November 7, 2004 Luke 19:11-27
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. He said: “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’ ‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away. But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them —bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”
People could tell that Jesus’ ministry was coming to a head. All of the indicators were there. On the journey to Jericho, Jesus said that all prophecies concerning the Son of man would be fulfilled IN JERUSALEM. On this very day Jesus accepted a blind man’s praise of Him as the Son of David, which He didn’t always like to promote. Now Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. As much as Jesus tried to tell them that this was not going to be a glorious thing - that he would actually be put to death in Jerusalem - the many followers of Jesus couldn’t help but hope that Jesus would establish some sort of heavenly kingdom on earth - so that they also could gloriously take part in a dominance over the Romans and a powerful and everlasting reign. They had great expectations of Jesus.
On this Last Judgment Sunday, a day in which we talk about the Second and Final Coming of Jesus - our Savior talks about Judgment Day in a parable about a man who goes to be delegated as king. This parable of the man is obviously symbolic of Jesus. Yet you’ll notice in the parable that the focus isn’t necessarily on what JESUS would do - on the expectations of HIM - but on what the King would expect of the people. You see, Jesus turns the table - instead of focusing our eyes on the skies for the Second Coming - Jesus gives a hearty reminder that what HIS eyes will be looking at when He comes back. So the theme for today is -
The King is Returning Home with Expectations
I. Don’t send a delegation after him
If you stayed up to watch the elections this past Tuesday, you’ll have to admit that it was quite a spirited fight to the bitter end. Nobody knew what to expect. Late Tuesday night, John Kerry’s press secretary forwarded a note to the networks that he would not concede until ALL the votes were counted. Thinking there were 250,000 provisional ballots available, they entertained the thought that he could still win, even though he was 140,000 behind in Ohio. Finally, early on Wednesday morning, the statistics showed that they just couldn’t win, so Senator Kerry gave up the fight and conceded graciously. The nice thing about America is that there is not going to be a Civil War now. President Bush is not going to get revenge on these people who voted against him, and the Kerry supporters aren’t going to start a rebellion. They may complain and lobby against his decisions - and they probably will. That’s ok, because that is what Democracy is all about. We all still live together under the President that is elected - like him or not - in the same country - and still call ourselves AMERICANS - enjoying the same freedoms - whether we’re Democrat, Republican, or Libertarian.
This system that we live under is in stark contrast to the spiritual system we also live under. As Christians, we do not live under a SPIRITUAL Democracy. We live under a Theocracy. Psalm 135:6 states, “The LORD does whatever pleases him, in the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all their depths.” What this means is that God is the King. We don’t have the right to lobby him or elect him. We are like powerless slaves. We have no vote. God does not do things and make decisions based on whether we will like him or not or in order to garner our votes. He does what is right all the time - whether you think it is right or not. He doesn’t ask you for your advice. He doesn’t base His decisions on what you think is good. He listens to your prayers and wants you to pray, but your prayers will only be answered if they are in keeping with His will.
In this parable it appears that some people were possibly trying to play a middle line - to form an opposing party. Jesus said, his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’ I find it interesting that these subjects said, “we don’t want this man to be OUR king. Maybe they “weren’t opposed” to him being someone else’s king - but they just didn’t want him to be their king. Notice what Jesus said about them - when it got down to the core - his subjects “hated him.” There aren’t two or three parties in God’s spiritual system. Either you are for Him or against Him. Jesus said in Matthew 12:30, He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. You are either Christian, or you aren’t. You’re either on His side or you aren’t. You are either for His will to be done or you’re against His will. There is no middle ground. There is no grey area.
I have yet to find one instance in the Scriptures where Jesus had anything good to say to the Pharisees. He called them offspring of Satan, plain and clear. Time and again you read of how these spiritual leaders were plotting to kill Jesus. John 11 records how they said, If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.” . . . So from that day on they plotted to take his life. (Jn 11:48-53) They were enemies. When Peter tried to deter Jesus from going to the cross, what did Jesus say to him? Matthew 16:23 “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
There are many so called Christian “moderates” in our country and our world who are trying to play a middle line - who like to say, “you believe what you want to believe, and I’ll believe what I want to believe. Just don’t impose your beliefs on me. Don’t push your Jesus on me.” I noticed down at the south YMCA that they were building a Muslim gymnasium in some foreign country - and yet calling it a YM C - isn’t that supposed to stand for Christian? A. If you remember the memorial service in New York under Oprah the high priestess, they had every kind of religion imaginable there with turbans, collars, and everything else. Yet they all claimed to be worshiping the same “god.” It sounds awful similar to the religion of these subjects in Jesus’ parable - they supposedly don’t mind if Jesus is some people’s king - but “don’t be our king”.
What did Jesus say of those who lobbied against Jesus? Bring them here and kill them in front of me.’ It was common custom for those who rebelled against the king to be killed in front of the king. In Joshua 10 he had all of the army commanders come and stand before him. Then he said to them, “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Be strong and courageous. This is what the LORD will do to all the enemies you are going to fight.” Then Joshua struck and killed the kings and hung them on five trees, and they were left hanging on the trees until evening. If you don’t really want Jesus to be your King - but to be A king, don’t expect any better treatment on Judgment Day. If you want to buy into the god of the universities, He will stand you before Him - put His foot on your neck - and kick you into eternal damnation - an eternal gnashing of teeth. This is a strong warning - and I want it to be, because the stakes are high. If you are on the wrong side of history - the wrong side - you will lose eternally when He comes again. He expects you to be on HIS side. Make no doubt about it.
II. He has expectations because of the mina
There seems to be a differentiation in this parable between the SERVANTS and the SUBJECTS. I want to focus on these servants now for a moment. The servants are different than the subjects. They live in the quarters of the king, whereas the subjects do not live there and don’t want to live anywhere near there. The name for them is douloi - otherwise known also as slaves. It’s a little harsher term - yet I think it is a little more descriptive of what these servants really are. Slaves are owned by their masters. They don’t really own any property. Their sole purpose is to serve the master - only asking for the privilege of sleeping in some beds provided by the master and eating some food that he gives them.
This parable describes a master - a king - who is much more generous than a slave owner. Instead of just giving his slaves food and drink and a place to sleep - he gave them something to invest - something to work with - to earn him some more money. He gives a mina to ten of his servants. A mina was equal to about three months wages. Instead of just treating them like the slaves they were, he entrusted them with something precious and expensive - about three years worth of wages total - to see how they would do. Instead of treating them like slaves, he gives them something that makes them feel like sons - and have similar rights as a son.
The slave idea is clearly a picture of what we are - each and every one of us - under God’s law. God’s Word clearly shows us this.
John 8:34 “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”
Romans 6:20 You were slaves to sin - free from the control of righteousness.
1 John 5:19 The whole world is under the control of the evil one.
The fact is that we are not born as masters of our own destiny. We do not have the potential to become gods - or improve our lives. We couldn’t even sneeze if God didn’t allow it. We are all born as slaves. Slaves of sin. Slaves of the law. Slaves of the devil. Ultimately, slaves of the King - God.
However, as we live as slaves of the King, the King does something extremely generous. He gives each of us a mina. What is the mina representative of? Seeing the fact that each servant is entrusted with the same amount - it seems obvious that this is not talking about the different gifts we have - which are always different. (Some can sing better, give more money, pray more, or do finances better than other.) No, this is the same thing given to each one - the same amount. Therefore, it has to be the Grace of God - given to us in the Gospel - the righteousness of Jesus Christ. God gave all of us one special gift in a special three years of His life, in the person of Jesus Christ - who was sent to live and die for us. This is what Paul seems to be stressing when he says to the Ephesians in chapter 4:4-6, There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. It is this one mina - this one Gospel - that lifts us beyond the status of slavery - while we still remain under the household of God. Paul says, “when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.” (Galatians 4:4-7) All of us are covered with the same blood of Christ. All of us are just as holy as each other, through the same faith. All of us are given the same Holy Spirit and the same baptism. When the Holy Spirit shows that we have been freed from God’s wrath, from sin, and from hell itself because Jesus died and rose from the dead, it’s as if a huge gift were dumped in our hearts and souls.
Isn’t that what makes us glad that Jesus is our King? All we were - were slaves. We didn’t have the right to do anything - no freedom under the law - no freedom from sin. All we could do was sin, fear, and do what our flesh and the devil told us. But God in His mercy opened our minds and hearts to see that when Jesus died and rose - we were not headed to hell. Through faith in Jesus, we are forgiven. We are redeemed. We are made saints, kings, and priests. Our status has completely changed - not because of what WE’VE done - but solely because of the MINA of Jesus Christ. It’s such a tremendous privilege that we have - as former slaves - to live under the household of our King - who shared with us much more than a MINA, but His very own body and blood that lasts much longer than three months - but an eternity.
Imagine, for instance, that you were walking into a movie theater. When you enter that theater, it doesn’t matter how tall you are, how short you are, or even how you smell. All that matters is one thing - do you have a ticket? That’s what your entrance is all based upon. When you go shopping - you can look all you want. But what is the purchase based upon? You’ve got to have something to PAY for it. Otherwise, we’re only dreaming. If you try to steal it, you’ll be arrested. Back in Jesus day - there was only one method of payment - no credit cards, etc., just cold hard cash - the MINA. Out of all the people in the world, God has entrusted US with this mina - the Gospel of freedom in Christ. So with this MINA in our hands - it makes us free as Christians - free to pray - free to give - free to serve - it’s our ticket to heaven. It’s the most precious gift that comes from a place beyond creation - that comes from heaven itself - and that is the KEY to the kingdom of heaven - and that is the blood of Jesus Christ. Without this mina of God’s grace - we are nothing but slaves. But with this grace of Christ - our status is changed.
Notice however, that the king did not expect his mina to remain idle. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’ Then, when the king returned home - what was his first order of business? He sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it. He didn’t give this money to the slaves in order for them to hoard it. He wanted them to earn more with it - he expected them to USE their privilege and do something with it. Now that he was treating them like sons, he expected them to ACT like sons.
The application seems obvious. James 2:26 says, As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. Even Paul wrote to the Romans in chapter 6:1-2, What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Again, Paul wrote to the Corinthians - it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. (1 Co 4:2) Jesus also said, No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. (Lk 11:33) In other words - God has given you the Gospel of Christ and faith in that Gospel, just so that you USE it. He doesn’t want you to remain stingy, grumpy, angry, selfish, full of lust, hate and every other vice in this world. He expects you to let your light SHINE - so that other people will be ATTRACTED to HIM as well! Why would anyone be attracted to Christianity - if it was NO DIFFERENT than the rest of the world? What are they going to do - say, “oh, you still have premarital sex, drink too much, and use vulgar language - that’s real attractive!” Or, “you don’t seem to be any happier than me, as a matter of fact - you seem to be more angry and disgruntled than me. Why would I want to believe in your God - in your Jesus?” Jesus EXPECTS MORE of us. He expects us to tell people about Him. He expects us to be more patient than unbelievers - more giving - more kind - more happy. This is what he will expect when he comes on Judgment Day.
III. Meet him with confidence and humility
Who is up to the challenge? Which one of you is ready and confident to meet your king? Like it or not, He’s coming. So how will you meet Him? You might expect this parable to have all ten of the servants run away scared. Maybe that’s what seven of them tried to do - we don’t know. But the parable does give an accounting for three of the slaves - and it is a very interesting story indeed. Let’s look at the first two first of all. The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ . . . The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ The first two servants do not run away from the king. When he sends for the servants - they both come - and they have something to say. The master’s mina was put to work. It earned ten more with one, and five more with the other. Yet do you see that these servants are not arrogant in their reply? How can you tell? First of all, they treat him with honor and respect and call him “sir.” Secondly, they never say the word “I”. Instead, they say, YOUR MINA has earned ten more. They give all the credit to the MINA.
Again, this shows that the mina is representative of the Gospel. Paul wrote to the Romans in 1:16, I am not ashamed of the gospel, because IT is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. Isaiah wrote, in 55:10-11 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. In Acts 21, when Paul returned from his missionary trip it says that - Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. (19) When Paul saw that the Colossians were living lives in keeping with God’s calling - he wrote, We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all the saints— the faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel that has come to you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth. (Col 1:3-6). Again, notice how he gives glory and thanks to GOD for what HE does through the ministry of the Gospel.
This is the way that Gospel driven people react. They realize that they were just slaves who were given a wonderful gift from God. They aren’t filled with arrogance, but thanks for what God has done through them. They recognize that all they have and are - their status as holy people - is not based on who THEY or any decisions they made - but on what God has DECLARED THEM to be - through Jesus Christ. Therefore, when Jesus comes in the clouds - with expectations of holiness - they come. They aren’t afraid of Jesus - because they live IN Him. They don’t run from Him, because they are a PART of Him - in God’s eyes - they ARE Him. You can see this attitude in Stephen, who looked forward to meeting His God - telling all how he saw heaven opened and the Son of Man ready to receive him. This wasn’t arrogance. It was confidence in the promises of God.
However, there’s a different attitude in the third servant that comes to the king. Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’ This third servant has nothing but fear of the king. Instead of being thankful for the mina he was given - and looking at it as an opportunity to go beyond his slavery, he hid his away in the piece of cloth that he should have been using to wipe his brow with. Instead of looking at the king as a generous leader, he only regarded him as a hard man - who only wanted his pound of flesh out of his servants - so that he could make more money off of them.
Was this a true assumption? What happened with the first two servants? When they offered the king his minas back, the king responded with even more generosity. ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’ Not only did the master pay them a compliment, but he also gave them even more after they accounted for their mina. But since this man thought that the king was only a hard man - wanting his pound of flesh - how did the king respond to him? You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow? Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’ Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’
What does this mean? On Judgment Day, Jesus promises a reward of grace. Not only does he give us heaven, but He even promises rewards for works done in faith. Imagine that! God wishes to adorn dung! It does not hurt the sun to shine in the sewer - and so God wishes to recognize our filthy rags! Mercy of mercies! How can we not look forward to standing before God on Judgment Day with these kinds of promises? Yet if choose to live your life in fear of God - and look at God as only a stingy miser who wants too much out of you - what are you going to do? What are you going to say? At the very least - you could have at least kept the Gospel in a precious place - and kept feeding it so it would grow in your own heart. But if you only choose to bury this Gospel - to ignore it - to live in fear of the same gracious God who wants you to trust in Him, then I feel sorry for you. Don’t expect any more than you have of God - do nothing but fear this day - for it will bring eternal wrath unto you.
When Jesus was addressing judgmental people he said to them in Matthew 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” It’s a rather comical picture - of being so focused on a piece of sawdust in one brother’s eye not to mention the plank in your own eye. But it happens quite often doesn’t it? You can be so focused on what someone else is doing, that you forget what you ought to be doing. The same rings true of Judgment Day. On the Last Judgment - we can get all caught up in what is supposed to happen around us - things going from evil to worse - and what will happen on that Day - the Sun, moon, and stars falling from the sky. We can talk about our expectations of that Day - forgetting what the Lord expects of us. We have all been given a precious mina in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It has made us rich in a spiritual way - giving us all that God expects of us - righteousness, forgiveness and perfection in the sight of God. God expects you not only to cherish this, but to use it to gain more souls to Christ. The King is Returning Home with Expectations. Don’t let him down. Amen.
