Life of Christ 142
Jesus and His Apostles
are days away from the crucifixion. They have just left Jericho, with its
scenes of the healing of Bar Timeaus and the salvation of Zaccheus. They are
ascending the 3600 foot rise from Jericho to Jerusalem that takes most of a
day's walk.
The Apostles knew Jesus
was facing the crisis point of His ministry. Galilee was hostile. Judea was
downright murderous. Herod Antipas wanted to kill Christ. The Sanhedrin was not
only fomenting mob violence against Him but was also carefully plotting His
assassination. Jesus' popular support had mostly dwindled away. And they were
heading into the mouth of the beast, Jerusalem, where attempts had been made on
His life four times in the last six months, and where the whole nation was
gathering.
It is in this context,
and for these reasons that Jesus tells today's story (Luke 19.11-28). 'And as
they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to
Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately
appear' (Luke 19.11).
When Jesus was a young
boy Herod the Great died. His son, Archaleus, was given charge of the region
around Jericho under Roman suzerainty. Archaleus developed an appetite for the
same title, king, his father had been granted, and so he traveled to Rome to
ask Caesar for it. Playing off of that story, Jesus tells of a man who journeys
to a distant city in order to be declared king. This man's citizens hated him,
and are glad that he is gone. In fact, they think he is gone forever. As he
leaves, he commits the current situation to his faithful servants, and tells
them that he will return shortly with the writ of kingship. Until then, they
are to be busy serving him. When he returns the servants will need to give an
account for what they did while the man was away receiving the kingdom.
The parallels here are
obvious. Jesus is the man who is disliked of his citizens, and must leave in
order to obtain a kingdom. He will leave via the crucifixion, resurrection, and
ascension. He will return with the legal standing of a king. Until then, He
commissioned the Church to be busy serving Him. We will give an account for our
service when the King returns.
The heartbeat of this
story is Christ's instruction 'occupy till I come' (Luke 19.13). Implicit in
the original language word translated in the King James Version occupy is the
idea of going into business. In a very real sense, God's work on this earth in
our dispensation is a business. No, it is not a for-profit business, but it is
a business. Jesus had long felt that way. 'Wist ye not that I must be about my
Father's business?' (Luke 2.49). Long after Jesus left it was also how the Apostles
felt. 'Look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost
and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business' (Acts 6.3).
So many people of my
acquaintance treat their Christianity like a hobby when they should treat it
like a business. They are routinely late to church but never late to work. They
casually skip Sunday School but would never skip work. They read their Bible
when they are in the mood, but they read the spreadsheet at work whether they
want to or not. Their priorities in life, and thus their behavior are exactly
backward.
I am not saying that the
only people right with God are those missionaries and pastors who have given
their entire life to His service. I am saying that each and every Christian is
to take their Christianity seriously. They are to treat it with the same care
and thought and emphasis and priority that they would a successful business.
They, strike that, we are to be about our Father's business until the King
returns.
'Occupy till I come.'
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