Lighthouse scribes

Luke 19:11-27: The King Is Coming

It’s that time of the year when the aisles of grocery stores, malls, and major brands are filled with Christmas-branded confectionery, drinks, and products. One thing that’s never left out is the advent calendar. Christmas has become such a commercialized event, and there are millions that celebrate it globally for the wrong reasons. The core message of God’s love and his redemptive plan has been reduced to ‘love’—the type depicted in Christmas movies that has nothing to do with God.

I read an interesting study conducted among 2007 UK adults, and this part got my attention:

​Around a third of Britons (33%) purchase an advent calendar for themselves every year, while 22% do so occasionally. Additionally, 22% buy advent calendars annually as gifts, with 25% saying they buy them sometimes but not every year. This highlights a significant market for both personal indulgence and gifting.

​The reasons for purchasing advent calendars vary. Nearly half (47%) of respondents say they buy them to create a fun daily activity, and 44% say it’s a way to celebrate the holiday season. Two-fifths cite continuing a family tradition, while 21% enjoy the excitement of surprises behind each door. Advent calendars also serve niche interests: 18% use them as a personal indulgence, and 8% are drawn by the opportunity to sample new products.

Another study reported that over 16 million advent calendars were sold in the UK in 2019.

Sadly, it appears that we live in a world where many have completely forgotten that the King is coming. It is a world where even many who await the bridegroom are fast asleep.

​The parable of the Ten Servants seems to have been told to the audience at Zacchaeus’ home. The writer began by telling us why Jesus spoke the parable:

​Luke 19:11 NKJV

​[11] 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.

Many who had anticipated the coming of the Messiah and many who walked with God at the time had assumed it was a single-phase event. They believed Jesus would come, be crowned king, take them away from the harsh rulership of the Greeks and Romans, and rule the earth forever—all within their lifetime. Jesus told this parable to make his listeners understand what the coming of his kingdom was like.

There was the phase they were living in—the establishment of God’s kingdom on earth, as seen in the First Coming of Christ. Then there is the continuity of the enlargement of his kingdom, post-resurrection, which is the time we are still in. And finally, there will be the fullness or end of time, which is his Second Coming.

​Does that sound familiar?

​Here are a few verses to remind us of what we are waiting for:

​II Peter 3:10-13 NKJV

​[10] But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [11] Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, [12] looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? [13] Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

​Revelation 21:1 NKJV

​[1] Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.

​Hebrews 9:28 NKJV

​[28] so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.

Messages Embedded in the Parable

​What key messages are embedded in the passage?

• The noble man went away with a plan to return, without confirming a time for his return. In the same manner, Christ has gone away to return. He said: Mark 13:32-34 NKJV [32] “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. [33] Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. [34] It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.
• Just before he left, he commissioned ten servants to invest his resources on his behalf. Being his servants meant that they were already doing work for him. Similarly, God has given to everyone who serves him gifts and resources that he wants us to use for his glory, not for our self aggrandisement.
• ​Among his people, there were those who hated him. I appreciate that Jesus distinguished his servants from his people, as it serves as a reminder that though the earth is the Lord’s, there are many over whom he is sovereign who despise him.
• ​He returned. Yes. Christ will return.
• ​He took account. Yes, Christ will hold us accountable, too. We see this in the parable as well as the parable of the talents.
• ​He gave rewards. The Bible is replete with verses about blessings for obedience and rewards for acts of righteousness.
• He took his resources from the servant who did not put it to the right use to yield a profit. God takes away his resources when we don’t use them appropriately. We lose the opportunity and the accompanying rewards when we despise his gifts and take him for granted. Note that verses 24-26 do not contradict Romans 11:29. The context of Romans 11:29 is salvation, while this is the Christian/spiritual service of those who have been saved.
• He executed those who rejected his rulership. In like manner, when Jesus returns he will execute judgment on all who rejected his free gift of salvation.

Finally…

Let this Advent season be a reminder to us that Jesus is coming back, and though we do not know when, we are in a countdown to his return.
Let it remind us to live wisely and use everything he’s handed to us in a way that glorifies him.
Let it remind us that in a world where many hate their king, there is a harvest of souls we’ve all been commissioned to reach for him. May this Christmas season be more than food, drinks, and the exchange of gifts among us. May this Christmas season be solely about the one who loved us and gave himself for us.

Love,

Osi