Luke 19:11-27

Introduction:

Two things are at odds throughout the Gospel of Luke because they were in conflict during the days of Jesus.

The expectations of the people: they tried to fit Jesus into their preconceptions about the Messiah.

The divine realities of Jesus’ person and purpose.

We have seen these things at odds with one another consistently as the people have tried to work out how to understand Jesus.

- Jesus at Levi’s dinner.

- Messengers of John - Are you the one who should come or do we look for another?

- In the home of Simon: “If this man were a prophet...”

- Herod perplexed.

- Whom do the crowds so that I am?

- Pharisees claim Jesus casts out devils by Beelzebub.

- The crowd complained about Jesus and Zacchaeus.

Jesus has explained otherwise:

I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.

I came not to bring peace but a sword.

He foretells his death three times.

If Jesus is God then that also leads to the conclusion that we are accountable to someone other than ourselves:

Everyone knows this.

These two things are essential to grasping divine realities and human responsibilities.

The Human Problem: Trying to make our own reality

Luke 19:11 NA28

Ἀκουόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα προσθεὶς εἶπεν παραβολὴν διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι Ἰερουσαλὴμ αὐτὸν καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παραχρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφαίνεσθαι.

Luke 19:11 NA28

Ἀκουόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα προσθεὶς εἶπεν παραβολὴν διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι Ἰερουσαλὴμ αὐτὸν καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παραχρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφαίνεσθαι.

Luke 19:11 NA28

Ἀκουόντων δὲ αὐτῶν ταῦτα προσθεὶς εἶπεν παραβολὴν διὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι Ἰερουσαλὴμ αὐτὸν καὶ δοκεῖν αὐτοὺς ὅτι παραχρῆμα μέλλει ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ ἀναφαίνεσθαι.

Luke again shows that Jesus understood the misunderstandings of the crowd.

He also, then, shows that the crowd doesn’t understand what is about to happen.

Notice the word “suddenly.”

Jesus’ Correction and Warning of Divine Judgment.

Luke 19:12–27 NA28

εἶπεν οὖν· Ἄνθρωπός τις εὐγενὴς ἐπορεύθη εἰς χώραν μακρὰν λαβεῖν ἑαυτῷ βασιλείαν καὶ ὑποστρέψαι. καλέσας δὲ δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δέκα μνᾶς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Πραγματεύσασθε ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι. οἱ δὲ πολῖται αὐτοῦ ἐμίσουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρεσβείαν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Οὐ θέλομεν τοῦτον βασιλεῦσαι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὸν λαβόντα τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ εἶπεν φωνηθῆναι αὐτῷ τοὺς δούλους τούτους οἷς δεδώκει τὸ ἀργύριον, ἵνα γνοῖ τί διεπραγματεύσαντο. παρεγένετο δὲ ὁ πρῶτος λέγων· Κύριε, ἡ μνᾶ σου δέκα προσηργάσατο μνᾶς. καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε, ὅτι ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ πιστὸς ἐγένου, ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων. καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ δεύτερος λέγων· Ἡ μνᾶ σου, κύριε, ἐποίησεν πέντε μνᾶς. εἶπεν δὲ καὶ τούτῳ· Καὶ σὺ ἐπάνω γίνου πέντε πόλεων. καὶ ὁ ἕτερος ἦλθεν λέγων· Κύριε, ἰδοὺ ἡ μνᾶ σου ἣν εἶχον ἀποκειμένην ἐν σουδαρίῳ· ἐφοβούμην γάρ σε, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ, αἴρεις ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκας καὶ θερίζεις ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρας. λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρίνω σε, πονηρὲ δοῦλε. ᾔδεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρός εἰμι, αἴρων ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκα καὶ θερίζων ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρα; καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ ἔδωκάς μου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τράπεζαν; κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν σὺν τόκῳ ἂν αὐτὸ ἔπραξα. καὶ τοῖς παρεστῶσιν εἶπεν· Ἄρατε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν μνᾶν καὶ δότε τῷ τὰς δέκα μνᾶς ἔχοντι — καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἔχει δέκα μνᾶς — λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται. πλὴν τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου τούτους τοὺς μὴ θελήσαντάς με βασιλεῦσαι ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἀγάγετε ὧδε καὶ κατασφάξατε αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθέν μου.

εἶπεν οὖν· Ἄνθρωπός τις εὐγενὴς ἐπορεύθη εἰς χώραν μακρὰν λαβεῖν ἑαυτῷ βασιλείαν καὶ ὑποστρέψαι.

καλέσας δὲ δέκα δούλους ἑαυτοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δέκα μνᾶς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Πραγματεύσασθε ἐν ᾧ ἔρχομαι.

οἱ δὲ πολῖται αὐτοῦ ἐμίσουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἀπέστειλαν πρεσβείαν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· Οὐ θέλομεν τοῦτον βασιλεῦσαι ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς.

Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἐπανελθεῖν αὐτὸν λαβόντα τὴν βασιλείαν καὶ εἶπεν φωνηθῆναι αὐτῷ τοὺς δούλους τούτους οἷς δεδώκει τὸ ἀργύριον, ἵνα γνοῖ τί διεπραγματεύσαντο.

παρεγένετο δὲ ὁ πρῶτος λέγων· Κύριε, ἡ μνᾶ σου δέκα προσηργάσατο μνᾶς.

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Εὖγε, ἀγαθὲ δοῦλε, ὅτι ἐν ἐλαχίστῳ πιστὸς ἐγένου, ἴσθι ἐξουσίαν ἔχων ἐπάνω δέκα πόλεων.

καὶ ἦλθεν ὁ δεύτερος λέγων· Ἡ μνᾶ σου, κύριε, ἐποίησεν πέντε μνᾶς.

εἶπεν δὲ καὶ τούτῳ· Καὶ σὺ ἐπάνω γίνου πέντε πόλεων.

καὶ ὁ ἕτερος ἦλθεν λέγων· Κύριε, ἰδοὺ ἡ μνᾶ σου ἣν εἶχον ἀποκειμένην ἐν σουδαρίῳ·

ἐφοβούμην γάρ σε, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρὸς εἶ, αἴρεις ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκας καὶ θερίζεις ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρας.

λέγει αὐτῷ· Ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου κρίνω σε, πονηρὲ δοῦλε. ᾔδεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἄνθρωπος αὐστηρός εἰμι, αἴρων ὃ οὐκ ἔθηκα καὶ θερίζων ὃ οὐκ ἔσπειρα;

καὶ διὰ τί οὐκ ἔδωκάς μου τὸ ἀργύριον ἐπὶ τράπεζαν; κἀγὼ ἐλθὼν σὺν τόκῳ ἂν αὐτὸ ἔπραξα.

καὶ τοῖς παρεστῶσιν εἶπεν· Ἄρατε ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ τὴν μνᾶν καὶ δότε τῷ τὰς δέκα μνᾶς ἔχοντι —

καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· Κύριε, ἔχει δέκα μνᾶς —

λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι παντὶ τῷ ἔχοντι δοθήσεται, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἔχοντος καὶ ὃ ἔχει ἀρθήσεται.

πλὴν τοὺς ἐχθρούς μου τούτους τοὺς μὴ θελήσαντάς με βασιλεῦσαι ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ἀγάγετε ὧδε καὶ κατασφάξατε αὐτοὺς ἔμπροσθέν μου.

Conclusion

We see three types of people:

Obedient servants

A disobedient servant

Those who reject

The parable implies travel. The kingdom isn’t established for a while.

His servants will have responsibilities while he is absent.

All will face judgment.