M.P. Horban hit the nail on the head when he wrote; Someday all that we will have is what we have given to God.

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1 Introduction This is the final parable in Luke s gospel. The themes of the parable are Jesus authority in judgment and faithfulness of his disciples. What does God want from me? God trusts you with salvation in Jesus Christ the Lord. This parable in part answers the question; the Lord trusts us, and believes in us. The Lord has given every Christian salvation, a stewardship, specific gifts, callings, and responsibilities. This parable has been called the Parable of the Pounds or Minas. A Judean mine was 570 grams of silver. A Phoenician mine was about 50 Greek staters. For the person living in first century Judea a mine probably translates to about 100 days wages. We know the Lord rewards diligence, faithfulness obedience. Does God trust us? Yes. Does God test us? Yes. Will God reward us? Yes. Will God judge those who do little or nothing to help advance His Kingdom? I think the answer is yes. Will God judge his enemies? The answer is severely. 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 (NLT); So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God s secrets. 2 Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. M.P. Horban hit the nail on the head when he wrote; Someday all that we will have is what we have given to God. John Wesley wrote; When a man becomes a Christian, he becomes industrious, trustworthy, and prosperous. Now, if that man, when he gets all he can and saves all he can, does not give all he can, I have more hope for Judas Iscariot than for that man! Investing In The King s Absence (vv.11-13) Luke 19:11 (NKJV); Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Now as they heard these things refers back to the story of our friend Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus was a Roman tax collector and a notorious sinner. Now that he has come to Christ what does that mean? When we come to Jesus Christ, when God has saved us, what does that mean? He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Jesus was coming to the place where he would be rejected by the chief priests and elders, persecuted, incarcerated, and executed. The disciples believed God s Messiah would fulfill the Davidic covenant, free Jerusalem and restore the Kingdom of God here on the earth. There was Messianic Kingdom fever the disciples and even some of the religious leaders believed apocalyptic fulfillment was right over the horizon. Messiah s Kingdom, all that was taught by the prophets was about to come to pass, for the disciple of Jesus, he or she would have thought they were on the very threshold of human government and the righteous rule of Jesus was just around the corner. But they were mistaken; they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear (v.11b). 1

2 Christ s earthly kingdom and Israel s liberation was something yet future. All Christians believe Jesus will return to the earth, but not all Christians believe Jesus will assume the throne of His father David and rule on a literal throne, in Jerusalem on the planet earth. To stress the fact that the kingdom was being postponed and we should expect to live our lives with meaning and purpose and expectation Jesus tells this story. Luke 19:12 (NKJV): Therefore He said: A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. This parable was loosely based on actual events that had previously transpired in Jerusalem. The image Jesus uses here would be familiar: Herod the Great (40 B.C. ) and his son Archelaus (4 B.C. ) had to go to Rome to receive the right to rule Judea. (IVP Bible Background Commentary; Craig Keener). Matthew s gospel tells us; 2:22 (NLT); But when he learned that the new ruler was Herod s son Archelaus, he was afraid. Then, in another dream, he was warned to go to Galilee. Joseph was afraid Archelaus was not a very nice person. The story would not have been ripped from the headlines (since the events took place a generation earlier) but every Jew would have been familiar with the tale of Archelaus. Archelaus was the oldest son of Herod the Great, who murdered the children of Bethlehem. His mother was a Samaritan named Malthrace. Archelaus was named as the heir of Judea and Samaria in Herod s will. Herod had been named King of the Jews by Rome, more specifically it fell to Marc Anthony to crown Herod King. After Herod s death, Archelaus prepared a voyage to Rome, to petition the Emperor Augustus to allow him to take control of his father s kingdom. Before Archelaus journey, he met with a number of Temple leaders. A crowd gathered to test the young man s sincerity and good will and to make what some might think considerable demands. They wanted Archelaus to reduce taxes; members of the delegation also began to complain about the fact that his father Herod had executed a group of scholars and zealots for destroying the golden eagle and tearing it down from the Temple gates. These activities led to riots against Archelaus men, which were intensified by the huge influx of people for the Passover festival. Archelaus lost patience and sent soldiers into the crowd, killing some 3,000 Jews, according to Josephus, all this during the time of the Passover. Much to the surprise of Archelaus, people in his own family opposed his petition for the crown, accusing him before Caesar Augustus. A delegation of fifty Jews and Samaritans traveled to Rome to oppose him before Caesar. Solome s children accused him first, and all this took place in the setting of the temple of Apollo. The fifty were joined by 8,000 expatriate Jews living in Rome. The delegation from Jerusalem related how he had killed 3,000 Jews during the feast of the Passover, heaping their bodies in the temple and then tortured others, to prove his power. They argued that he was unqualified, inept, corrupt (see R. Kent Hughes, vol.2 who quotes Antiquities 17.11). Augustus said he believed that Archelaus deserved the kingship, but he altered the terms of Herod s will, abolishing the Judean monarchy and naming Archelaus ethnarch over Judea, Samaria, and Idumaea. The emperor promised that the title king would also be 2

3 forthcoming if Archelaus governed well (see Guide to Biblical Coins, by David Hendin; pp where most of this information was taken). He did not govern well. He was never called King and eventually banished to the province of Gaul on the other side of the Empire. Both Jesus and Archelaus were born noble. But Jesus is a true king and a just king. The Greek expression literally refers to receiving a kingdom. Both the disciples and the religious leaders were fixated on an earthly kingdom. In the story the king goes to a far country to receive a kingdom, he is gone, but he will return. Jesus left to receive a kingdom from the king of the whole universe, God Himself. The idea or the picture is Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father as they make the final preparations for Christ s earthly kingdom. Luke 19:13 (NKJV); So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, Do business till I come. Each of the slaves were given a mina, the equivalent of about one hundred days wages, which they would probably entrust to the moneychangers. Because of exorbitant interest rates in the Greco-Roman world and because only a few people had significant capital, those doing business could quickly multiply their investments. 1 All the servants are given the same amount. Sometimes people get confused about the parable of the minas with the parable of the talents listed in Matt.25:14-30). They are very different. In Matthew s gospel the parable of the talents represent abilities (one was given five talents of gold, another two and another one). Here the mina does not represent talent (or abilities) but rather a deposit or a stewardship, in this case some Bible teachers believe the mina is in fact the gospel itself. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NLT); For we speak as messengers who have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Good News. Our purpose is to please God, not people. He is the one who examines the motives of our hearts. 2 Timothy 2:2 (NKJV); And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. All Christians are stewards of the gospel. Each Christian is given the same investment capital for his Christian life. All Christians, whether you are Greg Laurie, Billy Graham, John Calvin, Martin Luther, are entrusted with the same gospel (see R. Kent Hughes p.231). We are all given the same command; Do business till I come (v.13). The word business or occupy is the Greek word pragmateumai which means to conduct business, to get busy, to work for gain or to trade. This is the only place in the New Testament where this word is used. 1 Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Lk 19:13). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press. 3

4 We invest the investment Jesus Christ made in us in others. We are to multiply our spiritual capital invest the gospel increase the yield of the good news of salvation through Christ! This is not a matter of gifts but of investment (see R. Kent Hughes pp ). Testing The Servant s Integrity (vv.14-25) Luke 19:14 (NKJV); But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. This is exactly what happened in Rome to Herod and Archelaus. The Jewish leaders had a long history of resisting rule. They may have been justified in resisting the wicked characters of Herod and his son, but Jesus Christ is a good and gracious king. We will not have this man to reign over us. John 19:15 (NKJV); But they cried out, Away with Him, away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar! John 19:19-22 (NKJV);19 Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. 21 Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, Do not write, The King of the Jews, but, He said, I am the King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written. Are we shocked or surprised that people reject their king? The citizens of earth hate and reject the rule of God and His Christ. Men reject Jesus on a daily basis. Why? They do not desire Christ to rule over their lives and their hearts, their activities, their business, their families, their circumstances, their governments. People want to control their own lives, do their own thing. Luke 19:15 (NKJV); And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. In our story the king does return; and demands an accounting. The servants are asked to make explanation for their stewardships.jesus will return, and Jesus will settle accounts. Luke 19:16 (NKJV); Then came the first, saying, Master, your mina has earned ten minas. Luke 19:17 (NKJV); And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities. Luke 19:18 (NKJV); And the second came, saying, Master, your mina has earned five minas. Luke 19:19 (NKJV); Likewise he said to him, You also be over five cities. 4

5 One servant gained 1000% and the other 500%. Sounds impressive. Yet the servants are humble, they take no credit for themselves, Master, your mina has earned ten minas your mina has earned five minas. The king gave them the capital. Now the king gives his reward. Ten cities, and five cities, what an extravagant reward! They managed their investments well, but their rewards were beyond their imaginations. Helmut Thielicke explains; The splendor of the cities committed to them will be far less important than the fact that now they are the viceroys of the Lord and therefore among those closest to him and thus will always have access to him and be able to speak to him and tarry in his presence at all times. Their reward is that in the end the Lord will receive them with honors, that they will be privileged to speak and to live with Jesus forever. For heaven does not consist in what we shall receive, whether this be white robes and heavenly crowns or ambrosia and nectar, but rather in what we shall become namely the companions of our King (quoted in R.Kent Hughes Vol. 2; pp ). The reward of the faithful servant is joy, intimacy and proximity to Jesus. Oddly enough reward is not so much rest as responsibility as we work with Jesus Christ in unimaginable spiritual enterprises. Peter put it this way; 2 Peter 1:10-11 (NKJV); Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; 11 for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Just like in real life those who do the most work usually wind up getting more work! Luke 19:20 (NKJV); Then another came, saying, Master, here is your mina, which I have kept put away in a handkerchief. Luke 19:21 (NKJV); For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow. One servant made no investment. He simply wrapped his money in a garment usually used to keep the sun off a working man s neck. His speech reveals his attitude towards the king. He accuses the king of being austere the Greek word is austeros which means strict, we might even say harsh, or exacting or demanding. In our own culture we might say a person who gets blood out of a turnip, or as one pastor described another pastor s ability to squeeze every penny he could take a penny between his thumb and finger and make Lincoln cry. This servant apparently believed if he made any profit, the king would take it anyway, and if he lost it, he would have to pay out of his own pocket to reimburse the king. Like many Christians who have a false view of Jesus and of salvation. 5

6 I can t be active in the church, but I can be conservative, I send my children to church, even to VBS. I ll make sure my children have a Christian wedding, and my parent s a Christian funeral, I ll have a Christian world-view. I ll take my Christianity in wrap it neatly in my little cloth and hide it away so it isn t so obvious to everyone. I am willing to be a Christian, but I don t want to be a Jesus Freak. Luke 19:24-26 (NKJV); And he said to those who stood by, Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas. 25 (But they said to him, Master, he has ten minas. ) 26 For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. Only the servants of the Lord appear before the Lord. There are three types of servants and three courses of action; (1) the very faithful; (2) faithful; (3) and unfaithful. The first two servants were faithful, one more than the other, both labored diligently, but there was a slight difference one labored ever so diligently, daily, hourly, he was always walking with the Lord, never slacking or allowing the trials to hinder his labor. He was 1000% faithful. The other servant was not quite so sold out, he did not strain and sacrifice as much but was 500% faithful. The two servants were rewarded, but note only the first servant received an atta boy or Well done good servant. The other servant was not personally commended. The servants were rewarded according to their labor a city for each pound or mina. The idea is perfect justice perfect reward. The unfaithful servant had no vision of what could be done, he had no sense of responsibility towards the Lord. He felt no concern for the growth of the Kingdom or the king s property. He felt the gift given did not matter much or was not needed much. He was not looking for his Lord, or his return. He had a false security, believing the Lord would accept him and understand him even if he did fail to use his gifts just like some of you. The unfaithful servant is called wicked he is not condemned for what he did but for what he refused to do for what he had left undone. He believed the Lord required to much and was to strict. Some people interpret this passage to mean you can lose your salvation. They point to the fact that in this case the mina probably means the gospel and therefore salvation, and when Jesus has the King say, Take the mina from him, and give it to him who has ten minas the person has lost his salvation. I don t think so. The man s work is burned away, but the person is saved. 1 Corinthians 3:15 (NKJV); If anyone s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. You can t take salvation away from someone and give it to someone else. You can t be ten times more saved than someone else. Rewarding The Servant s Fidelity (vv.26-27) Luke 19:26 (NKJV); For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 6

7 Or as one rock and roll theologian put it, nothing from nothing leaves nothin -you gotta have something if you want to be with me. Luke 19:27 (NKJV); But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me. This is the future for those who reject the rule of Jesus Christ in their lives. John saw this in the book of Revelation Revelation 14:9-11 (NKJV); Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. The warning is severe and scary. It is supposed to frighten you. When Jesus returns, He will reward the faithful servants (vv ), deal with the unfaithful servants (vv ) and judge His enemies (v. 27 ). The unfaithful servant had no excuse; his fear paralyzed him when it should have mobilized him into service. At the Judgment Seat of Christ, the Lord will balance the accounts and give each of us exactly what we deserve. We must occupy (do business) until He comes. 2 Erwin Lutzer put it this way; God will not merely judge us on the basis of what we gave but also on the basis of what we did with what we kept for ourselves. Conclusion Some of you may be horrified by the sheer terror of the passage. Behind the terrifying imagery is a truth Jesus coming into the world forces the world to choose every person in the world to choose who will be king. The decision is literally a matter of life and death. To those who invest their investment there is unimaginable reward. To those who have hidden it shame. To those who reject Jesus Christ death. We are in the final hour. The King is coming. How are His investments doing? (R. Kent Hughes Vol. 2: p.236). 2 Wiersbe, W. W. (1997, c1992). Wiersbe's expository outlines on the New Testament (Lk 19:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books. 7