Parable of the Pounds, #1 (Luke 19:11-27)

Introduction and Context of the Parable

0:01 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, December 2, 2001, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. I would encourage you to follow with me in your own Bibles as I read in your hearing Luke chapter 19, beginning at verse 11. Luke 19, verse 11, and reading through verse 27.

0:32 And as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable because he was nigh to Jerusalem and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear. He said, therefore, a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. And he called ten servants or slaves of his and gave them ten pounds or minas. And he said to them, trade till I come.

1:11 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him saying, we will not that this man reign over us. And it came to pass when he was come back again, having received the kingdom, that he commanded these slaves unto whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know what they had gained. And the first came before him saying, Lord, your pound has made ten pounds or ten minas more.

1:46 And he said unto him, well done, you good servant, because you were found faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities. And the second came saying, your pound or mina, Lord, has made five minas. And he said unto him also. Be over five cities.

2:10 And another came saying, Lord, behold, here is your mina, which I kept laid up in a napkin. For I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up that which you did not lay down and you reap that which you did not sow. He said unto him, out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked slave.

2:35 You knew. You knew that I am an austere man, taking up that which I did not lay down and reaping that which I did not sow. Then wherefore did you not give my money unto the bank? And at my coming I should have received.

2:52 At my coming I should have required it with interest. And he said unto them that stood by, take away from him the pound and give it unto him that hath the ten pounds or ten mina. And they said unto him, Lord. He has ten mina.

3:09 I say unto you that unto every one who has shall be given. But from him that has not, even that which he has shall be taken away from him. But these mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me. Well, let us again pray and ask God to help us.

3:35 We may be taught of the spirit of God. As we come to this portion of the word. Let's pray.

3:47 Our Father, we have read things from the scriptures this morning that have thrilled us. That have caused our hearts to rise up in praise and adoration. We come now to a passage which sobers us. And we pray that the Holy Spirit would be present to give us not only an accurate understanding of this portion of the word.

4:10 But to embrace all of it. And to raise pressure upon our own hearts. Upon our own lives. Upon our thinking about life now.

4:19 And what it will be like in the day of the return of our Lord Jesus. Our Father, accomplish every purpose of your own heart. We would in faith hold your own word before you. You have said, so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth.

4:39 It shall not return unto me void. But shall accomplish that. Where unto I have sent it. Oh Father, do that this morning we pray.

Theological Framework: Return of Christ and Stewardship

4:48 For our good. And for your praise. Amen. Now I've decided to forego my normal pattern of seeking to compose an introduction.

5:04 Which hopefully acts as a kind of mental magnet. To draw your minds and interest to the text or the theme that we are about to take up with you. Because of the time constraint. Given the fact that I want to give an exposition of this entire parable.

5:23 Within a reasonable length of time. We're going to plunge right into the passage. With doing nothing more than wetting our feet. By way of a very brief overview of where we are in this series of studies.

5:37 Now beginning to draw to a close on the return of Christ. In New Testament belief and experience. Having demonstrated. From the scriptures that there was a major place in the heart and experience of ordinary New Testament Christians with respect to this truth of the Lord's return loving expecting the Lord's return was part and parcel of ordinary Christian experience.

6:07 We spent a number of weeks looking at the dominant elements of what will happen when Jesus comes again. What will he do with those? Who are in him? What will he do with those who are not in him?

6:20 What will he do with the devil and his angels? What will he do with the existing created order? And after completing our efforts to lay out the biblical answer to the question. What do we have grounds to expect in connection with the Lord's return?

6:38 For several weeks now we've been considering the so what? What is the impact of the second coming upon our own hearts and lives? What ought to be its impact and I've suggested that its impact can be seen ranged under two major categories the gracious consolations derived from the truth of the Lord's return and secondly the manifold motivations rooted in the truth of the Lord's return. And right now I'm seeking to demonstrate from the scriptures this fourth element of the motivations rooted in the Lord's return.

7:17 Namely the fact that the Lord's return ought to exert a powerful influence upon us motivating us to use faithfully all of our God-given gifts and opportunities to serve Christ and in seeking to demonstrate that fact I told you last Lord's Day we'd be studying these two parables the one in Matthew chapter 25 and the passage here in Luke.

7:47 Chapter 19 and in these passages there is indeed an overlapping there are many aspects where there are similarities but the diversities are of such a nature that only a willful indifference to the text of scripture can bring about a conclusion that they are basically the same parable Matthew giving his slant on it Luke giving his leaving us with no understanding of what chapter 19 is.

8:17 Jesus originally said well as one of the commentators has written and I think this will be helpful to you he writes it's necessary at the outset to indicate the relation which exists between this parable Luke 19 and that of the talents Matthew 25 although in many of their features they are the same in others there is a decisive difference both show that the Lord bestows privileges on his service.

8:47 Both show that he demands faithfulness in return both of the parables show that the diligent are rewarded and the unprofitable and lazy are condemned but the one supposes a case in which all the servants receive equal privileges that's the one we're studying this morning that even those of them who are faithful may be unequal as to the amount of their service.

9:17 The other Matthew 25 supposes a case in which unequal privileges five talents two talents one are bestowed upon the servants and shows that when unequal gifts are employed with equal diligence the approval is equal in the day of accounting both alike exhibit the grand fundamental distinction between the faithful and the faithless.

9:47 But in pointing out also the diversities that exist among true disciples they view the subject from opposite sides each presenting that aspect of it which the other omits and then this commentator has a masterful little footnote the man who cannot perceive or will not own that these are two distinct parables charged with different though related lessons is not fit to be an expositor of any right.

10:17 Relating either sacred or secular enough for the critics who persist in the theory that these two parables are different and consequently incorrect reports of one discourse spoken only once by the Lord this conceit is not worthy of a minute refutation and to that I say amen. So we looked last week at the parable of the talents we saw that the setting of that parable is. bounded by some of the most rich and concentrated teaching concerning the return of our Lord Jesus

10:55 Christ in power and glory at the end of the age. So to interpret the parable in the light of the Lord's return is a responsible exposition in the context in which that particular parable comes to us. And the heart of its teaching, as we saw, is twofold. First, it sets before us the fact that at the coming of Christ, the Lord Jesus will give equal commendation and compensation for equal improvement of unequal gifts. Secondly, the parable of the talents found in Matthew 25

11:35 teaches that there is no such thing as a true believer who brings no return to the Lord Jesus Christ. So to interpret the parable in the light of the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, it sets before us the fact that at the coming of Christ, the Lord Jesus returns of increase resulting from the sincere effort of his or her God-given gifts and opportunities for service. The faithless, lazy servant is damned, not pushed off to a less bright corner of the celestial city and given dry bread to eat while we walk up and down the tree of life, the river of life, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, and eat of the trees that are planted along that river, know that one who brought no returns was sent into outer darkness.

Historical Circumstances Precipitating the Parable

12:18 Now we come to the parable here in Luke chapter 19. And as we did with the parable in Matthew 25, we begin by considering the historical circumstances surrounding and precipitating this parable. The historical circumstances both surrounding and precipitating this parable. As I've often said, the chapter divisions in our Bibles are man-made conveniences, often very helpful, but sometimes a hindrance to an accurate understanding of the Word of God, because we tend to let the numbers put there by men chop off our thoughts and fail to see

13:02 the relationships between various parts of the biblical testimony that are broken up with those numbers. And if we're to understand the historical circumstances surrounding and precipitating this parable, we tend to let the numbers put there by men chop off our thoughts and fail to see the relationships between various parts of the biblical testimony that are broken up with those numbers. And if we're to understand this particular parable, we must be sensitive to the historical circumstances that surround it and several specific things which actually precipitated our Lord giving this parable. And I suggest that it can be understood against the backdrop of Luke 18, 31 to 34, and 19, 28, and secondly, by the introductory statement in 19, 11,

13:41 so the backdrop of this parable, Luke 18, 31 to 34, and he, that is Jesus, took unto him the twelve and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets shall be accomplished unto the Son of Man. For he shall be delivered up unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and shamefully treated, and spit upon, and they shall scourge and kill him. The third day he shall rise, and the third day he shall rise, and the third day he shall rise, again. And they understood none of these things, and this saying was hid from them, and they perceived not the things that were said.

14:26 Luke is careful to note in chapter 9 and verse 51 of his gospel record that at this point in the life history of our Lord Jesus, he has set his face resolutely to go to Jerusalem to accomplish his redemptive work. Luke 9, 51 says, It came to pass when the days were well nigh come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem. And here, at this point in the narrative, we find that our Lord Jesus, with Jerusalem and what will

15:05 happen at Jerusalem filling his mind, in company just with the twelve, he gets very, very explicit as to what awaits him at Jerusalem. And the text says that they had absolutely no comprehension. Then there follows, in verses 35 to 43 of Luke 18, an incident as Jesus with his disciples and a gathering crowd is entering into Jericho, he heals a blind man. Look at 19, verse 1, he entered and was passing through Jericho. As he's coming in,

15:41 he heals a blind man. As he's passing through, he converts Zacchaeus. And he makes some statements about what is revealed in Zacchaeus' conversion. But then we read this parable and immediately following it, look at verse 28, And when he had thus spoken, he went on before going up to Jerusalem. Luke is careful to underscore,

16:11 for us, that this parable is couched in a setting in which Jerusalem looms very large in the mindset of our blessed Lord. And what he is awaiting at Jerusalem is the very thing that he described in verses 32 and 33 of Luke 18. He has explicitly taught his disciples, Jerusalem equals deliverance to the world. And he has explicitly taught his disciples, Jerusalem equals deliverance to the world. And he has explicitly taught his disciples, Jerusalem equals deliverance to the

16:41 Gentiles. Mocking, shameful treatment, being spat upon, scourged, killed, a real death, followed by a glorious resurrection. So whatever the parable may be intended to teach concerning our responsibility to be good stewards of our gifts and opportunities, we must never think of that dimension of truth in any way. And we must never think of that dimension of truth in any way. And we must never think of

17:11 that dimension of truth in any way. And we must never think of that dimension of truth in any way. As to undermine the fact that our salvation does not rest ultimately upon our faithful stewardship, but upon Jesus' work at Jerusalem. Surely the Lord's mind filled with deliverance to the Gentiles, shamefully treated, spat upon, scourged, and killed, he knows why he is going to allow himself to be treated that way. He knows he is the suffering of the world. He knows he is the suffering of the world.

17:42 He knows he is the suffering servant of Isaiah 53. He knows if he is to do what he says he came to do. Verse 10 of chapter 19, the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost, that he must die on behalf of sinners. He must render up a voluntary, sacrificial sin offering of himself. Now what

18:04 could be more stupid than to think that while his mind is filled with this pinnacle of his redemptive work for sinners, that Jesus would teach something that says sinners save themselves by their own faithfulness to their gifts of grace and opportunities? It would be utter nonsense. At the same time, the Jesus who is on his way to Jerusalem to procure a salvation that only he can procure, he teaches that if you have that salvation, you will become a sinner. He teaches that if you have that salvation, you will become a sinner.

18:41 He teaches that if you have that salvation, you will become a faithful servant. And if you're not a faithful servant, you'll be damned. And if we don't hold with equal tenacity to both categories of truth, we will either end up libertarians, antinomians, who can speak loudly and clearly about salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, and live like the devil, or

19:14 we end up lacking assurance, we end up legalists in heart, constantly preoccupied with the level of our own faithfulness, and thinking that our relationship to God fundamentally rests upon what we do rather than that of Christ. And only the Holy Spirit can keep us on that razor's edge of clinging to both truths with equal tenacity. So, I say the backdrop of this This parable is this preoccupation with Jerusalem and the suffering and the death that await him.

Disciples' Misconception of the Kingdom's Immediate Appearance

19:54 But then we must understand the historical circumstances, not only in terms of the backdrop of these passages, but the introductory statement of the parable, look at verse 11 Luke 19, Matthew 16 verse 22, verse 37. And as they heard these things, those who were there in Zacchaeus' house, some who apparently speeched that events following hell, course and instrument, those who reported those things该 in Zacchaeus' house, some who apparently speeched that events following hell, course and instrument.ud had come along and were in the house and heard what Jesus said to Zacchaeus, as they heard these things, he added and spoke a parable, and then we have a hinna clause of purpose because he spoke the parable because he was near to Jerusalem, approximately 15 miles

20:38 east and a little bit north of Jerusalem, a six-hour walk. And if you include Bethany as sort of a suburb of Jerusalem, it was a couple of miles less than that. And because he was near to Jerusalem, and note the text, because they supposed that the kingdom of God was immediately to appear.

21:06 Jesus with his mind set on Jerusalem, Jesus with his mind and heart filled with the impending crisis. The impending crisis is aware that the people who heard his words in Zacchaeus' house, along with most likely even his disciples, it's an indefinite they, and because they supposed the kingdom of God was immediately to appear. You know what they were putting together? Jesus is coming near to Jerusalem.

21:36 When Messiah is here, and he comes to conquer all of his and our enemies, surely he will launch his great and final campaign from Jerusalem. So in their mind set, Jerusalem equals what? The soon appearance of the kingdom. The king is walking to Jerusalem.

22:00 And when the king gets to Jerusalem, he is going to break forth in messianic conquest, liberate us from the tyranny of Rome's rule, make Jerusalem again the center of the earth. Now that was the idea. As the man said, even of the disciples. For if you turn to the gospel of Mark, in this very time frame, the Lord has to sort out an argument on the part of the disciples, who's going to be the prime minister and the secretary of state in the coming kingdom.

22:31 Mark chapter 10. Look at the text. Mark chapter 10, verse 32. They were on their way going up to Jerusalem.

22:41 Jesus was going before them. Here's the same time frame. And in that. Setting.

22:46 Look at verse 35. There come near unto him James and John, sons of Zebedee, saying, Teacher, we would that you should do for us whatsoever we ask of you. He said unto them, What would you that I do for you? And they said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one in the right hand, one in the left hand, in your glory.

23:07 Jesus, you're heading up to Jerusalem. Jerusalem means conquest. Messiah King will take his throne. And will exercise his rightful prerogatives as Messiah King.

23:21 We'd like to be prime minister, secretary of state. That's what they're thinking when they think of the king. Jerusalem for Jesus equals rejection. Being handed over by the traitor Judas.

23:37 Shamefully treated, spittle, scourging death. Notice what he says. Verse 38. But Jesus said unto them, You don't know what you're asking.

23:46 Are you able to drink the cup that I drink? Or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? You're thinking about a kingdom of power and military might. I'm going to a baptism.

24:01 I'm going to be inundated beneath the billows of divine wrath as a substitutionary sin offering. I'm going to go down to death with all the shame of a common slave. Hanging naked. Upon an instrument of cruel, torturous death.

24:20 And you're talking about prime minister and secretary of state. And because Jesus knows that this is the mindset of the populace. And apparently at this state. Still to perhaps a lesser degree but nonetheless a real element in the thinking of his disciples.

24:39 He speaks this parable because he's near to Jerusalem. And because. He's near to Jerusalem to his disciples and those around him equals the immediate appearance of the kingdom of God. Do you see that from the text?

24:57 Now if that's not important to understanding the parable. Why in the world did the Lord put it as the introductory note? It's crucial. So that just a phrase here or there.

25:08 That you would never put a lot of weight upon it and say it has great significance. In that setting. When our Lord in the parable says. Says in verse 12.

25:18 A certain nobleman went into a far country. He went into a far country. He went into a far country. Same phrase used of the prodigal.

25:31 He went off into a far country. You immediately have to think of time. You don't hop on your private Lear jet and get there in a half an hour. A far country.

25:41 Says you may expect the kingdom to come immediately. In the way that you expect it. But I want you to understand. That the true king.

25:51 The true nobleman. Will accomplish his purpose by going into a far country. To receive for himself a kingdom. And then.

26:01 To return. It is in his returning. That the kingdom will come in its full manifestation and glory. And power.

26:11 Furthermore as the Lord Jesus. Unfolds the parable. Obviously time had to pass. For the man to take his one minor.

26:20 And bring back a thousand percent increase. And for the man to take his one minor. And bring back five hundred percent increase. So our Lord is.

26:31 As it were saying no no no no. Your expectations that the kingdom is going to come immediately are skewed. No there will be some time. Before the king receives his kingdom.

26:44 And returns to deal. With his servants. Who have been exercising a stewardship. Over his goods.

26:54 I hope then that helps you to get a feel for the setting. Both the historical circumstances. And the immediate situation of the mindset of those. To whom Christ speaks.

Basic Elements: The Nobleman and His Purpose

27:06 Now then.

27:08 We come secondly to the basic elements of the parable identified and explained. And here I ask your indulgence. That I will have my. Face glued.

27:21 To my notes far more than I ordinarily do. Because I could not think of any responsible way to chop up the parable. And still do sufficient explanation that will feel the weight. Of the abiding lessons in the application of the parable.

27:36 Because with all parables as with any narrative in the scriptures. There's a great disparity between the culture. In which. The parable was spoken and our culture.

27:48 Jesus was taking the stuff of common ordinary understanding and experience in first century Palestine in the under the influence of Greco-Roman rule and government and so there are many things that he talks about that you would immediately it would register. But. Two thousand years later in the totally different cultural setting they make no sense so I'm committed to seek by the help of God to give the basic elements of the parable. Of the basic elements of the parable.

28:18 Both identifying them and explaining them first of all then we come to verse twelve what I've called the summarizing introduction he said therefore that is Jesus a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Jesus speaks of a certain man as a nobleman that is one of high breathing an aristocrat in this case a man who had a legitimate career. He was a man who had a legitimate career.

28:49 To rule in the realm in which he lived we get our English word eugenics transliterated from the Greek word this was a man who had royal blood in his veins he had good blood Jesus calls him a nobleman and this nobleman goes into a far country for this specific purpose in order to receive for himself a kingdom then to return to the place he left in order to carry out his role as a nobleman. For this specific purpose in order to receive for himself a kingdom then to return to the place he left in order to carry out his role as a nobleman. For this specific purpose in order to receive for himself a kingdom then to return to the place he left in order to carry out his role as a nobleman. Now what in the world does it mean the nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return.

29:30 Well here William Taylor 19th century preacher who most helpfully distills the essence of what Jesus was saying in which would have immediately registered with his hearers. This nobleman went abroad not to seek a kingdom in another quarter of the world. This nobleman went abroad not to seek a kingdom in another quarter of the world. But to seek a kingdom in another quarter of the world.

29:49 to obtain from a foreign power nomination to the sovereignty of his native land in the first place it's not probable that after having become king of another country he would return to reside where he was only a subject of another monarch but a much more decisive indication is given by the message which his fellow citizens sent after him they said we will not have this man to reign over us they do not interfere with his prospects of going to a foreign country it's his sovereignty exercised when he returns that they want nothing to do with it is his sovereignty over themselves they dread and deprecate this outspoken repudiation of his government by his fellow citizens makes it

30:33 both certain and evident that though he sought investiture abroad the kingdom which he expected to receive was in his own native land and over his land and over his own native land and over his own native land and over his own native land and over his former fellow citizens mr taylor goes on to say in those days both the jews and other nations subject to the supremacy of rome were familiar with the transaction which forms the basis of this parable jesus was not speaking mysteries the parable veiled truth to those who had no spiritual insight they couldn't see the connections that it revealed truth to those to whom it was given the parable was not meant to confuse

31:13 yes it would veil truth from those judicially hardened that seeing they may see and not see but to you jesus said is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom so this would be something that would resonate in their own understanding within their world of experience after the nobleman's departure his countrymen aware of his design would endeavor to thwart it with this view they sent a message or rather a delegation after him they commissioned one of their own member to the king of the kingdom and to the king of the kingdom and to the king of the kingdom to appear along with him before the power paramount the highest court and oppose his claim it's mistaken to suppose that the protest of these citizens was addressed to the nobleman

31:55 who sought to become their king the deputies are instructed to address themselves not to him but to the foreign power from whom he intends to seek investiture they will appear at court along with him when his position petition is presented and plead that it may be rejected such debates were in point of fact the only way to get him to the king of the kingdom and to the king of the republic held before the publican and imperial tribunals of rome then his footnote and i found this in a number of the commentators they get it from josephus the jewish historian herod and his son archelaus had both in succession gone personally to rome to obtain their authority

32:33 precisely similar scenes are enacted and this man shows he's a 19th century man between the british government and the protected potentates of india the agents for rival princes contend for their regal rights in london when they have sorted them out they go back to india in a given province and exercise it so that's what is envisioned in this particular parable and in jericho one of these kings who had appealed to rome for a validation of his right to rule had a marvelous exquisite expensive palace these people these jerichoites would have known immediately that they were going to be the king of rome and they

33:14 would have known immediately the analogy that our lord was drawing so this certain nobleman this man of royal bloodlines goes into the far country to have his right to rule in the place that he leaves validated and when it is and he's received the clear title to that rule he returns that's the introductory summary statement now when we come to verse 13 we have an account of the nobleman's activity before he went into the far country there's a summary statement now luke

The Nobleman's Activity Before Departure: Calling, Conferring, Commanding

33:52 quoting our lord jesus said now this is what he did before he left he called 10 servants literally slaves he called 10 slaves of his gave them 10 pounds or 10 minor and said unto them trade until i come now here you find the three verbs are the key to understanding the law of law understanding what he did he calls he then confers and he then commands you see that in the text he called 10 slaves of his did he have more than 10 i don't know why 10 eight why 10 when only

34:37 three are mentioned later on in the parable I answer to all those questions I don't know I don't have a clue and I don't think it's germane to understanding the thrust of the text 10 servants or slaves to himself having called them he confers upon each of the 10 one minor the minor was equivalent to a hundred drachmas one drachma was equivalent to a denarius a laboring man's daily wage so basically what he gives to each of the 10 is the equivalent of three to four months wages of a common laborer so when contrasted with the talents which took us into

35:20 astronomical figures tremendous wealth was distributed five three and one in this case all 10 slaves receive the same conferral of what is called later silver or money verse 15b the servants unto whom he had given the money the silver to be called to him that he might know what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained and what they had gained by trading later on the lord says you should have taken my money so this is what he gives to each one of the slaves he confers upon them the stewardship of a minor the stewardship of

35:58 the wages of a common laborer for three to four months then he commands exercising his right they were his slaves subordinate to him he then commands them in one compound greek word trade make use of this minor put it to work that at my return i will have an increase and assumed in that arrangement is they will receive some compensation some reward the incentive that if i am faithful in doing what my master says trading the master whose heart is large enough

36:39 and generous enough to give to us as slaves this privilege and responsibility of putting his money to work surely if we do that that same gracious master will express his graciousness in some form of compensation and though it is not explicitly stated the whole flavor of this and the previous parable indicates that that was the unwritten kind of a visceral contract between the slaves and the master so this is an account of the nobleman's activity before he goes into the far country he calls he confers he commands now

The Citizens' Hatred and Rejection of the Nobleman

37:22 then in verse 14 we see the record of the shocking attitude and action of the average free citizens to the prospect of this nobleman being their king here is the record of the shocking attitude and action of the average free citizens as they think of the nobleman's dominion but his citizens hated him and sent an ambassador sent a delegation after him saying we will not that this man reign over us notice their attitude they were continually hating him for you greeks

38:05 students it's an imperfect of meseo to hate they were continually fueling a disposition of aggressive and antipathy ill-will resentment they were filled with that dark disposition or passion of the soul that is the mother of murder remember what jesus said whoever even says to his brother the words you stupid jerk and says them with that spirit is guilty of murder thou shall do no murder you shall not entertain that spirit of aggressive antipathy and this disposition of murder and this disposition of murder and this disposition of murder and this

38:46 disposition of ill-will to another that's their attitude the citizens no indication he's done them any harm no indication that he's wrong to them the thing they cannot abide is any notion that he will go off and come back with a title to rule over them and they say it is the settled disposition of our will this man will not exercise kingship over us we don't care about his royal blood we don't care about him any servants he has but this business of him going off to come back validating his right to govern us no way jose we want nothing to do with it that's their action their attitude

39:31 murder their action they designate and send an official delegation to the nobleman in that setting most likely to the highest imperial court and there they make known their settled resolve of will that he will not assume the role of a king over them now remember the setting jesus is on his way to jerusalem soon we'll come to what we call palm sunday and there will be shouts hosanna in the highest blessed is he that comes in the name of

40:05 the lord this one they identify as son of david he's welcomed as one who's coming to set up his kingship break the back of his kingdom and he's coming to set up his kingdom and he's coming to break the back of his kingdom and he's coming to set up his kingdom and he's coming to set up his kingdom and he's coming to set up his kingdom and he's coming to set up his kingdom and he's coming to rule jesus spoke a parable unto them because he was near to jerusalem and because they suppose that the kingdom was immediately to appear many would welcome a king whom they think will function after the fashion of their own ideas but when they find out the nature of his kingdom it's a very short time but they are crying we have no king but caesar take him out

The King's Return and Dealing with Servants: The First Two

40:49 and crucify him remember the setting this wasn't spoken in a vacuum then verses 15 to 27 we see in this section of the parable the way the returning nobleman will deal with his servants and with his citizens verses 15 to 27 we see the returning nobleman and how he deals with his servants and then with his citizens the action of the king with respect to his servants when he returns as a king verse 15 and it came to pass when he was

41:28 come back again having received the kingdom he commanded these slaves unto whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know what they had gained by trading the time of this activity is after he returns having received the kingdom the nobleman then calls all of the servants to whom a minor had been given and his purpose is clear he's not calling them in to talk about their families what the journey was like when he went to a far country how the imperial court dealt with him how he proposes to run his kingdom no

42:11 the text is very specific this nobleman who has received rightful title to that realm he comes back commands his servants to run his kingdom and he's not calling them in to talk about their families with respect to his servants to whom he had given each one a minor had given that amount of money in order that he might know what they had gained by trading he assumes that each of the servants will have embraced the stewardship of the minor and that each would have had some success in the exercise of that stewardship he calls them to himself in order that he may know

42:51 what they had gained by trading his assumption is they're all going to tell me what they had gained by their trading then the text goes on to give us the specific dealings of the king with three of the ten servants now why does the lord jesus say ten servants all receive a minor but in the latter part of the parable he only speaks of three well obvious i think i'm prepared to answer that the three cover all of the classes of men and women and men and women and women and boys and girls who come in contact with the privileges of the gospel and so by focusing upon

43:30 how three of them responded and how the king dealt with those three the lord has covered anything in between the three and the ten etc so now we look at the first servant verses 16 and 17 and the first came before him saying lord your minor has made ten minor more the first stands before his master now sovereign of the whole realm and addressing him in a title at least of respect and honor he says that the master's one minor had gained ten more you notice

44:12 he doesn't say what he's done he says what the master's minor has done that's very clear and the first came saying lord your minor has made talking about yours so i just joined the church now and said oh lord your minor has made ten minor more i thought he called them before him that he may know what they had gained by trading but when this first servant comes you can just picture the look on his face he can't wait to tell the master that his minor has gained ten more master

44:51 it was yours now lord look what your man minor has done your one has gained 10 more that's the first servant and what does he receive from the master he receives commendation and then conferral of a greatly augmented responsibility and honor verse 17 and he the master said to that slave well done last week we looked at that word ooh this is uga same family of words same significance one word splendid outstanding bravo he gives verbal commendation not only by saying well done

45:32 bravo splendid outstanding but in terms of his assessment of the character of that slave thou good slave he's speaking of the moral character of that slave the character that had a sense of the overwhelming privilege you of being a steward of the master's minor of imploring his energies and his time and his ingenuity in seeking to bring a maximum return to the master when he returns and in the light of those qualities being exercised the master not only commends him by that word splendid

46:14 outstanding bravo he commends him by going to the heart of the character trait that has been mastered by the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of the master of authority over ten cities

46:57 now stop and think for a minute here the master presents the equivalent of three months of a common labor's wage and after a period of time of trading with it and being wise and judicious he now is able to present to the master the ten and I puzzle with this I imagine he now had eleven he says your one has gained ten more not nine more to make it all ten what would you expect as a reward from that well I think you'd have reason to expect if he were a gracious master he might say well since it was your work it was my money but your work let's split it fifty fifty you take five and a half

47:41 minor or say look you've really done well I'm going to pay for you to have three weeks vacation just a little way from here in the Mediterranean but he says you've been faithful in a very little yeah my minor I'm going to put you as my vice regent to govern ten cities can you imagine can you use your imagination what would you do if you know there was a special drive on at work and the boss called everyone in and said look if we really push over these next period of time we're going to break into a new dimension of influence in our field etc etc and you go out and work like crazy and all the others do and lo and behold

48:24 you blow off the charts and your success the boss calls you in what would you have reason to expect well maybe a nice fat bonus something like that but so the boss said hey I'm going to make you CEO over AT&T over General Motors that's sort of a contemporary parallel it was mind blowing that's why I've said this conferral of greatly augmented responsibility and honor the mayor over ten New York cities everybody knows the name of New York's outgoing mayor people all over the place would know this man oh ruler

49:08 I'll put you over ten cities so along with the commendation there is this conferral of greatly augmented responsibility to administer ten cities is no fool's job but the honor that comes with it I'll place you over ten cities now look at the second servant verses 18 and 19 the second servant comes the second came saying your minor Lord has made five minor essentially he says with his numbers what the first servant says he gives this title of respect as he addresses the master your minor

49:52 Lord it's yours you gave it to me it was never mine when you gave it wasn't mine when I traded with it it has made five minor your one has produced five minor verse 19 and he said unto him also indicating that Luke may be distilling this and not repeating all that was said or it could be and some of the commentators insist that this man's commendation was a bit more restrained as well as the conferral of augmented responsibility and honor whereas he said to the first well done good servant because you've been found faithful

50:37 in a very little have authority he says to the second be also over five cities he's not as explicit not as profuse could it be teaching us I'm only asking the question could it be teaching us what is at the heart of the lesson of this parable that here you see there were equal deposits among all servants through greater diligence and industry and application one brings back

51:07 Ten for the one, one brings back five for the one, the one who shows the greatest industry, the greatest determination to get maximum returns, he gets a more fulsome commendation and obviously a more greatly augmented place of responsibility and honor.

The Third Servant: Fear, Inaction, and Blame-Shifting

51:29 But at least he says to him, here is the conferral, you have authority now or be over five cities. Now we have the third servant. And he's described in verses 20 to 24. And another came, doesn't say the third, just says another, saying, Lord, he uses the right terminology of respect, Lord, behold, here is your mina, which I kept up, laid up, which I kept laid up.

52:01 In a napkin for I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up that which you didn't lay down and you reap that which you did not. So third servant comes as much as I'm certain that the last thing this one wanted to do was to obey the master's command. Verse 15, he commanded these servants unto whom he had given the money to be called to him that he might know.

52:33 What they had gained by trading. That's the last thing this character wanted to do was to have somebody rap on his floor and say the master's returned. He's received clear title to this place as the sphere of his dominion. Your master, who is now the king, wants you to appear before him. You think he danced a jig saying goody, goody. No, no, I'm sure that's the last thing you want to do.

53:00 So he runs over, opens a cabinet door. And finds the place where he had wrapped up his mina in a napkin, in a sweat cloth, literally. And he takes it down and one can only imagine. He must have felt like he was walking the last mile to his execution.

53:14 The master wants us to appear before him to know what we gained by trading. I didn't trade. I wrapped it. I put it. Now I have it in my hand.

53:27 And then when he hears the other two, his reluctance no doubt greatly increased. Verse 16, he says, If ever someone could have wished upon themselves a heart attack, it would be this character. Hear the others come and say, Master, your mina, one mina, gained ten more. Your one has gained five.

53:51 And he's shivering and cringing off in the distance, clutching in his handkerchief, his one mina. His wheels are turning in his head. How in the world am I going to give something? That even approaches a rational explanation for what I did not do in trading with my master's mina.

54:15 So when he appears before his master, what's the first thing he does?

54:22 He uses the same title of respect in his response as the others did. But it must have stuck in his throat. He then owns up to the fact that he's not put the money to work. All he has to present is the mina wrapped in a handkerchief.

54:36 And like the wicked, lazy servant in the parable of the talents, whose only work was digging a hole, this one's only work was opening the cupboard door or a dresser drawer, wrapping his mina in a sweat cloth and putting it in the cupboard or the drawer. He then forgot about his stewardship with respect to that mina. He utterly disregarded the command of his master, trade with it till I come. Mina equals work.

55:08 The master is returning. That should have filled his mind. He put it out of his mind. He went about his own business.

55:15 Went about doing his own thing. Forgot about the stewardship of the mina. Disregarded the command of the master. And obviously had given up any thought of longing for the master's return.

55:28 Because he knows with the return, he will have to give an account of what he's done with his mina. That's what he did with the mina. Now he proceeds to tell the master why he did what he did. He owns up to what he did.

55:46 This is what I did. Here's your pound. I kept laid up in a napkin. Four.

55:51 But master, before you get too upset with me, listen to my explanation. For I feared you because you are an austere man. You take up that which you did not lay down. And you reap that.

56:05 That which you did not sow. As he's giving his explanation to the master, what is he doing? He's basically saying, Before you get upset with me, master, I've told you what I did and did not do with the mina. At the end of the day, you can't really blame me because I did what I did because you are what you are.

56:32 Look at the text. It's exactly what he does. Here is your pound. Kept laid up in a napkin.

56:38 Four. I feared you because you are. Master, it's what you are that made me do what I did. If you'd been a different kind of a master, my stewardship would have been exercised more faithfully.

56:55 But it's because you are who you are. An austere man. A hard, unbending, unsympathetic, severe man. Whatever motivation.

57:07 You to give me this mina in the first place in order to trade with it was not in any way motivated by my good and the consideration of me. You were just out to grab some more stuff. And then to validate it, he says, I know you're this kind of a man because, and here you see a difference between the previous parable. The imagery was sowing, reaping, winnowing.

57:33 Here, he says to his master, You take up. That which you did not lay down. What's he talking about? It's the imagery of a bank.

57:46 Remember the money changers with their tables in the temple? That's the very term used for bank. Exactly the same word. So what he says is, Master, when the bankers are sitting at their tables, receiving money, and then drawing up a contract of how much interest they will give to the one who puts it into the bank, you come along, and with money you never invested,

58:13 you take and put it in your pocket. So he says, you take up where you did not lay down. You put no cash on the table. Yet you come and sweep up cash as interest belonging to you.

58:25 Who does that but an unscrupulous, hard-driving, dishonest scoundrel of a businessman? And then furthermore, now he uses a similar excuse as the other, you reap where you didn't sow. You go by fields. Where you and your servants expended no sweat, and you come away with a tractor load, a trailer on your tractor loaded with grain.

58:49 You reap where you didn't sow. And it's because you're that kind of a man that I was scared witless. I was afraid. I feared you because you are who you are.

59:02 And this is not a foolish notion, Master, because this is what you do.

59:09 I did what I did. I did what I did because you are who you are. And what you are and your track record in those areas paralyzed me. Have mercy.

59:22 Take pity upon me. I'm a victim of your character and my psychological weaknesses.

The Master's Judgment of the Wicked Servant

59:34 Now, what's the Master's response to this? Verse 22 to 24. Feeling something of the drama of the thing? I hope you are.

59:44 You got something dead in you if you don't. What's the Master? What's the Master going to say? This is what he says.

59:50 He said unto him, Out of your own mouth will I judge you. I'll use what you've said to pass sentence upon you. You wicked servant. And the word for wicked is the strongest word that can be used to describe a malevolent, evil character.

60:12 It's the word used of the devil. When he's called the evil one, that's the word. You are an evil. Evil slave.

60:21 Behind what you did with your mina and did not do. Behind your deliberate misconceptions of my character and my actions. You are a liar. You are a slanderer.

60:36 You are lazy. You are blame shifting. You're a wicked slave.

60:44 And I will take your own words to condemn you and expose your wickedness. You knew. You knew that I'm an austere man, taking up that which I did not lay down and reaping that I did not sow. Then wherefore did you not give my money into the bank, put it on the table, and I, at my coming, should have required it with interest.

61:08 He says, look, if I'm such an austere man, money grabbing, unreasonable, and you believed me to be that, surely your actions were validated. And if you knew me to be austere, and a money grabbing, unprincipled businessman, then surely you would have at least taken that money down, put it on the table of the bankers, that when I return, I could have the initial investment plus interest. Any man with half an ounce of business sense will do that, rather than leave his cash sitting in a jar under the bed.

61:42 He'll at least have in the bank getting what is a regular passbook savings getting now, about 2%, 1.7, something else, I don't know what. But it's, you know, a penny on a dollar is better than nothing. So he takes his very words and says, you've slandered me.

61:58 You have made your conception of me the reality with which you live. But you're inconsistent even in that. For if I were what you say I am, and if I operate the way you say I operate, then surely you would have at least done this. So he condemns him out of his own mouth.

62:19 And then note, after the words, that he speaks to this man, I will condemn you out of your own mouth. And look at the action that he takes. Verse 24. And he said unto them that stood by, take away from him the mina.

62:36 Give it unto him that has the ten mina.

62:42 What does the master do? He strips away the mina from this wicked, evil servant. The man is left without any further stewardship. He's now off the scene in this parable.

62:53 And while the unfaithful servant in the parable of the talents who is described as being cast into outer darkness, nothing more is said about this wicked servant. What are we to assume? I think we're to assume that where the scripture is more full and detailed in its description of unfaithful and wicked servants, that he shared in precisely the same end as did the wicked servant. Then how do the onlookers respond to the master's activity?

63:29 Verse 25. And they said unto him, Lord, he has ten mina. Jesus responds by saying, or the master, I say unto you that unto everyone who has shall be given. And from him who does not have even that which he has shall be taken away from him.

63:49 The onlookers, whoever they are, they're not identified in the parable. They're surprised. Surprised so much that they question the fairness of such an action. The master responds to this reaction by enunciating a fundamental principle which is operative in the face of gospel privileges.

64:10 Jesus uses this same principle in a totally different context in connection with what people do in the way they receive the word. There is a principle of the kingdom embedded in verse 26. The one that has shall be. The one that has shall be given more.

Judgment of the Enemies and the King's Mandate

64:26 From him that has not, even that which he has shall be taken from him. And then the parable ends with the action of the sovereign relative to the insubordinate citizens. He identifies them as his enemies. Verse 27.

64:41 But these my enemies. He describes the focus of their enmity. They would not that I reign over them. He then mandates their appearance before him.

64:52 That they might be slaughtered in his presence. Bring them hither. Slay them before me. The verb for slay, the only place it's used in the New Testament.

65:04 It has a prefix, a preposition, kata, which has the sense of pressing down. A heavier, weightier action as is described in the root verb. And the root verb is the one used most frequently in the book of the Revelation. I saw a lamb as it had been slaughtered, slain.

65:21 And here the king says, bring them into my presence. And slay them.

65:33 Can't find an adequate translation. Emprost them before my face.

65:41 Don't take them out in the back somewhere.

65:45 I want them slain, slaughtered in my very face.

65:51 This is the Jesus on his way to Jerusalem to die.

65:59 The Jesus who hanging on the cross says, Father, forgive them. For they know not what they do.

66:07 Jesus speaks these words on his way to Jerusalem to die. To be as the lamb that before his shearers is dumb. He will not open his mouth. He will lay down his life.

66:20 His soul will be poured out unto death. And on the way to people who think the kingdom is about to break forth in glory and in earthly political material blessing and power. Knowing their mindset, he speaks, This parable, and he himself is the king before whom all unprofitable wicked servants, people who profess to be his, but do not have the root of the matter in them, but maintain hard thoughts of him and of his rule and of his ways and of his people and of his kingdom. He will say this very same Jesus going to the cross, held to the will of the Father by love for his sheep.

67:05 He will say this very same Jesus going to the cross, held to the will of the Father by love for his sheep. He will say this very same Jesus going to the cross, held to the will of the Father by love for his sheep. He will say this very same Jesus going to the cross, held to the will of the Father by love for his sheep. Bring them hither, butcher them before my very face.

Conclusion: Personal Application and Self-Examination

67:13 Bring them hither, butcher them before my very face. Well, dear ones, that's the parable. Well, dear ones, that's the parable. I appreciate your patience with me as I've tried to responsibly identify the major elements and explain their significance.

67:27 Applications will wait, God willing, for tonight and then next Lord's Day morning. I close this morning making an affirmation followed by a simple question. The affirmation is that you and I are located and identified in this parable. You and I are located and identified in this parable.

67:54 Jesus felt that describing three of the ten and their activity with the minor was sufficient to cover all the bases. You and I are in this parable.

68:08 As I've lived with these two parables for the past couple of weeks, they're... Sometimes when I've been frightened, I've said, Lord, Lord, forgive my sins of omission.

68:24 Forgive me when I can be preaching about your coming and not feel more keenly that with your coming is the day of reckoning when as your servant you will call me into your presence to see what was gained by diligent trading. We're all in here, faithful servants of differing degrees. We can see. We're openly hostile enemies of Christ.

68:52 We're all here.

68:54 I follow with the question, where are you? Where are you? Where are you?

69:03 Just as the return of the king made it evident to all who were present when he gathered his servants what their true state was, so Christ's return will pull off all of the sham, all of the hypocrisy, all that men think we are, and will reveal us to be what we really are. Let's pray that as we come to more specific applications tonight in our communion meditation and again next Lord's Day, that God would be pleased to have deep, lasting dealings with all of our hearts. Let's pray.

69:45 Our Father, we thank you for this portion of the word. We acknowledge that we are sobered by these words of our Lord Jesus, and we pray that you will help us that we may enfold them in faith and in honest heart dealings with you. We pray that coming out of our study of this passage, there may be greater levels of focused, intense determination to trade with all of our gospel privileges and opportunities. Seal then your word to our hearts.

70:22 Be with us through the remainder of this day, we ask in Jesus' name. Amen.