Servants Faithful and Unfaithful
Joyce Webb 2010
Luke 19:11-27
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. It was near the time when he would be put on the cross.
Luke says that the reason Jesus told this story was that the disciples thought that Jesus was going to Jerusalem to say that he was the king of the Jews.
The disciples were like most of the Jewish people they did not want the Romans to rule over them. They were wanting a Jewish person to come who would be the king or leader over them that would be strong enough to stop the Romans’ rule.
They saw the miracles that Jesus did. They believed Jesus to be a special person. They had seen his power. They felt sure that Jesus would save them from the Romans.
Jesus knew his reason for coming to earth was to die. He was to be the “lamb” to die for the sins of all men. Jesus knew that he would come to earth the second time, and then he would be a king.
Jesus told the disciples 3 times about his coming death, and that he would rise again the 3rd day.
The disciples heard his words, but they just could not believe or understand what he was saying.
They did not believe he would die.
So as they were going toward Jerusalem, Jesus wanted them to know that he would not be making himself a king in Jerusalem.
Jesus told his disciples this story to try to help them understand.
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The story:
A nobleman (rich man, a leader of a town) was going to a far away country. In this far country, he would be receiving a kingdom. When he came back to his home town he would be a king.
Before he left, he called his servants to him. He gave them money so they could use it to make more money. So that when he would come back home, he could receive more money from what the servants did.
They were his servants, and he expected them to work for him even when he was away.
The nobleman said to them: “Occupy until I come.“ Meaning Be busy until I come back. Then the nobleman went away.
When the nobleman came back home—he was now a king.
There were many people of the town that decided that they did not want the nobleman to rule over them as king.
He called his servants to come. He asked them how they did with the money.
The first servant did very well. He was able to make 10 times more money than he had been given.
The king was happy with him. He said he was a faithful servant. He gave him a reward/ prize for his work—-he made him a leader or ruler over 10 towns.
The king called the next servant. This servant made 5 times more than he had been given.
The king was happy with him. He said he was a faithful servant. He gave him a reward/ prize for his work—–he made him a leader or ruler over 5 towns.
The king called the next servant. This servant brought the money that the king had given to him. He had not done anything with the money. He hid it.
The servant said, “I knew you were a hard man to work for. I knew you would expect money back that you had not worked for. I was afraid, so I hid the money. So here it is.”
The king was angry. The king did expect the servant to work for him. The king was the one who gave him the money in the first place. The servant did not have any money.
The king expected his servant to work for him—-he was his servant—he was paid to work. Of course, he expected to get more money back.
The king said, “I will judge you by your own words. You said that you knew I would expect more money back—money that I had not worked for—-money you had earned for me. You could have put the money in the bank to earn interest. Then there would have been a little more money. But you did nothing.”
For the servant to say he was afraid was an excuse. If he really was afraid, he would have done what he could to have earned money.
The king had a right to expect his servant to work for him.
The king took the servant’s money and gave it to the servant who had earned 10 times as much.
The other servants said, “But he already has much.” The king said, “He will get more, because he is willing to use the money in a wise way.”
Then the king heard about those people in the town who did not want him to be king. He called for his soldiers and all those who were against him, were killed.
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Jesus is the nobleman in this story. He will die on the cross, then he will rise again to life, then after living 40 days, he will go to heaven—–the far away country in the story.
While Jesus is in heaven, God will make him a king. Jesus has been obedient to the Father. He has suffered, and died for man’s sin. Jesus has conquered over death and hell. Jesus has made it possible for man to have his sins forgiven. Man can now live forever in heaven.
Jesus is made king. He will come back to earth again the second time.
While Jesus is in heaven, Christians are living here on earth. The disciples went around teaching and preaching about Jesus. They let the Holy Spirit teach them to become more like God.
The disciples used what Jesus gave them to help others to come to Jesus. Some of the disciples preached to many, many people. Some of the disciples preached to fewer people.
Some the of the disciples traveled far to preach. Some of them stayed close to home to preach.
About 10 followers of Jesus became known so much that we read about them in the Bible. Some of the followers of Jesus we never hear about them.
Some disciples were good at writing, so they wrote letters to groups of people. Those letters were saved. We have those letters in the Bible now.
We can read them.
Some of the followers of Jesus were not well known. They talked about Jesus just around their own town.
For about 2000 years now, people who have believed in Jesus have been telling others about him. They have been doing many kinds of things to tell people about Jesus. They preach in churches, teach Sunday School class, have Bible studies, preach on TV, have a website on the internet, go to jails to tell people, work at missions to feed people and help them, on and on—-many different kinds of things.
Not everyone can be a big preacher on TV. But even a poor person, or a person who is not very smart can go help pass out food, or papers about Jesus. They can go to a nursing home and help in the church service their church has there.
Everyone can do something. Everyone can be faithful. The poorest person and the slowest-minded person can be faithful doing something to help tell people about Jesus.
When Jesus calls us to stand before him someday to see how we did—we can stand there with something to give to Jesus.
The king was just as happy with the man who made 5 times as much as he was with the man who made 10 times as much. The servants had been equally faithful. They had not earned the same amount, but they had been equal in faithfulness.
The servant who did nothing was not faithful. He could have been. He did not want to do anything. He tried to make an excuse, but the king would not accept the excuse.
God has given each person some ability to do something. God is not going to compare what you do with what someone else does. God will see you and what you are able to do and then judge you by what you used, by what you did.
No one needs to be afraid they will not please the king. You just need to use what you have. You need to do the thing that is near you. “Do what your hand finds to do.” It does not have to be big, and great, and wonderful.
It can be small and maybe other people will never see what you do. God sees.
If you are able to do big things, then you should do it. The servant who is given much, the king will expect much from him.
Everyone can be faithful. “It is required of a servant that a man be found faithful.” I Corinthians 4: 2
In the story, the people who did not want the king to rule over them were killed.
At the end of time, when we all stand before Jesus, people who did not want Jesus to rule over them, will be sent from heaven to hell.
Jesus is the king. Those who do not want Jesus—–Jesus will not make them stay with him. They will go away from him. They will not like where they must go, but they had a choice. They are allowed to make Jesus king over their lives or not. If they do not want Jesus, then they will have to go away from him.