A Parable For The In-Between
The Son: Meeting Jesus through Luke • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Transcript
Opening Comments:
Opening Comments:
Journey with me in your copy of God’s Word to Luke 19:11-27. Pg. 825 in church Bible.
We’re still walking with Jesus on the final stretch of His journey to Jerusalem. Last week, we watched as He stop under a sycamore tree and called out to Zacchaeus (the chief tax collector in Jericho) whom everyone hated. Because “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Now, while the crowd was still processing what had happened, Jesus begins a parable to prepare His disciples for what lies ahead and to teach them how to live faithfully in the time between his first coming and His return.
Let’s read the passage together
11 As they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately.
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’
17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’
19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;
21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’
25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’
26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”
Introduction:
Introduction:
Our text begins with Luke telling us why Jesus gave this parable : He was nearing Jerusalem and his followers assumed the Kingdom of God was going to immediately appear. Even though He had repeatedly told them He must suffer and die, they still expected Him to establish His throne as soon as they entered the city.
So he tells them a parable, a focused story built around one controlling truth, where the surrounding details reinforce that central truth, that although the kingdom will eventually come in its fullness, it will not be immediately. He is going to go away, receive His kingdom, and then eventually return.
In that delay, in the “in-between,” His followers are called to be faithful stewards of what he entrusts to them while he’s away.
This parable unfolds in three main movements:
Responsibility Assigned (v. 12–14)
Faithfulness Assessed (v. 15–26)
Rejection Addressed (v. 27)
With that framework in mind, let’s walk through the passage together.
1.) Responsibility Assigned (v. 12–14)
1.) Responsibility Assigned (v. 12–14)
Jesus begins the parable with a scenario ripped from the headlines of the day that his audience would have recognized immediately.
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.
When Herod the Great died, Archelaus, one of his sons, traveled to Rome to have his Father’s rule conferred on him by Caesar. Roman law did not automatically bestow authority by inheritance, it had to be granted to you by the Caesar. Archelaus was so despised for his cruelty that a delegation of Jews followed him in order to protest the appointment.
Jesus draws from this well-known event to prepare His disciples for a departure and return of a very different kind. He is going away for a divinely appointed season, to a “far country”, to receive the kingdom that is already His by right, and when He returns, His authority will be fully revealed.
A.) The nobleman’s departure is real, and his return is certain.
Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection and ascension will remove him physically from his disciples. But His departure isn’t an abdication, nor does it mean he’s disinterested in what is going on in his absence. He is going because the plan of God requires it. And Just as surely as God’s plan requires His departure, it also requires His authoritative return.
B.) A trust assigned to each servant.
13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’
The nobleman calls his servants (douloi- bondslaves.) These are people who belong to him and exist to serve his purposes.
And places a mina (roughly 3 months worth of wages) in each of their hands. Each servant receives equal trust, equal opportunity and equal responsibility from the master.
And a simple instruction: “Engage in business until I come.”
Engage in business- carries the idea of active effort. Like investing, trading, or working toward gain.
“Get to work!”
Much like the nobleman Jesus has placed a trust in hands of every believer. That trust is the gospel. Our circumstances, gifting, and opportunities may differ, but the trust is the same.
C.) Not everyone responds the same way
14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
Here we meet a second group of people interacting with the nobleman. Not servants but citizens who live under His authority but despise His rule.
Their rejection isn’t subtle, it’s deliberate, hostile, public, and total.
“We do not want this man to rule over us.”
The connection to Archelaus come into play here again. The delegation that followed him to Rome didn't just consist of Jews who opposed him but also members of his own family. This was a very public rejection.
Jesus is drawing on this moment to show his disciples he will also be rejected; first by the rulers of Israel and ultimately by all who enjoy living under his kindness but reject him as King.
Application: This parable leaves the world with only two categories:
Servants who belong to the nobleman, and citizens who reject His authority.
There is no neutral middle where someone can benefit from the King’s kindness without bowing to His rule.
So we need to ask honestly: Which category describes me?
If you belong to Christ, you are His servant, not merely part of the crowd, not an observer of spiritual things, but someone the Master has claimed and entrusted with His gospel.
Your circumstances and gifting may differ from others, but the trust is the same. He has placed the message of the gospel in your hands and called you to live under His authority while He is away.
The question before each of us is simple: As one who belongs to Christ, am I living faithfully as His servant?
2.) Faithfulness Assessed (v. 15–26)
2.) Faithfulness Assessed (v. 15–26)
Display but don’t read
15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business.
v.15 tells us that after a long absence, the nobleman returns with his Kingdom in hand. Now it’s time for his servants to give an account of their stewardship.
Jesus gives us the report of three servant: two faithful and one unfaithful.
A.) The Faithful Servants and Their Reward. (v.16-19)
1.) The First Servant (v.16-17)
16 … ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’
17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’
Do you see the humility? “Your mina has made.” He gives all the credit to his master, not himself.
Now notice the reward: “well done” and he’s given authority over 10 cities.
This is an intentional contrast, he was faithful with something small and he’s rewarded with something incredibly large.
2.) The second servant (v.18-19)
18 … ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 … ‘And you are to be over five cities.’
The second servant has a smaller return, but he is still given a tremendous reward. Understand, the Lord doesn’t expect identical outcomes, he expects faithfulness to what he has called you too.
8 He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.
God measures obedience, not impressiveness. Faithfulness, not comparison.
B.) The Unfaithful Servant and His loss. (v.20-26)
The third servant approaches the master, not with a return but with an excuse:
1.) His excuse
20 …Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief;
21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
He did absolutely nothing with the trust he was given. He hid it by preserving it in a cloth. All the while claiming, his motive was fear of his master.
2.) His excuse exposed.
22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow?
23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’
If he truly believed the master was severe, then the safest thing to do was to at least put the money in a place where it could have drawn interest.
The master calls him out and in an instant his excuse collapses.
His problem wasn’t fear. It was apathy. He just didn’t want to do what his master commanded. Then to make matters worse, he tried to blame his master.
3.) His reward lost
24 .’..Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’
26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
This unfaithful servant, doesn’t lose his status as a servant, but he does lose his reward. What he refused to use was taken from him and given to the most faithful.
Application: This mirrors what scripture calls the “Judgement seat of Christ”
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
This is a time when all those who belong to Christ are called to account for what we did with what Christ entrusted to us.
This unfaithful servant demonstrates that it is entirely possible to belong to the Jesus but be governed by apathy and not stewardship.
He didn’t reject the nobleman like the citizens. He simply did nothing and then justified his inaction.
Friends, apathy always find an excuse:
“I don’t know enough…”
“Someone else can do it better…”
“I’ll get more serious for Jesus when life slows down…”
“I don’t want to mess things up…”
This unfaithful servant is like the believer who is grateful for his salvation but disengaged from the mission. Present on Sunday, but not invested. Saved, but stagnant. Holding the gospel, but never putting it to work.
Paul reminds us:
2 Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.
God isn’t looking for flash, he wants faithfulness in the in-between. And he will return to assess what we did with he placed in our hands.
3.) Rejection Addressed (v. 27)
3.) Rejection Addressed (v. 27)
Once the assessment of his servants has ended, the nobleman turns His attention back to the citizens who openly rejected His rule.
27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’ ”
A.) Correspond to Israels Leaders
Jesus is days away from entering Jerusalem, where the Jewish leaders will reject Him publicly and violently.
15 They cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.”
18 But they all cried out together, “Away with this man, and release to us Barabbas”—
The same religious authorities who claimed to serve God will openly declare that they want nothing to do with His Son. Their rejection did not remove Jesus’ authority, but it did seal their judgment.
B.) Corresponds to all who reject Christ as King.
This parable widens the lens. These citizens represent every person who benefits from God’s daily grace, yet says in their heart
“I don’t want this man ruling over my life.”
Hear me clearly:
Their is no such thing as polite unbelief.
There is no neutral disregard of Jesus.
Refusing Jesus as King is open rebellion.
C.) Just and sobering judgement.
“Bring them here and slaughter them”
This is intentionally vivid language: those who persist in rejecting Christ will face real judgment.
Scripture calls this “ The Great White Throne Judgement”.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
At that judgment, all who refused the King’s rule will be judged according to their works and cast into the lake of fire.
Hell is not a surprise ending, it is the rightful outcome of rejecting the rightful King.
D.) Judgement Makes the Gospel Shine With Mercy.
The same king who speaks this warning is only days away from going to Jerusalem to stand under judgement himself.
He will be betrayed, arrested, tried, condemned, beaten, mocked, and crucified not for His sins, but for ours.
Jesus words of Judgement aren’t cruelty, their compassionate warning.
Because while judgment will one day address every rejection with perfect justice, today He offers mercy to all who will bow to Him as Lord.
Conclusion
Conclusion
This parable brings the whole Christian life into focus. Our Master has gone to receive His kingdom. He has placed the gospel into our hands. And He will return to assess what we did with what He entrusted to us.
Some will be found faithful because they obey Him in the in-between. Others will be found disengaged and passive with the very gospel they were meant to put to work. And still others will be like the citizens, enjoying God’s kindness while refusing His rule.
The question before us is simple: Which one am I?
A faithful servant?
An apathetic servant?
Or a rejecting citizen?
The good news is this: the King who will return in judgment is the same King who went to the cross to save us. His call to faithfulness is not a burden it is an invitation into joy as we wait for Him.
Invitation
Invitation
To unbelievers:
If you have kept Jesus at a distance , hear the warning of this parable. Rejecting the King does not remove His reign; it seals judgement.
But today, He offers mercy. Turn to Him in repentance and faith and you will find Him to be a gracious Savior.
If you need someone to pray with you or walk with you, step to the back as we sing.
To believers:
Where has the gospel been sitting unused in your hands? Ask the Lord for faithfulness in the in-between, the kind of faithfulness that will bring Him joy when He returns.
Prayer:
Prayer:
Father, thank You for entrusting us with the gospel and calling us to faithfulness as we wait for our King. For those who do not yet know Christ, open their hearts to receive Him today. For Your people, strengthen our hands, awaken our obedience, and make us faithful in the in-between. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
