22 Given More Or Taken Away

: Jesus in Jericho. Meets Zacchaeus, salvation has come to this house. Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost. Talking with Zacchaeus about salvation and Z turning around his management of money. Jesus gives a parable about money and faithfulness.

Crowd listening, nearing Jerusalem, thought the Kingdom would appear immediately. Jesus directly told Parable of 10 Minas or 10 Servants. Jesus also told the parable in of the Workers who were all paid the same.

Jesus is winding down His ministry of announcing the Kingdom. These and our upcoming parables are Jesus’ final teaching before the cross.

Increasingly focused on the end. Harvest. Reward. Punishment. When the Kingdom comes…

Give More to the One Who Has

Give more to the one who has

Summarize vv.1-10 Story of Zacchaeus – faithful repentance, salvation

v.11 While they were listening – because He was near Jerusalem and they thought the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. So, to help them understand Kingdom is near but not yet.

Read

Story similar to that of Archelaus

Gives 10 servants 1 mina each – told to invest, put it to work.

1 mina = 100 drachma – 100 days wages 3-4 months.

Each one given the same – what do they do with it?

Delegation sent to try to stop him, but he becomes king, returns.

Calls the servants

Luke 19:16–17 NIV

16 “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’ 17 “ ‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’

v.16 Earned 10 more

v.17 Well done my good servant. Given 10 cities. Rewarded based on production and faithfulness.

v.18 earned 5 more – given 5 cities.

vv.20-21 did not invest mina. Afraid of you hard man.

Basically saying – you get rich from other people’s hard work.

Luke 19:22 NIV

22 “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?

v.22 judged by his own words = attitude from the heart.

Wicked servant will see again soon

Why not at least store in bank to earn interest???

Luke 19:24 NIV

24 “Then he said to those standing by, ‘Take his mina away from him and give it to the one who has ten minas.’

v.24 take it away, give to the one with 10 = to the faithful

v.25 some complained

Luke 19:26 NIV

26 “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.

Even what they have will be taken away = nothing means nothing to show for investment.

Point = our current possessions will soon be gone, invest in the Kingdom by faithful obedience.

v.27 harsh. We’ll come back to this concept in our third parable.

Then Jesus went into Jerusalem. Stayed with friends in Bethany

Entering the Kingdom before you

: Jesus enters Jerusalem

Palm Sunday – Journey to the Cross talked about each day Jesus taught in the temple.

Summarize Establishing Authority

Chief priests and elders = religious and practical oversight – by what authority

v.24 Jesus turns it around – Rabbi method of teaching. Challenge and answer. Answer given for John same as for Jesus.

Leaders afraid to say, so Jesus also doesn’t need to answer – assumption that John’s authority from God so Jesus also claiming God’s authority.

Continues thought in three parables – not only show authority but show their disobedience.

Read

v.28 What do you think? Again putting the question back on them to answer.

2 sons – one said no, one said yes. The one who said no then did go to the field. But the yes did not.

v.29 changed his mind = v.32 repent. Does not mean confess or ask forgiveness. Change your mind – turn away from that thing and toward something else.

Matthew 21:31 NIV

31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.

(show in 3 pieces a, b, c)

v.31b Which son did what the father wanted? They gave the answer – the first. Recognized true obedience.

Sinners before self-righteous = instead of

v.32 very open judgment, yet not harsh.

Matthew 21:32 NIV

32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

The seemingly good son rejects the Father. Israel. Other son is Gentile or others.

Didn’t listen to John. Didn’t repent even after seeing sinners believe John.

Example – drunk man on steps enter Kingdom before pastor because preach but not live vs. believe and transformed

Warning for all of us – receive, believe, live

Jesus isn’t finished. Second parable

A people who will produce Kingdom fruit

Read

Summarize – landowner plants vineyard and rents it out, comes back for harvest.

Picture of Father. Gone for years. Sent prophets. Finally sent son.

Matthew 21:40 NIV

40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

v.40 what will owner do with the tenants?

Wretches to wretched end – or miserable death – or completely destroy

Remember the first parable. V.27 kill them in front of me.

Realize – God’s judgment and destruction is for satan and his demons. Hell is the end result for their rebellion. But those who do not identify with the Father are already identified with satan by sin and will be destroyed along with him.

John 3:16–18 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Bad tenants destroyed, vineyard given to others who will give him the fruit produced.

They recognize the natural end in a natural story. Judged by their words – again.

Then Jesus brings it home for them. Have you never read = Jesus is the cornerstone

Matthew 21:43 NIV

43 “Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Kingdom of God taken away from you

Given to those who produce the fruit of the Kingdom.

people = ethnos. Not Pharisees vs. Sinners, Not Jews vs. Gentiles, but disobedient vs. obedient

v.44 fall on stone – self-righteous – run into Him.

Crushed by stone – coming down on them in judgment = Daniel talked of a stone carved out of a mountain but not with human hands, crushed the statue.

The righteousness of Jesus condemns unrighteousness.

Two parables, speaking to Jewish leaders. Father rejected. Son rejected.

Jesus isn’t finished. Third parable. More involved. We’ll look at it next week. Spirit rejected.

Conclusion

In all three stories – Jesus illustrates faithful obedience and willful disobedience.

Willful disobedience of one wicked servant, of one wicked son, of wicked tenants.

results in no value produced for the Kingdom, and the loss of all they had accumulated.

Faithful obedience produces results for the Kingdom and reward for the good servant.

Big Idea: Faithful obedience produces fruit and reward. Disobedience produces death.

Faithful obedience produces fruit and reward. Disobedience produces death.

What About You?

Will you be given more for your faithfulness, or will all you have be taken away?

What does faithful obedience look like?

Is your behavior looking good but your heart far from God?

How do we enter the Kingdom of God?

The Pharisees and elders thought they were doing well. Thought they were righteous. Their hearts were far from God. Willfully disobeying the heart of God’s law while appearing to obey the letter.

Repent, change your mind, turn from your sin and self. Turn to follow Jesus Christ, obey His word.

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