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Luke 19:11-27: the context of the parable is that Jesus for the first time in his ministry is about to enter Jerusalem. The going to Jerusalem and all that will happen to him there has already been revealed to him since the mount of transfiguration where Moses and Elijah ministered to him of what will happen when he reaches Jerusalem.Jesus has repeated what must happen to him in jerusalem, many times but they have never understood what he was saying.
In vs 32 of chapter 18 Jesus again tells his disciples that he will be delivered up to the gentiles and all that he will suffer resulting in his death, but he will be raised from the dead on the third day. We are then told why Jesus tells the parable. It is "because" Jesus was about to enter Jerusalem and secondly "because" the people with Jesus expected the Kingdom of God to appear immediatly. So then the parable is spoken because of their immediate expectation of Gods Kingdom as well as because Jesus was entering Jerusalem. Note the "Therefore" connects the parable to their expectation of Gods Kingdom being imminant and Jesus entry to Jerusalem. Therefore Jesus 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 and delivered to them ten minas. He 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. So it was after he returned having received the Kingdom,that he called the servants to whom he'd given the money, to be called to him. So that he'd know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first saying Master your mina has earned ten minas. He said well done good servant,because you were faithful in a very little , have authority over ten cities. the second servant came saying your mina has earned you five minas. Likewise he said you also be over five cities. Then another came saying Master here is your mina which I have put away in a hankerchief. For I feared you because you are an austere man, you collect what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sew. He answered out of your own mouth I will judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sew. Why then didn't you put my money in the bank that I might have collected it with interest. He said to those who stood by, take the mina away from him and give it to the one with 10 minas (But they said to him, but Master he has ten minas) But I say to you, everyone who has will be given, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.But bring to me those enemies who did not want me to rule over them and slay them before me." When he had said this he went on to Jerusalem.
So then what is this parable about? Yes it is about the Kingdom of God. But what aspect of Gods Kingdom is it teaching us about? We see right after this parable is Jesus triumphal entry into Jerusalem. So we see it is related to Jesus been enthroned as we see in vs 38 that the crowd say of Jesus blessed be the King who comes in the name of the Lord!! The Kingship could only relate to the hope of Israel that a descendant of David would take up the throne of David as promised in 2 samuel 7. so the larger context of the parable in Luke clearly gives the parable its context. So as we saw in the beginning of the parable he told the parable because he was to enter Jerusalem. If Jesus is proclaimed as King of Israel that means he is indeed Israels promised Christ from the line of David. Also when the Christ was enthroned as King, the people would know then that Gods Kingdom would immediatly be ushered in.This is exactly what the people with Jesus were hoping for when it says they were expecting the Kingdom to come immediatly. This coming of the Kingdom in connection with Jesus being enthroned as King answers the reason he told them the parable, the reason is because they expected the Kingdom to come immediatly. Obviously the Kingdom would come when Jesus is enthroned and receives Gods Kingdom. This is what believing Israel hoped for. Now we can proceed to interpret the parable. As we saw in the opening chapters of Luke. Jesus was to receive the throne of King David. We see that Jesus is not yet enthroned as King, also there are many who hate him and as in the parable do not want him to become King and rule over them. Many of these enemies of the King are Pharisees among others.But it is the Pharisees who approach the Roman governor to ensure Jesus crucifixion so that He will not become King and rule over them. Clearly the Pharisees are the ones who sent a delegation after Jesus to not become King. So when the parable says that the nobleman went away to a far country to receive a Kingdom and return. It fits in with the events in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem Jesus was unjustly sentenced to death and accused by his citizens who did not want Him to rule over them. But we see in the parable the nobleman was to return. So although Jesus was not at that time enthroned to receive authority to rule over the Kingdom over which he was not yet King. Here we have the situation like King David's, where although he was anointed as King by the prophet it was only later that he was actually enthroned as the King of Israel, so it was with Jesus. In the events of Jesus crucifixion and resurrection we see that Jesus was not abandoned to the grave, but was instead raised up to sit at the right hand of the Father. It was in these events as described in Acts 2 that Jesus was enthroned and declared to be King and thus receiving a Kingdom. As was expected when the son of David was enthroned on Davids throne. He was declared in Jerusalem to be both Lord and Christ ie King and the Holy Spirit was poured out and Gods Kingdom began, with Jesus having been given all rule and authority. Indeed Jesus had gone away and received the Kingdom of God. All that remains is for Jesus to return. . Obviously in the more immediate context after Jesus was raised to the right hand of God to be the King of Gods Kingdom, he did return to Israel in judgement in AD 70 to put to death those unbelieving Jews who did not want Jesus to rule over them as King. Even so the second part of the parable was fulfilled in AD 70 and also will be fulfilled at the return of Christ, when he comes to reward his faithful servants and punish the wicked unfaithful servants who would not have him reign over them from among the gentiles. |
