 st century, when Christianity is in decline, church attendance dwindling, and commitment to Christ in retreat. The question for

4 today is not will America return to its Christian roots? The question is, Will the church remain loyal when the king is away in distant country? Will the church be faithful to the cross of Christ when it is increasingly an unpopular or considered to be an irrelevant posture? Kenneth Bailey, a highly respected NT scholar, recounts in his book on the parables a time when he was teaching in Latvia, a country on the western border of Russia. He was allowed to observe students being interviewed for the seminary. He noticed the one question asked of every student was When were you baptized? Dr. Bailey asked the teachers, Why is the date of baptism such an important question? They answered, If they were baptized during the period of Soviet rule, they risked their lives and compromised their futures by being baptized. But if they were baptized after liberation from the Soviets, we have further questions to ask them about why they want to become pastors. The young students were being tested, just like we are being tested in our loyalty to Jesus in a season of turmoil and competing worldviews. The Reward Back to the parable: The first servants says, Sir, your mina has earned ten more! The nobleman says to him, Well done, my good servant! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities (19:17). The servant isn t commended for his success. He s commended for his trustworthiness. Some translations use the word faithfulness. Because of this faithfulness the servant is given charge of 10 cities. His faithfulness in a small task leads to a larger responsibility. There is a great kingdom principle here Jesus is conveying: Faithfulness in small matters leads to greater responsibility. The reward of work well done is more work to do. This servant went from a responsibility to managing 3 months wages, to managing 10 cities. Think about it: taxes, roads, budgets, water systems, sewage systems, police networks, park management. He was given major responsibilities because he had been faithful in small matters. This kingdom principle applies to every aspect of life doesn t it? I like to remind our teenagers and young adults, the reason you are to be faithful in your school work is not to make good grades, it is to prepare for greater responsibilities in the future. If you can t read a chapter in a history book and answer some questions for homework, why should an employer give you an employee manual and hope you will read it and learn your job? If you can t carry out menial jobs when you are just out of college and graduate school, who will trust you with greater responsibility? In my work among Baptists nationally I listen to a number of young graduates from seminaries these days complain they can only get hired to minister to youth or children and can t get hired to be a pastor. They seem quite put out by this, offended almost. The truth is that most pastors today began vocational ministry with youth and children. My first job in a church was as a minister of youth and children. I did that for 3 years and the church observed my ministry, and when the pastor left during my third year, they asked me to be the interim pastor, while continuing to the work of youth and children. The reward for being faithful in my initial task wasn t a pay raise, though one was given. It was greater responsibility, the preparation of sermons for adults as well as Bible studies for youth and children. Faithfulness in small matters leads to greater responsibility.

5 Sometimes we feel like our work isn t important. No one notices. No one pays attention. It really doesn t matter what I do. You may be working in a job that appears to be a dead end. It could be busing tables, washing dishes, changing diapers, grading papers, or crunching numbers. The tasks might feel menial. You should remember there are no menial tasks, only menial efforts. It s the small daily jobs that bring victory. Summer showers are more effective than hurricanes. Ask the people in New Orleans. Any job, no matter how small, done with effort and faithfulness is pleasing in the sight of God, and might well be preparation for greater responsibility down the road. This is a kingdom principle. The reward for a job well done is more responsibility. And as our parable teaches, the greatest responsibility we have is faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If God finds us faithful in proclaiming and living the Gospel, the reward will not be more leisure and income. It will be more responsibility in sharing the Gospel with the world. The Neglect The second servant was faithful and returned to the nobleman saying, Sir, your mina has earned 5 more (19:18). He was commended by giving the responsibility of taking charge of 5 cities. But the third servant said returned only the original mina saying, Here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you were a hard man (19:21). The master called him a wicked servant. He rebuked him and told him he should ve at least put the money in the bank to earn some interest. And he took the one mina the wicked servant returned and gave it to the one who now was in charge of 10 cities. The kingdom principle here is Use it or Lose it. The servant didn t use the resources given to him, and instead only hid them. He was afraid of losing it. He was afraid of risking. He was too timid to use what the master had given him and therefore lost it. Jesus, here, is asserting a divine principle in this parable: There is no standing still in the Christian life. You re either moving forward, growing, learning, maturing in your relationship with Jesus Christ or you re dying, stagnating, withering away on the vine of worldliness and selfishness. An old term used by Baptists is backsliding. God has given each of you sitting in this sanctuary today gifts, resources, talents and opportunities to use for his kingdom. And today, right now, in this period of your life, you are either going to use those gifts in faithfulness or hide them for fear of failure or embarrassment or simply because you ve grown apathetic in your passion for our Lord. Where are you today? Are you using your gifts courageously and generously for the Gospel of Jesus Christ or are you holding tight, sort of coasting in neutral, playing it safe? In the days before modern harbors, a ship had to wait for the flood tide before it could make it to port. The term for this situation in Latin was ob portu, which means, a ship standing off a port, waiting for the moment when it could ride the turn of the tide to harbor. The English word opportunity is derived from this original meaning. The captain and crew were ready and waiting for another tide to come in. Shakespeare turned this background of the meaning of opportunity into one of his most famous passages. In Julius Caesar, Act 4, Scene 3 he wrote:

6 There is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures. Conclusion What ventures in your Christian life are you taking? What opportunities are before you? Before our church? Are we willing to risk in order to advance the Gospel? Are you using your gifts for the kingdom of God? Are you using your money to advance the work of the gospel around the world or are you hoarding it in your napkin and hiding it under the mattress? Are you taking care of the Gospel of Jesus Christ entrusted to you and sharing it with others even though opposition or rejection might result? Are you ashamed of the Gospel? Do people know you are a Christ followers? Are you willing to take the side of the Master who is away in a distant country, while others are rebelling against him and rejecting his authority while he is away? What opportunities are before you to go on mission, to teach a SS class, to help in some small way the purposes of God s church? My friends, we must seize these opportunities, because we don t know when the tide will come in again. We don t know when the master will return. We don t know if this opportunity will ever come our way again. God has given us brains and muscles and money to use for his kingdom. We will either use them for the Lord as we await his return or we will lose them. God will find someone else who is faithful if we are not. God will use another church if we are apathetic. Use it or lose it. It s not only true regarding crossword puzzles. It s even more true regarding the cross of Christ and our opportunity to pick it up daily to follow him. May he find us faithful when he returns.