Parable of the Pounds, #3 (Luke 19:11-27)

The point: The truth of the Lord's return is to motivate us to persevering faith, spiritual sobriety and watchfulness, serious pursuit of personal holiness, and faithful use of God-given gifts and opportunities.

Martin quotes William Arno, a 19th-century Scottish preacher, to explain the decisive differences and similarities between the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Pounds, clarifying that the former highlights unequal gifts with equal diligence, while the latter highlights equal gifts with differing diligence.

And the parable of the mina, or the pounds, as recorded in Luke 19, 11 to 27. By way of a brief review, I quote again, the very accurate and helpful insights of William Arno, a Scottish preacher in the 19th century, who in introducing his exposition on the parable of the pounds or the mina, but conscious that he had opened up the parable of the talents from Matthew 25, he writes, it's necessary at the outset to indicate the relation which exists between this parable, the parable of the mina, and that of the talents. Although in many of their features they are the same, in others there is a dec...

8:21 - 9:22 Read in full sermon

The point: Your specific sphere of responsibility, influence, and service in the age to come will be determined by the degree of your diligence and faithfulness in the use of the common gifts and graces conveyed by the gospel in th…

Martin uses the analogy of a large animal feeling more pain than a fruit fly to explain that while everyone in hell will be perfectly miserable, there will be differing capacities for misery.

Now you see the Bible teaches that there will be degrees of punishment in hell. It shall be more tolerable, Jesus said, for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for you, Bethsaida, Chorazin. Degrees of punishment in hell. Everyone in hell will be perfectly, consummately miserable.

23:27 - 23:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Your specific sphere of responsibility, influence, and service in the age to come will be determined by the degree of your diligence and faithfulness in the use of the common gifts and graces conveyed by the gospel in th…

To explain differing capacities in heaven, Martin uses the analogy of a full glass and a full baptismal tank, both 'full' but holding different amounts, illustrating that all in heaven will be perfectly fulfilled but with varying capacities for communion and service.

But we shall have differing capacities in the age to come. For example, when one of the deacons fills this glass to the top I can say the glass is full. When the deacons fill the baptismal tank I can say the baptismal tank is full. Both are equally full but they don't have equal amounts.

24:50 - 25:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Would you have the expanded joy of rendering greater measures of service to your returning king in the age to come? If so, trade diligently with the common gifts and graces that come with the gospel.

Martin uses the awkward but vivid metaphor of a skunk's smell permeating an area to describe how the graciousness of Christ permeates every aspect of His dealings with His servants in the parable.

It's an awkward imagery but as the skunk's smell permeates a given area where he lets loose on those around him so this graciousness of Christ is just the atmosphere of this grace. And this grace is the grace of God and the grace of God and the grace of God and the grace of God and the grace of God and the grace of this parable. Verse 13, we read "...the nobleman called ten slaves gave them each an identical sum of money and then graciously commanded them to trade with it until he returned." I ask you was the nobleman under any constraint of the nature of the master-slave the king-servant rela...

34:35 - 35:46 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fifth abiding message is that wrong conceptions of Christ's disposition and ways make joyful service impossible. Martin analyzes the unfaithful servant's accusation that the…

Martin compares the unfaithful servant's description of the master to 'a first century Ebenezer Scrooge' who 'squeezes the nickel on the buffalo till it bellows,' to vividly portray the servant's perception of the master as unprincipled and greedy.

You reap where you didn't sow. You are an unprincipled scoundrel. You are a first century Ebenezer Scrooge. You squeeze the nickel on the buffalo till it bellows.

48:32 - 48:45 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The fifth abiding message is that wrong conceptions of Christ's disposition and ways make joyful service impossible. Martin analyzes the unfaithful servant's accusation that the…

Martin quotes Lenski, a Lutheran commentator, to provide a detailed analysis of the unfaithful slave's real attitude towards his lord, highlighting his hypocritical fear and his view of the master's command as a 'low down grasping scheme.'

That's what you are. Lenski, the Lutheran commentator, who's generally quite reserved in matters that really bristle. He captures it. Listen to his comment.

48:46 - 48:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And we get relief from a screaming conscience either by repenting, and seeking cleansing and forgiveness in the blood of Christ, or by a process of telling lies to ourselves.

Martin constructs an imaginative scenario of the unfaithful slave's internal thought process, detailing how he might have rationalized his disobedience by gradually convincing himself that the master was austere, thereby easing his conscience.

Trade with it till I return. No definite time, two weeks, a month, six months. He goes to bed that night. Let's suppose the transaction occurred toward the end of the day.

54:18 - 54:30 Read in full sermon