Occupy Till I Come

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

(Luke 19:11-13) (11) "And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear." (12) "He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." (13) "And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, "Occupy till I come."

(Luke 19:14-15) (14) "But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us." (15) "And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading."

(Luke 19:16-21) (16) "Then came the first, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds." (17) "And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities." (18) "And the second came, saying, Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds." (19) "And he said likewise to him, Be thou also over five cities." (20) "And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin:" (21) "For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up that thou layedst not down, and reapest that thou didst not sow."

(Luke 19:22-26) (22) "And he saith unto him, Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:" (23) "Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?" (24) "And he said unto them that stood by, Take from him the pound, and give it to him that hath ten pounds." (25) "And they said unto him, Lord, he hath ten pounds." (26) "For I say unto you, That unto every one which hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him."

PREFACE SUMMARY

In this parable, we learn that the Lord gave ten servants a pound each, equivalent to about twenty to thirty USD in today's currency. At that time, this amount would have been worth approximately three months of wages. This pound distributed among the servants represents the equal opportunity of receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The nobleman instructed the servants who received one pound each to occupy till he returned, which meant they were to take the pound and trade or barter to multiply what they had received. This parable speaks of the nobleman taking a long journey to receive for himself a kingdom and returning to rule over his people.

Interestingly, in the days of Jesus, there was a ruler named Archelaus, a direct descendant of Herod the Great, who did this. This gives us a glimpse of God's plan to redeem humanity through the cross of Jesus Christ, bringing us back into fellowship with Him.

God's plan for the redemption of humanity involved the Lord being betrayed and facing agonizing death on the cross to make way for His disciples to come to God, bridging the gap we lost through Adam's fall in the garden. He presented His blood as an atoning sacrifice to His heavenly Father to pay the sin debt for all humanity.

This parable reveals the plan of God, which was kept secret in the Godhead from the foundation of the world. This plan was to rescue as many people as possible from Satan's rebellion and make way for humanity to be restored into fellowship with a Holy God who hates sin.

OCCUPY YOUR POSITION

Beloved, I believe this message is essential for the body of Christ as it warns us of the dangers of complacency and encourages us to be good stewards of the gifts and talents that God has entrusted us with. The devil constantly tries to distract us and cause trouble, but we must remain focused on the vision and use our abilities to help a hurting world in need of the good news that "God Loves Sinners."

Look closer at the action word "Occupy" and its true meaning. The Lord is not suggesting that we occupy until He comes, but rather commanding us to do so. We can do what He asks of us, and we must study this parable to become fruitful in our walk with God.

God did not place us on this planet to fill up space but to be a light in the world and share the good news that "Jesus Saves" to those searching for answers. We must let our light shine before others so they may see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven.