Leaving Zacchaeus’ house, the King was winding His way to the back of a donkey that would help carry Him to His cross, which was just days away. Keep in mind that getting into the kingdom is one size fits all. We get in by grace through implantation of the gospel seed accompanied by a new birth (1 Peter 1:23-25). No seed, no birth. And though we all become heirs of God by grace, the joint heirship of Christ is not one size fits all. There is a qualification – if we suffer with Him, we shall also be glorified together with Him (Romans 8:17).
Notice the suffering part. There was evidently a saying that circulated throughout the early church for some time that Paul called “a faithful saying.” Here it is! “For if we died with Him, we shall also live with Him. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful. He cannot deny Himself “(2 Timothy 2:11-13). This saying will be explained as we go through this parable.
Let’s begin. Let the reader be advised that this parable will take time to explain – meaning several posts – but I can only hope it will be well worth the trip. The passage is Luke 19:11-28!
“Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. Therefore He said: 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.’” (Luke 19:11-13).
Word had circulated about Jesus staying at the home of Zacchaeus. Jesus used many parables. The word “parable” means to cast beside. A familiar truth is cast alongside an unknown truth in order to make the unknown knowable. It is used to both hide truth from those who really were not interested and to reveal truth to those who were. Remember Jesus’ words to His disciples. “It is given to you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to them it has not been given (Matthew 13: ). The parables have a selective audience.
Because He was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately. The people had in their mind that the King was on His way to Jerusalem to be crowned King of Israel. At last He would fulfill His destiny and establish His kingdom by taking the nation back from the Romans.
Therefore, He said. The word “therefore” is very important. It means emphasis should be placed on the fact that the people thought that the kingdom would appear immediately. This is the very reason for the parable. They were wrong in their thinking.
A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. Only kings have kingdoms. The nobleman is representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. Going into a far country would be synonymous to His ascension back to His Father (the far country) to receive a kingdom and to return. Jesus was telling His people that He was not going to Jerusalem to be crowned as their king this time. He was going back to His Father to receive a kingdom – and then return.
King Jesus is at this moment seated on the throne at Father’s right hand in heaven (Psalm 110:1; Hebrews 1:13), fulfilling His role as our High Priest. He is to fulfil three roles in His life: the role as the great prophet which He has already completed; His role as our High Priest, which He is fulfilling now; and King. Our High Priest knows us and can sympathize with our weaknesses. We are told to come boldly before Him to find mercy and grace to help us in our need (Hebrews 4:13-16). He is performing His role as King, but at this time, He is reigning over a spiritual kingdom – the Church – as our Head (Ephesians 4:15). But one day and I believe soon, He will stand up and He will return, not as a weak babe in Bethlehem, but as the Lion from the tribe of Judah (Revelation 19:11-16).
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’ Stay safe and stay tuned!