Responsibility & Reckoning

We're going to do a sermon series today in the Gospel of Luke.

So if you'll turn with me to Luke chapter 19, that's where we're going to get it.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

That's page 825 in the few miles.

Luke chapter 19, page 825.

Luke 19 · chapter mention

This time of year, the time between Christmas and Easter, is this hard time when the church

has focused its attention on the person of Jesus.

We're always focusing on Christ because we've just sung.

What we want is to see Christ more clearly, but it's good to regularly return to the Gospels

themselves and get a firsthand encounter there with the one that we worship, the one that

is at the center of our worship, Jesus.

Now, as we start into the Gospel of Luke this season, just a quick orientation to this book.

The Gospel of Luke falls roughly into three parts.

The first, chapters 1 through 9, deal with Jesus' birth and his ministry in Galilee.

And the big question that Luke deals with there is, who is this Jesus?

And the picture that emerges in Luke 1 through 9 is that Jesus is, in fact, Israel's Messiah,

the Lord, the liberator that we've been waiting for.

And then begins the second section of the Gospel of Luke, in chapters 9 through 19.

And there Luke recounts Jesus' long journey from Galilee to Jerusalem.

And here we join the disciples on the road with Jesus.

And Luke is dealing with the question here of, what does it mean to follow Jesus?

What does it mean to follow him?

And the picture that emerges in 9 through 19 is that following Jesus means complete allegiance

to him as our Lord.

And if you were here last winter and spring, we preached through that section of Luke.

You can find those sorts on the website if you want to go back and listen to some of those.

But now, we come to the third and final section of Luke's Gospel, chapters 19 through 24.

And these chapters deal with the climax of Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.

And the big question here that Luke takes up is, what has Jesus come to do?

This liberator who calls for our utmost allegiance, what is the work he's come to accomplish?

How will he set us free?

And the shocking answer to that question, the answer that will turn everything upside down,

the answer that will make Jesus and Christianity completely different than every other religion,

the answer to that question is, the cross.

Now why is Luke right on this?

In the opening chapter of Luke, chapter 1, the opening verses,

Luke 1 · chapter mention

he says there that he's taking time to research and gather all these first-hand accounts of Jesus.

Luke's writing in the 60s, 70s, the first century, 60s, 70s, 80s.

He says he's gathered all these first-hand accounts of Jesus,

put them into an orderly account, so that his young friend named Theophilus

might know the certainty of the things he did.

He wants the faith of his friend not to rest on wishful thinking or on vague notions,

but on the certainty of who Jesus is and what he's done.

So it's our prayer that as we launch into the gospel, Luke again,

that that same sort of assurance, that same sort of assuring certainty will increasingly be ours.

And out of that assurance, we can be the kind of people who are people of love and hope and even joy

in the midst of our city that so desperately needs all of us.

So why don't we pray?

And then we'll dive into those things.

Let's pray.

Father, we are grateful that we get a chance on Sunday mornings to gather together as your people

in this new covenant that you want for us, where there's grace and forgiveness in life.

Amen.

God, thank you that through your word you speak to us.

Thank you that we have these documents that have been written and preserved and inspired by your spirit

so that we can hear afresh the truth of who you are and what you've done, Jesus,

and what you continue to do through your spirit in your church and in our own lives.

God, do your work this morning, we pray as we attend to your word.

We ask this humbly in the name of Jesus.

Amen.

So we're getting up to Luke 19, verses 11 through 28.

Luke 19:11–28

This is the passage that ends the second section of Luke's gospel and begins the third and final section

of Luke's gospel, Jesus' ministry in Jerusalem.

So Luke 19, verse 11.

Luke 19:11

As they heard these things, he, that is Jesus, proceeded to tell Pharaoh, because he was here to Jerusalem,

and because they supposed that the kingdom of God to appear, he is.

He said, therefore, a nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return.

Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten meetings and said to them,

Engage in business until I come.

But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying,

We do not want this man to reign over us.

When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to move me and give him the money to be called to him,

that he might know what they would gain by doing business.

The first came forward and saying,

Lord, your mena has made ten meetings.

And he said to him,

Well done, good servant, because you have been faithful and very little,

you shall have a foreign meeting.

And the second came, saying,

Lord, your mena has made five meetings.

And he said to him,

You are to be over five meetings.

Then another came, saying,

Lord, here is your being,

which I kept laying away in the hand of chief.

For I was afraid,

because you are a severe man,

you take what you did not deposit,

reap what you did not sow.

And he said to him,

I will condemn you with your own words,

you wicked servant.

You knew that I was a severe man,

taking what I did not deposit,

reap what I did not sow.

Why then did you not put my money in the bank?

And am I coming?

I might have collected it with interest.

He said to those who stood by,

Take the need of him,

give it to the one who has ten meetings.

And he said to him,

Lord, he has ten meetings.

I tell you,

that to everyone who has,

more will be given.

But to the one who has not,

even what he has,

will be taken away.

But as for these enemies of mine,

who did not want me to reign over them,

break from the air,

it's a lot of them for me.

When he said these things,

he went on ahead.

I'll go back to Jerusalem.

Well,

our passage today

is about expectations.

Expectations, of course,

can be a very powerful thing.

Imagine the school child waking up,

seeing snow on the ground,

one expecting for a snow day.

And yet being told,

let go,

despite their expectations,

they still have to go to school.

That's going to be a rough morning

for the fall.

Or imagine a newly married couple

settling into their new home,

and one expecting that the other

will gladly do the bills,

or take care of the shopping,

because, well,

that's how it was growing up for them.

Think about getting a new job.

Finally, this is the place

where I can make my mark,

get ahead,

earn respect.

It's not hard to see

that these kinds of

almost unconscious expectations

can be the source

of all sorts of

misunderstanding,

disappointment,

but have you ever considered

that that's also true spiritually?

Many expect

religion to always say

basically the same thing.

And then are very surprised

when they find out

that they're actually quite old.

Many expect Jesus

to be just another

good moral teacher,

and then are surprised

or even taken aback

when they find out

that he's claiming

a whole lot more than that.

Many expect

that following Jesus

will always make our life easier,

and then are surprised,

even upset,

or discouraged,

when the road gets rough

and trials come.

in verse 11 of our passage,

we see that Jesus

tells this parable

because he's about

to arrive in Jerusalem,

and the people around him

expect the kingdom of God

to appear immediately.

The kingdom of God,

that is,

the world healing,

justice-bringing,

evil,

and the in-taking

reign

of the creator God

on the earth,

where the world's last

would be put

right next to the kingdom

of God.

And had God

Jesus himself said

that that kingdom

was at hand,

and that the kingdom

was even in their midst,

so they're expecting

the kingdom of God

now to remain

under Jerusalem

to appear

in the earth.

But although Jesus

had indeed

launched God's kingdom

in his own person

at work,

the kingdom of God

in its complete fullness

was not going to appear.

in other words,

in Jesus,

the kingdom of God

was inaugurated,

but its consummation

was not going to happen

right away,

as the disciples expected.

And so our expectations

can cause us

such problems

relationally,

vocationally,

and so the spiritual.

And so this parable

is the just for the first

disciples following

Jesus' own Jerusalem.

It's for us,

today,

as well.

So what should we expect

as followers of Jesus?

Well, the first thing

that this parable shows us

is that we should expect

not immediate victory,

but ongoing responsibility.

We should not expect

immediate victory,

but ongoing responsibility.

Look at it,

verses 12 through 14.

Jesus said,

therefore,

a nobleman

went into a far country

to receive for himself

a kingdom

and then returned,

calling ten of his servants

to give them ten units

and said to them,

engage in business

until I come.

But his citizens

hated him

and sent a delegation

after him,

saying,

we do not want

this man to bring our kids.

Now,

this idea

of a nobleman

going away

to receive a kingdom

or to receive

the authority

to be king

would have been familiar

to Jesus' contemporary.

In fact,

when Herod the Great died,

his son,

Barbeleus,

actually went to Rome

to try to convince Caesar

to make him king

over Judea

in the place of his father.

And the Jewish citizens

disliked Barbeleus

so much

that they sent

an embassy probe

to tell the emperor

that they didn't want

to be a king.

So I think the emperor

ended up making him

sort of a sort of

semi-classic war

and said,

well,

if you move into our menu

and you can use him.

So this idea

that one would go away

in order to receive

the authority

to be a king

was a true man.

I don't know if I could

get him to the

volume to the sword

together here.

And Jesus,

is your client

to his co-signition?

Is it going to result

in an evening king?

Would you say

was that?

Rather,

he's going to be

a king

for some time

and then return

in the future

and fold forward

into the future.

And as the story

of Luke's gospel

unfolds

and as the story

continues

into the past,

that's exactly

what we see.

Jesus accomplishes

his glory personal

and then ascends

to the Father

promising that

he will one day

return in glory

to the Lord.

This is what Jesus

himself

and the rest

of the New Testament

teaches

and is what the

church has professed

from the very beginning

that we live

in between

Christ's first

and second coming.

His first coming

in grace

to purchase

our redemption

and to ignorate

the kingdom

and his second coming

in glory

to judge

and to cause

them.

And so,

like those first

disciples,

we should not

expect immediate

victory in this

in-between time.

We still wrestle

and we will still

wrestle with sin

and temptation.

We will still

battle sickness

and death.

Our relationships

will be hard

at times.

Our emotional life

will not always

be easy.

Being a follower

of Jesus,

being filled

with his spirit

does not maybe

guarantee health,

wealth,

or sinless

temptation.

And if we

expect those things,

we will be

sorely disappointed.

And we can even

end up shaking

our fist to God

when he tells

that he hasn't

accomplished those things.

Rather than

immediate victory,

Jesus is telling

us to expect

ongoing responsibility.

In the parable

10, servants

are each given

one beating,

which is a unit

of money

that's about

three to four

months' wages

for a day worker.

And they're told

to engage

in business

until he comes.

Engage in business.

Now have you

ever thought about

engaging in business

as a benefit

for discipleship?

That's what Jesus

is doing here.

Had Jesus said

that there were

12 servants

entrusted with money,

we might have thought

he was talking

about the 12 apostles

maybe.

But no,

there's 10 servants

and that might

have been

talking about

all of us.

Engage in business.

Use what the

master has given

you.

Your time,

your talents,

your treasure,

all of it is a

gift for him

to be used

in the engagement

of his business.

Now I'm not

a business person,

but I do know

that if you want

to be a successful

business person,

you need a plan.

Have you ever

stepped back

and thought

how your time,

your talents,

your resources

can be used

for God's

kingdom?

As you engage

in your location,

as you engage

in your family life,

as you engage

in your community

life,

have you ever

thought,

and made,

yes,

a plan,

about how

I might be

engaged in

the business

of God's

kingdom?

But a business,

you don't just

need a plan,

you also need

to be willing

to take risks,

don't you?

Following Jesus

is like that.

There will be

times when you

need to step

out and do

something risky,

but no great

business venture

ever really was

a success without

a little bit,

or maybe a lot

of risk,

right?

You have to do

something outside

of your comfort

zone,

like striking up

a conversation

with your neighbor,

or maybe volunteering

with a classroom

full of first

graders.

Could there be

anything

you want to do

that?

But in

business,

I've heard

you don't

just need

a plan,

and you

don't just

need a

willingness

to take

risks,

you need

planners.

You can't

move along.

And discipleship

is the same,

we need

each other.

The business

of God

isn't a

one-person

operation.

We need

various

things and

talents and

resources

working together

in this

business of

the kingdom.

But let me

mention just

one last

thing.

In business,

it seems to

be,

you need

confidence.

Because it's

not easy.

Look at

verse 14.

Jesus tells

us to expect

that many

people will

not let

complain to

business.

Some will

passively

reject Jesus

as their

king.

Some will

actively

reject Jesus

as their

king.

So as we

engage in

business,

things are

going to

be easy.

Discipleship

is going to

be hard.

We will

face setbacks

physically,

emotionally,

relationally.

What

confidence

can we

have in

the midst

of the

trials?

Well,

the glimmer

of good

news here

in this

first part

of the

Bible

is this,

that our

king has

looked upon

us,

servants,

and he's

made us

partners.

The

gospel,

the news

that God

accepts us

by grace

and not

works through

Jesus,

elevates us

and gives

us a

statement

that we

want to

be not.

No longer

just serving,

but partners

in this

business of

the kingdom.

What

wonderful news

is that?

That even

if setbacks

and trials

come,

we are

partners with

the king

representing

his interests

in the

world,

awaiting his

glorious

review.

What

better

business

to give

our

help?

What

other

business

venture

could be

more

adventurous

than to be

engaged in

the business

of the king

of the universe?

believers.

This is the

life of

discipleship.

This is what

we should

expect.

Not a

beginning

degree,

but an

ongoing,

glorious,

hard

responsibility.

But there's

more.

The rest of

the parable

is just as

important when

it comes to

our spiritual

expectations.

Because you

see, many

of us expect

that this

life is

all

there is.

Or if

there is

something

more to

come,

it's not

very connected

to what

happens here

and now,

or maybe

only marginally

so.

It sort

of reminds

me of

J.J.

Abrams'

TV show

Lost.

If you

were a

Lost fan,

you'll know

that it was

six seasons

of high

drama,

plot twists

and turns,

character

development,

and then

in the

final episode,

rather than

drawing all

those threads

together and

making a

meaningful

whole out of

the series,

the final

episode simply

had the

characters

reunite,

realize that

much of

their story

didn't matter,

and they

simply walk

into the

light of

the afterlife.

You can

tell I

have to

the light

on the

process.

They

simply move

on.

Is that

what we

should

expect?

Mere

reunion?

reunion?

According to

Jesus in

verses 15

through 27,

we should

expect not

a mere

moving

on

of

your

reunion,

but a

thorough

coming

reckoning.

In the

parable,

the noble

returns

under being

granted a

kingdom,

and he

calls to

him above

his servants

to whom

he entrusted

his money

and the

citizens

who rejected

him.

Now,

it's this

final group

that probably

causes us

the most

concern.

That

description

of judgment

in verse

27 strikes

us as

incredibly

harsh,

offensive.

But think

for a

moment of

all great

parts.

Sometimes

we need

something

shocking,

something

in your

face to

wake

this

whole

reality.

Is it

much

good

art

like

this?

Whether

it's a

modernist

painting,

or a

punk

from

an album,

it's

raw,

it's

in your

face,

so that

the viewers

of the

minister

will

actually

wake

up

to the

reality

of the

problems

that are

trying to

be

exposed.

So what

is the

reality

in which

Jesus

is trying

to wake

up?

Well,

it's to

the reality

of the

choices

that we

make

in this

life.

have

eternal

meaning.

Life

is not

meaning.

That

thing that

we feel

deep in

our

bones,

that this

life

matters,

that our

choices have

dignity,

that we

aren't

simply dust

specks on

a turntable

of oblivion.

No,

this

throttable

reckoning

by the

King

brings

the good

news that

our choices

matter,

that life

does not

be

used.

But the

harsh reality

is that

one day

some

will be

granted

exactly

what they

have asked

for.

Those who

happen to be

rejected,

who want

nothing to

do with

one,

who want

to be

ridden

once and

for all,

they will

be granted

just that.

In God's

justice,

they will

be excluded

from his

presence,

eternally

separated.

And if

God is

the eternal

source of

all life,

what can

separation

from him

be like

but eternal

death?

Some

modern art

can make us

unworthy

whole,

who will

walk through

the LR

and tolerate

finds a

freedom

in people

pieces,

but that

doesn't make

it any less

true.

The question

this part of

the parable

puts to

us is,

are we

in line

rejected

the world

to right

the king?

But lest

we think

that Jesus'

parable

is unfair,

notice that

thoroughgoing

reckoning

also comes

to the

nobleman

servants.

In

particular,

notice that

the bulk

of the

parable

deals with

the last

servant,

the servant

who merely

returns

and

ultimately

be that

having

hidden

away

in

the

king

of

king.

Now,

outwardly,

this servant

would have

been

identified

with

becoming

king.

He would

have been

named

among

the business

partners,

and yet,

the reckoning

proved that

he had no

lasting place

in the

kingdom.

The warning

here is

to nominal

Christians,

that is,

those who

identify outwardly

with Christ

in name.

but for

whom there

is no

inward

reality,

no real

relationship

into Jesus.

You see,

it's not

out of my

hearts that

Jesus is

looking for,

but inward

reality,

inward

sincerity,

things like

baptism,

or church

attendance,

or being

able to

recite a

read,

those are

all good

things that

can be

fruits of

genuine

faith,

but in

and of

themselves

they are

not

sufficient.

Now,

this doesn't

mean that

we are

ultimately

saved by

our

works.

The good

fruit of

our life

does not

put us

in a

saving

relationship

with God.

We could

never be

with it.

We are

saved by

faith in

Christ's

righteousness

alone.

But as

the reformers

would say

again and

again,

we are

saved by

faith alone,

but saving

faith is

natural.

A living

tree produces

fruit,

an active

bank account

produces

fruit.

Faith without

works is

dead faith.

No real

faith at all.

And this

last serpent

has nothing

to show

when the

master returns.

He did

nothing with

his meaning.

Is this

meaning?

Is this

meaning?

having

grown up

in a

time and

place where

the

gospel is

clearly

proclaimed,

when

scripture is

printed and

available in

our own

language,

if we just

click away

on our

smartphone,

we can

read the

very

word of

God,

whatever

and

whatever

we want.

When

scholarship

again and

again continues

to affirm

the gospel's

reliability,

when friends

and family

around us

are trusting

and following

Christ,

will we

have nothing

to show

for this

theme that

God has

given to

us?

Will we

not entrust

ourselves

wholeheartedly

to the

King?

God has

done it.

Amen.

And notice

something

important here.

This servant

disobeys his

master's wishes

and does no

business with

the man.

And then to

justify his

inactivity,

his rejection of

the nobleman's

wishes,

he creates a

defined picture

of the nobleman.

And what is

that creating

a picture

like?

Well,

this nobleman

in his mind

is harsh

and demanding

and he takes

when he didn't

have a cross

and he grieves

when he didn't

have a soul.

And of course

the nobleman's

generosity to

the previous

servants

for his

own.

And yet,

in this

servant's

mind,

this is the

picture he's

creating.

And this

picture of

the nobleman

that he

creates,

as severe

as the

bandit,

then allows

this servant

to blame

for his

exoesies.

Well,

he blames

the nobleman.

I was afraid

of you,

so I did

nothing.

Because you're

so hard.

Do you

notice the

hard dynamic

of sin

that Jesus

is laying

for us?

We

disobey.

We create

a false

image of

God that

justifies

our

disobedience.

And then

we use

that false

image to

turn and

put the

way back

on the

thought

of sin.

Do you

see that

dynamic in

your own

heart?

I know

I've seen

you mine

and it

should make

us

trouble.

And so

the lesson

we're going

to take

away from

this last

circle

is that

we must

make use

of

the

meaning

that

God

has

given us.

We must

not allow

the false

images of

God in

our minds

to us

from taking

advantage of

that gift

that God

has given.

It's not

enough to be a

Christian in

name only.

As verse 20

shows us,

if you look

there,

if we are a

Christian in

name only,

even that

name will be

taken away

from us.

not our

identity,

but in

living

relationship

with Jesus,

that's what

happens.

And how

do you

do that?

First,

something called

an evidence,

which is

admitting to

God

that you're

saying,

and then

saying,

trusting in

the Lord

Jesus'

life,

death,

and

resurrection

of the

world,

that you

are

not

in

trusting

yourself

to him

as your

business.

And for

those who

make that

step,

there is

also

a

right.

In

verses 16

through 19,

the servants

who had

occasion

visits

with the

masters

being in,

we find

them there.

They've

taken

their

message.

They've

stepped

out of

faith.

They've

come,

and they

come with

what they've

gained.

Some,

no doubt,

have been

hit through

hardship and

trial.

Some have

probably spent

sleepless nights

wandering

out when all

turnouts.

Some,

they have

lost friends

or family

members along

the way.

Some probably

made deep

sacrifices.

But at

last,

this day

of reckoning

comes.

And what we

have to see

in the

airport

is the

radical

generosity

of the

king.

I think

that it

was no

more than

three or

four months

of a

day

was

a

generation.

You know,

history tells

us,

I think it was

Mark Anthony,

history tells

us that when

Mark Anthony

tried to

reward his

soldier's

service,

he gave

them a

mina as

a gift.

And they

basically

mocked him

because he

was such

a small

man.

So he

had to

up his

gifts

over the

Lord.

Which goes

to show

that mina

was something

of that

much.

And yet

when these

servants

come before

their king,

some having

been ten

minas,

which was

not a

number of

return in

the first

century,

and some

having been

five minas,

what's the

reward?

In

return for

a minas,

run,

the servants

are rewarded

with the

rule over

whole cities.

The reward

is lavishly

disproportionate.

For the

small amount

they return,

they are

granted

unprecedented

dignity,

position,

importance,

and honor

in the

kingdom of

God.

I mean,

imagine,

if I gave

you,

let's say

I gave

you 3,000,

to invest.

No,

small amount

had a huge

amount of

money.

And you

came back

to me and

you said,

hey,

I actually

turned you

$3,000

into $10,000.

How do you

think about that?

What you

wouldn't expect

me to say,

great job,

you beat

the whole

city of

New England.

Just have

progress.

And that

is the

graciousness

of our

duty.

we are

saved by

grace,

and we

are

rewarded

in

grace.

You see,

what Jesus

wants us

to see

is that

the business

of discipleship,

the plans,

the risk,

the trials,

the hardship,

it will all

be worth it

for the king

of the

situation.

Amen.

even if you

feel as if

your demon

has gained

so little,

it is not

little in the

eyes of our

king.

If done in

love for him,

then it is

held in

greatest need.

It is worth

cities upon

cities in his

eyes.

grace.

So don't

hesitate to

give this

king your

all.

To live

your life

for him.

To plan,

to risk,

to suffer,

even to die

for him.

This is no

harsh,

severe,

tired,

despite what

that final

servant might

say,

or despite

what the

voice in

your head

might sometimes

want you to

hear,

this king's

heart is

abounding in

grace.

after all,

what gives

this king

the right

of the

church?

What is,

what is it

that Jesus

has done

that put

him to such

a place?

Look again

at verse 12,

the beginning

of Jesus'

paradigm.

The noble

that went

into a far

country to

receive her

himself.

A far

country.

Let's take

phrases used

in Luke 15

to Jesus'

parable of

the product

of the

son.

When the

elder son

leaves his

father,

he goes to

a far

country to

squander his

wealth.

And you

see,

Jesus too

would go

to the

far

country.

He would

go out

into the

far

country

where we

could

squander

them all

down into

our sin

and our

explosive

world.

And he

would go

out to

the far

country

of our

top

country

and our

rebellion.

And to the

far country

he would go

and it would

lead to

the cross.

And in that

far country

there, he

would lead

for himself

a kingdom.

no other

king, no

other religious

leader, no

other moral

teacher has

done what

Jesus did.

He alone

has gone

into the

far country

and found

him for

our sins.

He alone

has risen

again and

ascended to

the Father

and now

into a

seed

of

the

man.

This is

what gives

Jesus the

water to be

our

and to be

our

judge.

And to be

our

Lord.

Jesus did

what no

one expected

the Messiah

would do.

He died

on the

cross.

So that

we could

receive what

no one

expected

sinners

to receive.

What the

life

is

the

kingdom

of

the

world.

Let's

pray.

Lord Jesus

we pray

that you

would take

our life

and let

your

consecrated

soul

today.

Take our

moments,

take our

days,

Lord,

invite the

Holy Spirit

to let them

grow.

pray.

And when

we look

ahead to

your

return,

with the

right

expectation,

and so

we're ready

for that

great

thing.

We ask

this in

Christ's

love.