When No One Is Looking Series

WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING

THERE WAS UNREST IN JUDEA. IT WAS MARCH 13, 4 B.C. TWO POPULAR RELIGIOUS TEACHERS, JUDAS AND MATTHAIS HAD RALLIED THEIR STUDENTS TO REMOVE A GOLDEN EAGLE THAT HAD BEEN PLACED OVER THE ENTRANCE TO THE TEMPLE. TO THEM IT REPRESENTED IDOLATRY, WHICH HAD NO PLACE IN GOD’S HOUSE. FOR THEIR ACTION, THE TEACHERS, ALONG WITH THEIR PUPILS WERE BURNED ALIVE.

IT WAS INTO THIS SETTING THAT HEROD ARCHELAUS TOOK THE THRONE. HIS TROOPS RESPONDED TO THE ANGRY CROWDS BY KILLING THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE.

THE UPRISING STOMPED OUT, ARCHALAUS HEADED TO ROME FOR CORONATION BY EMPEROR AUGUSTUS. DURING HIS ABSENCE, RIOTS CONTINUED. ARCHELAUS’ TROOPS WERE UNABLE TO COPE WITH THE UNREST, SO THE ROMAN GOVERNOR OF SYRIA INTERVENED. TWO THOUSAND PEOPLE WERE CRUCIFIED.

IN A UNITED EFFORT, JEWS AND SAMARITANS APPEALED TO ROME THAT ARCHELAUS SHOULD BE DEPOSED.

JESUS USES THIS HISTORICAL EVENT AS A BACKDROP FOR HIS PARABLE IN LUKE 19:12-27

NOTE THE PARALLEL, READ VERSES 12-14.

“JESUS SAID TO THEM, A CERTAIN NOBLEMAN WENT INTO A FAR COUNTRY TO RECEIVE FOR HIMSELF A KINGDOM AND TO RETURN. SO HE CALLED TEN OF HIS SERVANTS, DELIVERED TO THEM TEN MINAS, AND SAID TO THEM, ‘DO BUSINESS TILL I COME.’ BUT HIS CITIZENS HATED HIM, AND SENT A DELEGATION AFTER HIM, SAYING, ‘WE WILL NOT HAVE THIS MAN TO REIGN OVER US.”

DESPITE THE OUTCRY OF THE PEOPLE THE MASTER IS GIVEN THE KINGDOM.

CONTINUE READING IN VERSES 15-27.

THIS PARABLE MAY SOUND SIMILAR TO ONE WE ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH. THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS FOUND IN MATTHEW 25:14-30.

THERE ARE MANY SIMILARITIES:

A MASTER WHO TRAVELS TO A FAR COUNTRY, SERVANTS LEFT IN CHARGE OF SUMS OF MONEY, AN EXPECTATION FROM THE MASTER THAT THE MONEY WILL BE INVESTED, AN ACCOUNTING UPON THE MASTER’S RETURN. THE PARABLE INVOLVES SERVANTS WHO WERE GOOD STEWARDS AND ONE WHO WAS SLOTHFUL.

THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL DIFFERENCES:

IN MATTHEW, THE MASTER CALLS 3 SERVANTS.

IN LUKE, 10 ARE CALLED.

IN MATTHEW, THE SERVANTS RECEIVE 5, 2 AND 1 TALENT RESPECTIVELY (A TALENT WAS WORTH OVER 16 YEARS WAGES).

IN LUKE, THE SERVANTS EACH RECEIVE 1 MINA (WORTH 3 MONTHS WAGES).

THE PARABLE IN LUKE ALIGNS THE REPUTATION OF THE MASTER MORE CLOSELY WITH JEWISH HISTORY THAN MATTHEW DOES.

IT SEEMS PLAUSIBLE THAT THESE ARE TWO SIMILAR ACCOUNTS TOLD ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS BY JESUS, RATHER THAN TWO AUTHORS RETELLING THE SAME STORY.

IN LUKE’S PARABLE, WE FIND A CALL TO INTEGRITY BY THE MASTER.

HE IS GOING ON A LONG JOURNEY…THERE IS NO SPECIFIC RETURN DATE. EACH MAN IS GIVEN 3 MONTHS WAGES TO INVEST AND TO MAKE A PROFIT ON.

ALL OF THIS IS DONE WITHOUT THE MASTER’S SUPERVISION. HE IS TAKING A RISK. HE TRUSTS HIS SERVANTS TO BE GOOD STEWARDS AND MANAGE HIS MONEY WISELY.

THIS MORNING I WANT TO POSE THREE QUESTIONS?

THE FIRST ONE IS:

1. WHO ARE YOU WHEN NO ONE IS LOOKING?

I REMEMBER AN INCIDENT IN 4TH GRADE THAT HAPPENED WHEN THE TEACHER LEFT THE ROOM. FOUR OF US “RENEGADE” BOYS DECIDED TO PICK ON ONE OF OUR CLASSMATES. HE WAS VERY THIN AND HAD EARNED THE NICK-NAME “RUBBER-BAND”. THE NAME WAS FIRST COINED ON THE KICK-BALL FIELD WHERE HE WOULD TRY TO CATCH THE BALL—BOBBLING IT IN THE AIR AS HIS BODY CONTORTED INTO ALL KINDS OF STRANGE POSITIONS—ONLY TO END UP DROPPING THE BALL. AS THE TEACHER LEFT THE ROOM, THE FOUR OF US HEADED OVER TO “RUBBER-BANDS” DESK. WE PULLED HIM FROM HIS SEAT AND EACH ONE OF US TOOK HOLD OF A LIMB. WE THEN BEGAN TO PULL TO SEE HOW FAR WE COULD STRETCH HIM. AT THAT MOMENT, A WOMAN APPEARED IN THE DOORWAY. IT WASN’T THE TEACHER, IT WAS “RUBBER-BANDS” MOTHER. WE WERE SO STARTLED, WE DROPPED HIM TO THE FLOOR.

WE THOUGHT NO ONE WAS LOOKING AND WE COULD GET AWAY WITH IT…NOT SO.

WHEN IT COMES TO STEWARDSHIP AND OUR SPIRITUAL LIVES…SOMETIMES WE DO THINGS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS THAT DON’T REFLECT FAITHFULNESS.

I THINK OF THE VIDEOS I’VE RENTED THAT WERE WASTE OF GOD’S MONEY.

OR, THE HIGH CREDIT CARD INTEREST I’VE PAID TO BANKS BECAUSE OF MY INDULGENCES.

PERHAPS PAYING HIGHER RATES FOR A TRIP BECAUSE I DIDN’T PLAN AHEAD.

MONEY SPENT ON AN ITEM THAT WAS HARDLY USED AND IS NOW COLLECTING DUST.

WASTED DOLLARS ON BANK FEES DUE TO BOUNCED CHECKS—BECAUSE OF A FAILURE TO BALANCE THE CHECKBOOK OR SLOPPY BOOKKEEPING.

WHO WE ARE BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, WHEN NO ONE ELSE IS WATCHING, INDICATES WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GOOD STEWARDS.

A COUPLE WENT INTO A CROWDED FRIED CHICKEN FRANCHISE & ORDERED A PICNIC BOX TO GO. IN THE RUSH OF BUSINESS A CLERK ACCIDENTALLY HANDED THEM THE PICNIC BOX IN WHICH THE MANAGER HAD HIDDEN THE DEPOSIT HE WAS ABOUT TO TAKE TO THE BANK. FEARFUL OF BEING ROBBED, HE HAD CAMOUFLAGED THE DEPOSIT.