In Luke 19:11-28, Jesus gives us a glimpse into a story that illustrates two kingdoms that are at work. Verse 11 tells us that the point of the parable was to challenge the authority of the people’s perspective that the kingdom of God was going to come immediately. By describing a nobleman who was not accepted or wanted as a king by anyone other than his servants, he was able to draw a picture of two opposing kingdoms that were being built. The first kingdom arose out of a distant country and was being built through 10 of the nobleman’s slaves. The citizens of the country though wanted a different ruler than the nobleman and expressed this through a delegation that was sent to the nobleman while he was obtaining royal power in a distant country. They were interested in building a different kingdom through a different ruler. When the nobleman came back, he summoned his slaves. Those who were faithful to do business with what he gave them were given a greater trust as their works had earned them and they had charge over multiple cities. The slave who did not show devotion and loyalty to the nobleman was judged very harshly by his words when he showed no return for his work on account that he preferred to hide what was entrusted to him rather than obey the orders of the nobleman to put to work what was given him.
This instantly calls to attention the fact that if the kingdom of God does appear immediately, than we would have to ask what the appearance of the kingdom would reveal about us and our faithfulness to Christ and to the responsibilities that God has entrusted to us in building His kingdom. Would we be like either of the slaves who when summoned showed a greater return for their work or would we be like the slave whose loyalties was with another and who hid his trust and buried it so that it had no return?
The people were not ready for the kingdom to come immediately because if it came their loyalty to God would be revealed and it was not much. In Luke 19:7, not but minutes before, the crowd had just grumbled that Jesus was going to be the guest of a sinner. Their faith in God was not yet mature and for them to see and experience the kingdom of God, they would have to commit themselves in devotion to the one that was summoning his own slaves. They were grumbling against Jesus’ own actions. If Jesus summon a slave as the nobleman summoned his own slave, and the slave grumbled against Jesus on account of the things he did, than the slave would not have any part in the Kingdom that God was setting up through Jesus. Neither would the crowd have any part in the kingdom of God either if they were grumbling against Jesus. If Jesus summoned a slave, as he had summoned Zacchaeus to come down out of the tree, and the slave showed trustworthiness as Zacchaeus was showing trustworthiness to give half of his possessions to the poor and pay back those he may have defrauded, then Jesus said through this parable that those slaves would be entrusted with more just as his followers would gain a greater business or return for their work and would become greater in the kingdom of God. If his followers or disciples wished to become great but were not devoted and rather hid what was given them, then what they have will be taken from them and they themselves would be killed for treason against the country that was being established through the nobleman’s slaves. The people were not to work against the one that was given authority from God to set up or build the kingdom of God.
What does this tell us about authority? 1) Jesus’ authority came from God and every person must decide for himself if he will choose to devote himself to God and commit himself to the authority that has been given to Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God. Will you be loyal to Jesus and choose to do business with what He has entrusted to you or will you choose loyalty to another and hide the gifts and trusts given to you? 2) Authority of the ruler is given to his slaves to exercise authority through what is given them and this brings them to a greater place in the kingdom of God than the place that they held before. What God entrusted to us will always have a return and reap a greater reward no matter how small or large it is. What God grows through us will not fail and will not be done in vain. What does fail is the person that is disloyal to God and uncommitted to His purposes and His way. This results in being thrown out of the kingdom and even more than that: one reaps an unwelcomed death. Yet those who have been given authority remain steadfast in their rule under the nobleman, who is Christ. Therefore the work is not done in vain and the authority of God remains just and pure as seen in the slaves that have received the authority of their Lord. 3) When the kingdom of God is not visible to believers then it may be because the believers are not being faithful and devoted to the Lord. When we let sin rule in our life, we are not allowing the authority of the Lord to work in us to make us into the ‘slaves of righteousness’ that He wants us to be (Romans 6:15-23). Therefore, He cannot use us in His kingdom when we are complacent and full of sin and His authority is not found in us. We must make a bold stand for Christ and decide where our loyalties lay: with Christ or with the world.
Which kingdom will you build?
Additional text for thought on submission to earthly governing authorities, commands, and the present time: Romans 13:1-14
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