Luke 19:11-27

I don't know how many of you have heard of song by the Boontown Rats, I Don't Like Mondays.

I remember that I bought this record in this country, in this city, in London, when I was a teenager.

And every time I was going to secondary school, the song was in my head, no?

Tell me why, tell me why, I don't like Mondays.

And Mondays are a depressing day for many people.

And you wonder why, of course, it's got to do with the thing you have to do with the beginning of a new week.

Then you realize how much is the burden of your life.

I don't know if you are aware that there is more possibilities that you have a heart attack on Monday than on any other day.

Some say that the blood tension is so high that even you can have a stroke.

And even the possibility of an ulcer, they say that it's bigger.

Maybe you find a strange figure, but some people say that twice there is more the chance that people commit suicide on Monday than any other day.

But, of course, we realize that this has not only to do with work, but with the purpose of it.

The reason we live, why we are here for.

Because idleness can be attractive if you have something to do.

If you don't have anything to do, you cannot enjoy idleness.

In a way, this is the problem we face, when the things we have to do are in front of us on a new week.

And it's really to do with the purpose of our lives.

What we are here for.

And Jesus has this story, these amazing parables, which really are often striking, because it's in the end, in the tale of the story, when it's the great surprise.

And here, like in most of the stories of Jesus, it's a strange end.

It's not really the conclusion with respect at the end of the story.

But it brings us something, not only of the perspective of Jesus Christ and his message, but the reality of our own expectations.

In Jesus' day, people were waiting for better times.

They call it the kingdom.

The kingdom of God.

When he will come and he will rule and things will be as they need to be.

But in this Gospel according to Luke, it's the story of a journey.

The journey of Jesus and also the announcement in the center of what he's going to do in Jerusalem.

And from that very moment, he finds all these reactions to him.

Why he speaks about his death, about his sacrifice, what he's going to offer, giving his own life in Jerusalem.

In a way, our lives are also like a journey.

And here, the Lord Jesus Christ shows us what is really the greatest goal and purpose for our lives.

To live for that kingdom.

And this is hope.

Because without hope, there is no life at all.

It's Woody Allen, I think, who says that the future is not what it used to be.

And the reality is that so many doomed thinkers saying that what we have to face is even worse things that we have today.

It makes us really wonder what future have we got for our lives.

When we come to this life, we all have dreams, expectations, ambitions.

But when you get older, like me, you start to think that finally, better forget them.

Because you are not going to fulfill them anyway.

And this is a hard factor we have to face very soon in our lives.

The fact that these dreams and expectations cannot be achieved by ourselves.

But here, the Lord proposes to us better goals and achievements.

What is the purpose and the end of his kingdom?

And I would like to show you this evening three reactions you find here, in the parable, about what people can think about the kingdom.

First, you have the really shocking scene of those who reject this kingdom.

You see that there is no future for them.

Those who have said, I don't want him, ask him, they will not have him.

Forever.

For an eternity.

Without him.

And this is a shocking reality.

What we face here is the danger we all have when we say that we prefer our dreams, our goals, our ambitions to what God showed us through Jesus Christ.

And one day, this is the message again and again in the gospel.

We will have to face him.

And then he will be the king.

We don't have the last word.

This is the hard thing for us.

To realize that we have to take a second place.

He must be the first.

And it is not the question if you want to, if you like to.

The truth is that he is going to rule.

And there is only two possibilities.

Or you are under his rule, no?

Or you are against his rule.

And if you are against it, there is no future for you.

Because the whole message of the gospel is his victory.

He has finally not only got the last words, but there will be no enemies in that kingdom.

No dissenting voices.

Everyone will worship him.

Everyone will acknowledge and assault him.

Because he is the king of kings.

And all kingdoms will be under his throne.

And he will be forever, the whole eternity, the only king.

So there are only two possibilities for us.

Or we submit to him.

We surrender to him.

Or we will see one day what it is to resist him.

And after this serious danger, we find another two reactions.

And these two are surprising.

Because all of us think that the purpose, the goal of our lives is what we can achieve.

What we can get.

But we see how different really is at the end of the day.

First you have some servants who come before this king.

And they show him what they have achieved with their lives.

With their resources, the endowments, the talents, the minus they have received.

There has been a lot of discussion in the commentaries about what does it mean, no?

These minus.

Some people say, well, maybe it's the gospel.

What we have done with it.

Others have said, the Holy Spirit, the greatest gift we can receive from the Father.

That is the minus.

And others think that the way we use our resources, everything we receive in this life from him.

I would say that probably all those things are included in the minus.

Like in so many parables, it's easy to get lost in the trees, no?

Not to see the forest, the purpose of it all.

And the truth is that he is not anymore with us.

That is what he is saying again and again to his disciples.

And as we have remembered one Ascension Day recently, we don't have our Lord upon this earth.

We cannot organize pilgrimage to the Holy Land to see him.

It would be a disappointment, you know?

So long queues, no?

So a difficult journey just to be, just for a moment, to see his face for an instant.

It's a blessing for us.

So the Lord says, it's better for you that I don't stay here.

Because I have something better for you.

That is someone.

Someone who is another Christ, the Conforter, in my place, the Holy Spirit.

And this is the greatest gift we can receive now.

And it's interesting that this is introduced in the way the Lord Jesus speaks to us about God as our Father.

He says to him, if you, who are not good, but bad parents, when your children ask you something, breath, are you going to give them a stone?

When they ask you for food, are you going to give them a snake?

Being not good and being evil, if you do that, why do you think your Father in Heaven is not going to give you better things?

So the Lord concludes that section.

Ask them the greatest gift of all, the Holy Spirit.

So this is the reality we can have today.

The Spirit brings us the life of the Son to us, Jesus Christ.

And we can understand about Him through His testimony.

It's through Him that we realize what good is to come.

He is the assurance we have that we are His children.

So the testimony of the Spirit goes not only with His words, but works deeply inside us.

The Apostle John speaks about this inner testimony that you are children of God.

The Apostle Paul in Romans 8 speaks about how this sonship awareness comes through the work of the Holy Spirit.

And what a great difference makes in this life to know that you are not alone.

That you don't have to face this task and existence without a Father.

You are not an orphan anymore.

You have God as your Father.

And the Lord teaches to pray to our Father in Heaven.

And you see, this is the problem of the last servant.

The last servant, what view has he got of God, of the ruler, of the king?

When the Master comes, his first words give us exactly the view of God.

And he is so close to us, so familiar to us.

He is afraid of Him.

I don't know how much you have been afraid of God, but it depends on how good you feel.

When you think that you have a problem with Him, it is when you realize how far you are away from Him.

That is probably what Luther said when he said that before you have Christ as a friend, you have to see Him as your enemy.

In a way, there is no way to come in a relationship with Him if first we don't realize the distance.

How far away is from Him.

But not only the distance, the fact that He has something against us.

That our sin has made this big problem which we cannot resolve.

Then we are afraid of that day.

Some of you have the privilege of being raised in a Christian family.

I am one of the few Spanish evangelicals who had that opportunity.

And it is an advantage.

And at the same time, of course, it can be a problem sometimes.

But I remember always that this fear of what it meant the responsibility I have.

When I was growing up in the 70s, we used to have a lot of comics.

It was the entertainment of those days before the computers came.

And there were even Christian comics.

You know there is a Christian alternative for everything.

We have built a subculture like that.

And some who have been growing in the church, we have grown in the subculture.

With the Christian music and everything Christian.

And one of these comics is rather worse.

A publishing company in America.

Very fundamentalistic.

It is called Chick Publications.

Chick Publications has a very low series of comics.

Very popular in the States between Americans.

And one of them was the expectation of what could be the last day.

And that last day, there would be a film.

So, in a big screen.

And you could see in the drawing all the people around the hills

looking like a cinemascope screen.

Well, the younger ones don't know what is cinemascope.

But it was a very big screen, you know.

Like in the old cinema.

When the theatres were very big, you know.

And there were crowds, you know.

Going to the cinema on the weekends.

And the nightmare I have, you know.

Is that the story of that film was my life, you know.

And what you will see is what I would not like you to see.

The things I must say of.

The realities I have.

And that was a nightmare.

To think that one day you have to face yourself.

The reality of who you are.

And this is really the greatest hopelessness of it all.

And that is what that wicked servant experienced.

The fear is God, no?

That he has to face such a demanding master.

Someone who is going to ask you, what have you done with your life?

And he has this distorted view of him.

Because when you think about it, he is not so mean.

He has given them not only the minas.

All these gifts.

And that is what he is sharing with them.

In fact, in that kingdom.

It is not someone who is exploding them.

Who wants to use them for his own benefit only.

He wants to share with them what it means.

The goodness of that kingdom.

But that wicked servant thinks only in his fears.

And that is very often the truth when we look at ourselves.

When we look at ourselves, we realize how much we miss.

How much we miss first in us.

We are not the people who we would like to be.

We realize how far we are to be the good servants.

Who can hear that day.

Good and faithful servant.

Come with me.

Some are afraid that that day we will not hear good and faithful servant.

And like that man, our gifts, everything we have received from him, is well kept.

Hidden, preserved, conserved, but not used for him and his kingdom.

Why?

First, because of this self-pity.

Maybe we think like this man, what have I got?

If you notice the difference between these servants and the others.

There is also a different number.

He has got only one man.

The others have got several.

And it is multiplied.

They got more with that.

But this man has only one.

And very often we think of our lives like that.

What can I do?

I am not such a great person.

Maybe if I have the ability to speak well.

Or I could be a preacher.

Or if I would not be so shy.

I could tell more to the people.

This good news from the kingdom of God.

You wonder if you would have more money.

What I could do for God's kingdom and his purpose.

If I would have the abilities.

What I don't have.

But here we see.

This is exactly what the Lord does not expect from us.

He is not going to judge us according to how much gifts we have received.

How much talents.

How much abilities.

How much resources.

Endowments.

Is not the number.

It is clearly the lesson of the other servants.

The servants got.

Because of the use they have done.

Of the miners.

They received citizenship.

And some have got a greater number than others.

But it doesn't matter.

The point is not how much have you got.

It is not how much do you achieve in your life.

As we usually say.

It is not success.

But faithfulness really.

But how is faithfulness here seen.

It is interesting that those of us who are more conservative.

In a biblical and theological way.

Tend to be conservative in everything.

So very often.

We are afraid.

So much.

Of everything.

That.

Not trying to put in danger.

But we have got.

We have gambled on.

The greatest loss of it all.

Trying to keep.

The things we have got.

Because you see here.

That the greatest risk.

We can take in this life.

Is doing nothing.

Do you remember that.

The thing Luther wrote to Melaton.

Melaton was a very shy person.

Who was afraid.

Of the steps they were taking.

In the reformation.

In the 16th century.

In Germany.

No.

And Luther sometimes was fed up.

No.

With the.

The way.

He was always.

So paralyzed.

By his doubts.

No.

And there is a very well known sentence.

He wrote to Melaton.

Seen both leads.

Seen both leads.

Seen both leads.

This sentence is something used by Catholics.

To say.

Yeah.

What is this message of God's grace.

Seen both leads.

Seen both leads.

Said Luther.

But.

Luther mentioned to.

And said to Melaton.

We've seen both leads.

Seen both leads.

Was the fact that he.

Had to take risks.

That.

The.

The.

Responsibility.

We have.

Means that.

We can make mistakes.

No.

But we have to do something.

Something.

With what we have received.

And it is exactly.

What you see here.

No.

No.

The great difference.

With our lives.

Is.

When you see.

The goal.

The purpose.

Of it.

This often.

The story told.

Of.

This man.

Working.

Building.

No.

And you.

Ask one person.

Who is just.

A.

Hammering a rock.

No.

Working.

On the stones.

No.

And.

They ask.

What you are doing.

No.

No.

Breaking a stone.

No.

Doing.

The work.

He is doing.

And you ask.

The next person.

And.

He.

Could say.

Well.

I am earning.

My money.

I am.

Trying to.

To provide.

My family.

With what they need.

And of course.

The story is that.

Only the last one.

Is able to say.

I am building.

A cathedral.

He has got the purpose.

The goal of it all.

No.

Jesus.

Cannot see further.

Of what they are.

Doing.

At this very moment.

And.

That is why.

Hope.

Is so important.

For us.

Because.

Really.

Not only.

Our life.

And our work.

Worth.

Value.

But really.

It means.

That.

We have.

This.

Salvation.

That we.

Hope.

To get.

From our.

Jesus Christ.

Christ. And the Lord

showed us that that day he is going

to come to this earth and bring

this kingdom. It's not ourselves who are going

to bring the kingdom of God between the people

at this present moment. This is of course the greatest

mistake of much contemporary theology, of much

of the humanistic Christianity, which

speaks very boldly about what the work

of the Church is achieving between the people and this world today.

As if they are building the kingdom in the sense that they are

bringing finally this new world of justice

just because of the service, the sacrifice,

the commitment they have for God.

But to pray

that the Lord will come

means also that our salvation

will come from heaven.

He will bring this kingdom.

And what we here face

is what we have to do

while we ask

that thy kingdom

will come.

what we have to do

is something.

This is the point

of this story.

You cannot just

sit down

and wait.

You need

to do something

with your life.

And

the greatest

the clearest point

of the story

is that you have to take risks.

That there is a danger.

In this investment

there is the possibility

of a great loss.

But

what here we learn

is that finally

there is no loss at all.

Like this missionary

who was going in Ecuador

to the Indians

through these plains

in the 50s.

And they were

killed

by the spears

of those Indians

when they were going

to preach them

the gospel.

You know the story.

Nathan and Sainz

all these

men we still remember.

One of them

wrote

these words

in his diary.

It's not

fool

to put your life

in danger

when you don't have

nothing to lose.

What do you want

to keep

if you cannot

lose it?

So

the only way

we can take risks

that we can

bring our lives

to danger

is when we realize

that we are safe.

That we don't have

nothing to be afraid.

This is why

the Lord says

so often

to his disciples

don't be afraid.

The peace

be with you.

Because

it's the fear

which paralyzes us.

It's the fear

which makes us

not able

to do anything

in this life.

You know

what are

the greatest fears?

The fears

of the unknown.

The fears

which are not

based on reality.

The irrational fears

we all have

that could happen

one day

our

greatest nightmare.

What we are

more afraid of.

And this

experience

of fear

is

that make us

so difficult

to do anything

with our lives.

So the Lord

shows us

and he says

to his disciples

don't be afraid

my beloved

flock

because

the pastor

has

care

upon you.

There is

a shepherd

a father

in heaven

who is

taking care

of you.

And we

need

not only

to hear that

but to

experience it.

So

the whole

purpose

not only

of the Bible

but of the

work of the

Holy Spirit

is to have

this assurance

this confidence

that we are

his children.

If we know

that we are

his children

then there is

nothing

we have to

be afraid

of.

This is

certainly

the great

lesson

of the

suffering

church

in so

many

countries

and for

so many

centuries.

Why

how

they were

able

to put

their lives

in so much

danger

to sacrifice

themselves

for God's

kingdom.

I think

that

there is

only one

possible

explanation

the assurance

they have

that they

were

God's

children

that there

was no

danger

in that

death.

I remember

reading as a

student

when I was

in the

Christian

Union

the beginning

of the

Christian

Union

at the

University

of Madrid

there was

an American

book called

Sacrifice

and this

holiness

teacher

was asking

from the

very first

page

what have

you sacrificed

for the

kingdom.

Oh

then I

realized

the

sacrifices

are not

so big

maybe.

So I

started to

worry

how great

is the

sacrifice

I've done

and you

get sometimes

this

a bit

insane

illy

spirituality

that

very sick

that

what can

you sacrifice

for the

Lord

what thing

can you do

extra

more

but of

course

this is not

the point

of Christian

life

Christ

has done

everything

there is

no greater

sacrifice

that he

has done

so the

Christian

life is

not about

our

sacrifices

it's about

his

sacrifice

to acknowledge

that

to realize

that

and to

live

according

to that

so here

the Lord

shows us

that it's

not through

our sacrifices

we achieve

things

is the

way we

see our

lives

the way

we use

them

the ways

we put

our faith

in practice

because as

you know

there are

two mistakes

you can do

to think

that you can

be saved

by your

works

moralistic

legalistic

religion

but you

have the

opposite

mistake

the fact

that so

many

Christians

can think

that they

don't have

to do

anything at

all

but here

it's clear

to us

that what

we have

to do

is not

to achieve

or to

get something

to earn

salvation

what we

have to

do

is

the

result

the

consequence

of our

confidence

of being

God's

servants

and

it seems

unfair

the end

of the

story

when you

read

the words

of our

Lord

that this

man

who

has

only

one

mind

will

be

taken

yeah

there's a

bit

harsh

it's

really

too hard

to cope

with

yeah

you have

pity

for the

poor

man

but

is

this

shock

at the

end

of the

story

that

make us

awake

of the

danger

is

not

that

when you

have so

little

you are

expected

so

little

this is

not how

it works

in the

kingdom

of God

who am

I

what can

I do

the only

thing I

can do

is to

keep the

faith

to be

faithful

at the

end

and that

is the

only thing

I can

expect

to do

here

is

in a

very

striking

way

seeing

the

fact

that

even

the

ones

who

have

something

this

could

be

taken

from

them

of

course

we

think

about

Israel

and the

way

that

the

Jews

have

received

such

great

blessings

as

God's

people

it

is

often

said

by

commentators

that

of

course

in

that

time

as

in

the

reformation

the

usury

the

lending

of

money

was

forbidden

so

that

this

business

aspect

of

that

story

probably

was not

possible

between

Jews

so

some

people

think

that

it's

here

this

story

understood

better

when we

think

in terms

of

Jews

and

Gentiles

so

that

here

the

Lord

Jesus

is

saying

you

have

to

do

something

with

your

faith

as

God's

people

as

Jews

with

the

Gentiles

with

those

who

needed

this

light

but

independently

of what

it means

originally

in that

context

you see

here

the

importance

and the

responsibility

we have

so that

the

privileges

we receive

doesn't

matter

we are

Jews

or

Christians

the

privileges

we

have

it

means

a

responsibility

what

you

do

with

it

and

you

cannot

hope

like so

many

years

that

while the

temple

was there

in

Jerusalem

then you

don't have

anything

to be

afraid of

because

God

can take

away

that

temple

the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

said

I

can't

destroy

it

I

can

take

this

life

and

give

the

life

to

other

people

you

don't

have

to

think

that

because

you

are

children

of

Abraham

you

have

everything

and nothing

to be

worried

about

if

you

don't

do

anything

with

this

blessing

you

have

received

it

can

be

taken

away

from

you

and

this

is

of

course

a

great

lesson

for

the

church

for

us

all

in

this

country

as

in

my

continent

the

fact

that

we

have

been

so

much

blessed

in

history

through

centuries

it

doesn't

mean

just

that

we

have

to

be

grateful

for

what

we

have

it's

a

responsibility

are

you

going

to

share

what

you

have

with

others

so

this

Sunday

you

are

thinking

about

mission

what

it

means

that

we

are

here

in

this

life

for

a

purpose

and

the

need

that

we

have

to

invest

our

life

our

resources

our

gifts

now

and

today

before

he

comes

because

we

have

a

mission

to

do

now

and

what

we

have

received

we

have

to

use

them

to

use

it

and

to

invest

it

for

their

kingdom

and

finally

I

want

to

lift

you

this

glorious

perspective

what

for

what

is

the

purpose

of it

all

that

one

day

when

he

will

come

back

he

will

say

good

and

beloved

servant

what

it

means

for

us

the

acceptance

the

approval

of

the

Lord

certainly

as I

say

for

many

is

the

fear

we

have

that

one

day

when

we

will

see

him

we

realize

how

much

are

our

shortcomings

that

we

would

be

so

afraid

even

to

look

at

him

but

this

is

the

distorted

view

of

the

wicked

servant

the

wicked

servant

is

here

portrayed

almost

psychologically

to us

in the

story

the

others

is not

much

safe

about

how

they

look

at

the

master

what

was

their

thinking

and

feelings

about

it

but

here

in

the

wicked

servant

you

see

really

how

he

was

seeing

him

as

someone

so demanding

that you

have to

be

afraid

and

we

realize

that

he

will

have

this

responsibility

it's

not to

think

that he

so demanding

that he

would not

be

easy

to

satisfy

the

point

is

exactly

that

he

is

satisfied

through

Jesus

Christ

there

is

nothing

really

he

has

against

us

so

what

he

expects

from

us

is

the

trust

is

the

confidence

so much

that we

take

on

risk

our

lives

then

we

have

to

ask

ourselves

once

more

if

we

willing

to

take

this

risk

to

use

even

our

small

little

gifts

in

our

eyes

it

doesn't

matter

how

small

and

little

are

in

our

eyes

but

what

we

are

doing

with

our

lives

and

the

truth

is

that

there

is

not

much

time

it's

coming

back

and

then

one

day

it

will

be

too

late

so

our

responsibility

is

what

we

are

going

to

do

today

tomorrow

the

only

way

we

are

able

to

do

something

is

looking

at

him

in

a

different

way

than

this

wicked

servant

if

you

think

of

him

in

the

terms

of

this

man

who

said

that

he

was

such

a

lord

and

master

that

he

was

so

afraid

that

he

will

be

condemned

then

we

will

do

nothing

but

only

when

we

feel

the

confidence

the

trust

that

he

accepts

us

that

we

are

not

only

his

servants

but

his

children

then

we

can

do

something

with

our

lives

shall

we

pray

to

our

father

that

we

have

this

assurance

that

we

are

God's

children

that

so

much

we

have

this

confidence

that

we

are

able

to

take

risks

to

put

our

lives

on

dangers

to

invest

our

resources

our

gifts

for

God's

kingdom

so

we

pray

that

he

help

us

and

enable

us

to

do

it