“…he went on to tell them a parable, because he was
near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to
appear at once” (Luke 19:11).
Jesus and His followers (disciples and others) were
on their journey to Jerusalem – the royal city.
It was an important journey…not because of its
destination, but because of the events which were to take place once He will
arrive there.
Two major events were “waiting” for Jesus in
Jerusalem:
-His death (arrest, interrogation, being mocked
beaten and killed);
-His resurrection (Luke 18:33).
But His words fell on deaf ears – they had no clue
what He was talking about (Luke 18:34).
They were too busy to listen, because they were
dreaming.
It appears that His disciples (and the multitude)
have made their minds about what would happen in Jerusalem. For them, the
journey to Jerusalem was signalling the imminent coming of God’s kingdom.
Luke 19:11 gives away the reason for such an
assertion.
Luke informs us that Jesus told the parable because
they were approaching Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God
will appear suddenly (immediately, presently).
The main teaching of this parable, then, was meant
to clarify that the journey to Jerusalem, while significant, was not “it” – it was
not the herald of the appearance of God’s kingdom, and that the kingdom of God
will be a development…a gradual process. At this point it is helpful to
remind ourselves of two parables found in (Matthew 13:31; Matthew 13:33).
The kingdom grows as the
result of the work being done by its “citizens” – each according to the
resources they have been entrusted with.
So we pray (and work): “Thy
kingdom come…”
Pastor Alois