Sunday
Morning Bible Study
December
11, 2016
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
Luke was a doctor and a traveling
companion of the apostle Paul.
He wrote this book while Paul was
in prison.
In writing this book about Jesus,
Luke made use of other older documents like the Gospel of Mark, as well as
extensive eyewitness accounts.
For the last three years, Jesus has
done some amazing things.
The people have been amazed at the
things He teaches.
They are equally amazed at the
miracles He does.
We are now on the homestretch of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem to be crucified.
On His way to Jerusalem, He’s just had lunch with a wealthy tax collector
named Zacchaeus.
While the all the people began to grumble about Jesus hanging out with a
horrible sinner like Zacchaeus, Jesus responded by saying,
(Luke 19:10 NKJV) for the Son
of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
19:11-27 Ten Little Minas
:11 Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He
was near Jerusalem and because they thought the kingdom of God would appear
immediately.
:11 He spoke another
The Old King James He added and
spake (AV)
added – prostithemi
– to put to; to add
Luke is tying this next passage
with what has just happened.
Jesus is giving another parable to
continue with this idea that He had come to seek and save the lost.
What would it look like for us to
also “seek and save” the lost?
We would be taking part in His
mission. He would be sharing His mission
with us.
near – eggus
– near, of place and position
they thought – dokeo
– to be of opinion, think, suppose; to seem, to be accounted, reputed
immediately – parachrema
– immediately, forthwith, instantly
appear – anaphaino
– to bring to light, hold up to view, show; to appear, be made apparent
:11 they thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately
While the people are thinking that Jesus might be setting up His earthly
kingdom any moment, the parable will show He was in fact getting ready to go on
a long journey.
What will we be doing while He is away?
The language of this verse ties us to His mission - to seek and save the
lost.
:12 Therefore He said: “A certain nobleman went into a far country to
receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
:12 A certain nobleman went into a far country
nobleman – two words
anthropos – a human
being, whether male or female
eugenes – well born, of
a noble family; noble minded
went – poreuomai
– to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one’s
journey
country – chora
– the space lying between two places or limits; a region or country i.e. a
tract of land
far – makros
– long; of place: remote, distant, far off
to return – hupostrepho
– to turn back; to return
About thirty years before Jesus tells this story, some important historical
events took place.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem, His parents took Him to live for a few
years in Egypt because Herod the Great was trying to kill this rumored “newborn
king”.
While Jesus’ family was in Egypt, news reached them that Herod the Great
had died.
This next part of the story was what most people knew about…
When Herod died, the kingdom was in a mess.
Herod originally promised to give the kingdom to his son Antipas, but two
weeks before dying, he changed his mind and gave the kingdom to another son
Archelaus.
For a few years, there was confusion as both sons made a claim to the
throne.
The common people did not like Archelaus.
He had caused trouble with the Jews, at one point even
having 3,000 of them killed.
Finally, Archelaus left for Rome to plead with Caesar to officially give
the kingdom of Palestine to him.
After a long court case, and hearing both sides, Caesar decided to give the
kingdom to Archelaus.
(Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 17;
Chapters 8-9).
Matthew records a little snippet of the story, when he tells us what Joseph
did with his family after being in Egypt…
(Matthew
2:22 NKJV) But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of
his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a
dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.
That’s how Jesus ended up being raised in Nazareth.
Remember this story of Archelaus.
Jesus may still be in wealthy Jericho.
When Archelaus returned from Rome,
one of the first things he did was to rebuild a royal palace that Herod the
Great had built in Jericho (the wealthy Jericho). Perhaps this might have been part of the
backdrop to Jesus telling this story.
Though the crowd may be thinking of Archelaus as Jesus tells the story,
you’ll soon realize that Jesus is talking about himself as the “nobleman”
Note: Traveling to a “far country” (like Archelaus going to Rome) won’t
take a few days, but years.
:13 So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said
to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
:13 he called ten of his servants
called – kaleo
– to call
servants – doulos
– a slave, bondman, man of servile condition
delivered – didomi
– to give
While the nobleman talks to ten of his servants, we will only hear about
three of these servants.
They probably represent the entire
group.
:13 delivered to them ten minas
A “mina” (Greek mna) is a
monetary unit, roughly equivalent to about $750 today.
In Matthew 25, Jesus will tell a very similar parable about a man giving
“talents” to his servants. A talent is a
much greater monetary unit, worth about $75,000 today.
minas – mna –
In the NT, this was the equivalent of 100 drachmae, and also 1/100th
of a talent.
Put into today’s measurements, a
mina was about 1 ¼ pounds in weight, or about $750 in money.
The nobleman is dividing up a total
of $7,500 among his ten servants.
This parable is going to sound very
similar to a parable Jesus tells in Matthew 25.
I’ve said before that I believe
Jesus taught many of the same principles over and over again throughout His
ministry.
In Mat. 25, the man is dividing up “talents”. A talent is 100 minas.
One servant is given 5 “talents”
($375,000)
Another is given 2 talents
($150,000)
Another is given 1 talent ($75,000)
In our parable, each servant is given $750.
:13 Do business till I come
Do business – pragmateuomai (“pragmatic”)
– to be occupied in anything; to carry on a business; to carry on the business
of a banker or a trader
from pragma – that which has been done, a deed, an accomplished fact
from prasso – to exercise, practice, to be busy with, carry on; to act
We could translate this “get
practical” or “get to work”
I come – erchomai
– to come
(Luke 19:13 NLT) ‘Invest this
for me while I am gone.’
(Luke 19:13 ESV) ‘Engage in business
until I come.’
(Luke 19:13 NIV) ‘Put this money to
work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’
Lesson
Keep working
On New Year’s Day we will be doing our annual “Prophecy Update” where we
will take a look back at the most recent news events in the light or prophecy.
We believe it’s a healthy thing to live each day as if Jesus could come
back tomorrow.
Yet one of the problems that can be caused by studying prophecy is a
tendency to “quit” life.
Why bother with the stress of a job when I can just go out on a hilltop
somewhere and wait for Jesus to return?
Some people have even abused their credit cards thinking that if Jesus
comes back they won’t have to pay it all back.
The Thessalonians apparently had some of these same problems. While Paul talks a lot about the Second
Coming with the Thessalonians, he also covers the practical way we should live
our lives while we “wait” for Him to return.
(2 Thessalonians
3:6–13 NLT) —6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives
and don’t follow the tradition they received from us. 7 For you know
that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We never
accepted food from anyone without paying for it. We worked hard day and night
so we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We certainly had the right to ask
you to feed us, but we wanted to give you an example to follow. 10 Even while
we were with you, we gave you this command: “Those unwilling to work will not
get to eat.” 11 Yet we hear
that some of you are living idle lives, refusing to work and meddling in other
people’s business. 12 We command such people and urge them in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ to settle down and work to earn their own living. 13 As for the
rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good.
Waiting for the Lord’s return doesn’t mean we do nothing.
Jesus has things for us to do while He’s gone, and that includes working
and earning an income.
:14 But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying,
‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’
citizens – polites
– a citizen
hated – miseo
– to hate, pursue with hatred, detest; to be hated, detested
sent – apostello
– to order (one) to go to a place appointed; to send away, dismiss
a
delegation – presbeia
– age, dignity, right of the first born; the business normally intrusted to
elders, spec. the office of an ambassador, an embassy
we will – thelo
– to will, have in mind, intend; to be resolved or determined, to purpose;
to desire, to wish
to reign – basileuo
– to be king, to exercise kingly power, to reign; metaph. to exercise the
highest influence, to control
:14 We will not have this man to reign over us
When I read this story, because I’m thinking of the nobleman being a
picture of Jesus, I am assuming he’s a “good guy”.
Yet if the people are thinking of Archelaus as Jesus is speaking, they are
thinking of a guy that they all hated.
I imagine the people listening are thinking, “Yeah, that’s right! This
guy’s a jerk!”
:15 “And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he
then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to
him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.
he returned – epanerchomai
– to return, come back again
to be called – phoneo
– to sound, emit a sound, to speak; to call, to call one’s self, either by
one’s own voice or though another; to send for, summon
money – argurion
– silver; money; a silver coin, silver piece, a shekel
had
gained by trading – diapragmateuomai
– thoroughly, earnestly to undertake a business; to undertake a business
for sake of gain;
This is a form of the word
translated “occupy” back in verse 13, but a more intense form.
:16 Then came the first, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten minas.’
came – paraginomai
– to be present, to come near, approach; to come forth, make one’s public
appearance
minas – mna –
in the OT, a weight of 300 shekels was one pound; In the NT, a weight and sum
of money equal to 100 drachmae, one talent was 100 pounds, a pound equalled 10
1/3 oz. (300 gm)
:16 your mina has earned ten minas
has
earned – prosergazomai – to work besides; by
working or trading to make or gain besides
I like the fact that this servant recognizes that it wasn’t his minas to
begin with, but his master’s minas.
Notice that this first servant did so well that he could give back more
than what was originally given to all the servants (he gave a total of eleven
minas, 1 + 10)
:17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant; because you were
faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.’
well – eu –
to be well off, fare well, prosper; acting well
good – agathos
– of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant,
agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable
servant – doulos
– a slave, bondman, man of servile condition; a servant, attendant
:17 faithful in a very little
a very little – elachistos
– smallest least
faithful – pistos
– trusty, faithful; of persons who show themselves faithful in the
transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of
official duties; one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust; that can be
relied on
He was only given $750 to start with.
Not really much in the scheme of things. Yet he made $7,500 from it and
gave back a total of $8,250.
:17 have authority over ten cities
authority – exousia
– power of choice, liberty of doing as one pleases; the power of authority
(influence) and of right (privilege); the power of rule or government (the
power of him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed)
Though we might think of this in
terms of Jesus coming back and putting people in charge of literal cities, the
people of Jesus’ day are thinking of Archelaus coming back and handing out
governorships in the land of Palestine.
Lesson
Faithful in the little
Sometimes we can fall into the trap of thinking that we could do great
things if only someone would give us a helping hand … a BIG helping hand.
“Oh what I could do for God if I won the lottery!”
The important thing is not what you would do with a LOT, but what you do
now with a little.
Are you faithful with what little you have right now?
Paul wrote,
(1
Corinthians 4:2 NKJV) Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.
I find that God often bases our promotions in life based on what we do with
the little things.
Jesus said,
(Luke 16:10–12 NLT)
—10 “If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in
large ones. But if you are dishonest in little things, you won’t be honest with
greater responsibilities. 11 And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust
you with the true riches of heaven? 12 And if you are not faithful with other people’s things, why should
you be trusted with things of your own?
Tim Tebow was a great football player in college and played on two BCS
championship teams. During one of those
games, he had a chance to do a “little” thing.
Look under his eyes…
Tim was willing to do a little thing, and God moved in a big way.
Learning to handle your finances is one way we develop faithfulness in the
little things.
This is one of the reasons why we run the Financial Peace University
classes.
Yes, Mr. Ramsey’s organization will charge you $100. But if you follow the principles that Dave
Ramsey will teach you, you will learn faithfulness in the little things.
:18 And the second came, saying, ‘Master, your mina has earned five minas.’
:19 Likewise he said to him, ‘You also be over five cities.’
over – epano
– above
:18 your mina has earned five
minas
hath
earned – poieo
– to make; to do.
This is an entirely different word
than what the other servant used in verse 16.
Lesson
Intentionality
This servant put that mina to work.
As a result, that mina produced
five more minas.
I don’t think that anyone listening
to Jesus would think that the “mina” had a “mind” of it’s own and did the
actual work all by itself.
Everyone listening
would recognize that this servant carefully invested this mina into something
that would be profitable. He used that
mina to “do” something.
Though there indeed ought to be a
place in our lives for God to do the miraculous, there also ought to be a place
for us to learn to put what we have been given to work.
That means that we don’t sit around
and wait for things to happen when we ought to spend some time planning and
implementing those plans.
Of course, we should always pray
and ask God for guidance. We always want
to preface our plans with, “If the Lord wills”.
But that doesn’t mean we don’t
plan.
There’s an old saying,
“If you aim at nothing, you will
surely hit it”
Ever since we started our church in
1994, I’ve often thought it would be a wise thing if our church owned its own
facilities.
We’ve had our ups and downs
financially, but I’ve always struggled with the idea of how we were ever going
to be able to afford a place of our own.
We’re talking millions of dollars.
I’ve heard of stories where
churches were given a building, and I wondered if that could happen for us.
We got to a point a few years ago
where our board began to realize that we were in fact aiming at nothing.
We instituted a
plan to force ourselves to put aside a small percent of our income every month towards
the purchase of a building.
Strangely enough,
as we did this, our financial needs continued to be met.
We decided to
increase the amount we set aside. God
has continued to bless.
In the last four
years, we’ve gone from having $40,000 in our savings account, to over $200,000.
I think some of
that is due to God giving us a plan, and we implemented it.
There may be things in your life
that need some “intentionality”.
There are things that you can only
accomplish through prayer, planning, and faithful working that plan.
:20 “Then another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I have
kept put away in a handkerchief.
I have kept – apokeimai
– to be laid away, laid by, reserved; reserved for one, awaiting him
a handkercheif– soudarion
– a handkerchief; a cloth for wiping perspiration from the face and for
cleaning the nose and also used in swathing the head of a corpse
:21 For I feared you, because you are an austere man. You collect what you
did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’
I feared – phobeo
– to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away); to put to flight, to
flee; to fear, be afraid; to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm; to
reverence, venerate, to treat with deference or reverential obedience
austere – austeros – of mind
and manners: harsh, rough, rigid; not necessarily an unfavorable meaning. It is
well represented by the word “austere”; it means one who is earnest and severe,
strict in his ways, opposed to all levity. By implication it may have the
unfavorable meaning of harshness or moroseness. NAS – “exacting”; NIV – “a hard
man”
You collect – airo
– to raise up, elevate, lift up; to take upon one’s self and carry what has
been raised up, to bear; to bear away what has been raised, carry off; to
appropriate what is taken; to take and apply to any use
did not deposit – tithemi
– to set, put, place
reap – therizo
– to reap, harvest
sow – speiro
– to sow, scatter, seed
:21 reap what you did not sow
According to this servant, the nobleman had a bad reputation.
That’s why he didn’t do anything.
That might sound like Archelaus, but does that sound like Jesus?
He was known as a harsh man,
without a sense of humor.
He had a reputation for taking
things that weren’t his.
And so this servant felt like the
safest thing to do was to do nothing, and just return the mina back to the
nobleman.
Lesson
Excuses
This guy is making an excuse.
We all like to make excuses
The other guy was closer? Nope. Storm Troopers just can’t hit anything.
When Adam was caught by God with apple pie all over his face, he blamed the
woman (whom God gave him).
When Aaron was caught making a golden calf for the people to worship, he
told Moses that all he did was take the gold the people gave him…
(Exodus 32:24b NLT)
…I simply threw it into the fire—and out came this calf!”
We can find all kinds of excuses for our lack of effort, or our simple
misbehaving.
So there’s your next excuse, “Barbie made me do it”.
This servant says that part of his
excuse was “fear”.
He was afraid of what the nobleman
might do to him.
Though we ought to have a proper
“fear” or reverence for God, there can be a bad kind of fear.
Paul wrote,
(2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV) For
God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind.
John said that God’s great love for
us chases away that bad kind of fear.
(1 John 4:18 NLT) Such
love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is
for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his
perfect love.
Have you noticed yet that most of
the bad choices you’ve made in your life were made from fear?
Illustration
Walt Disney used to tell a story about a little boy:
A circus came to town, and was going to have a parade. The bandmaster
needed someone to play trombone, so the boy signed up. He hadn’t marched a
block before the horrible racket coming from his horn caused two old ladies to
faint, and a horse to run away. The bandmaster demanded, “Why didn’t you tell
me you couldn’t play the trombone?” The little boy replied, “How did I know? I
never tried before!”
I like that. No
excuses kept him from trying.
:22 And he said to him, ‘Out of your own mouth I will judge you, you
wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, collecting what I did not
deposit and reaping what I did not sow.
wicked – poneros
– full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bad, of a bad nature or
condition; in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad
You knew – oida
– to see; to perceive, notice, discern, discover; to know
austere – austeros
– of mind and manners: harsh, rough, rigid; not necessarily an unfavorable
meaning. It is well represented by the word “austere”; it means one who is
earnest and severe, strict in his ways, opposed to all levity. By implication
it may have the unfavorable meaning of harshness or moroseness. NAS –
“exacting”; NIV – “a hard man”
:22 Out of your own mouth I will judge you
I’m not sure that the master is agreeing that he is an “austere” man or
that he takes what doesn’t belong to him.
He’s simply going to judge this servant with his own words, based on what the
servant thinks he knows.
:23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, that at my coming I
might have collected it with interest?’
the
bank – trapeza
– a table; the table or stand of a money changer, where he sits, exchanging
different kinds of money for a fee (agio), and paying back with interest loans
or deposits. Our English word “bank”
comes from the word “bench”.
interest – tokos – birth; the
act of bringing forth; interest of money (because it multiplies money, and as
it were “breeds”)
I
might have collected – prasso
– to exercise, practice, to be busy with, carry on; to accomplish, perform;
to manage public affairs, transact public business; to exact tribute, revenue,
debts
This is the very basic root of the
word translated “occupy” (vs.13) and “gained” (vs.15).
:24 “And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it
to him who has ten minas.’
:25 (But they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas.’)
The New and Old King James has this
verse in parentheses because it is possible that this isn’t part of the story,
but the crowd around Jesus interrupts Jesus and asks this question.
:26 ‘For I say to you, that to everyone who has will be given; and from him
who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
:26 to everyone who has will be
given
If you are being faithful with what
God has given you, He will continue to entrust you with more.
:26 from him who does not have … taken
Lesson
Use it or lose it
There are some things that God gives that He does not take away. One of those things are our spiritual gifts.
(Romans 11:29 NKJV)
For
the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
Yet I wonder if He might remove a ministry from us if we are not doing what
we’re supposed to be doing.
A good manager will keep his factory working. If a worker isn’t pulling their weight, you
put in someone who will.
I think God may do this from time to time as well.
What opportunities has God given you?
Are you using what God has given you for His kingdom?
Queen Esther was a gal living at a momentous time in the history of the
Jews.
An evil man named Haman had tricked the king into having all the Jews
exterminated in the entire Persian Empire.
Esther was in a position to do something about it.
When her cousin Mordecai told her about Haman’s plot, she balked at
first. She was afraid she might get into
trouble if she stepped up and said something.
Mordecai told her,
(Esther
4:14 NKJV) For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and
deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your
father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?”
Perhaps God has given an opportunity to you. He could use another person, but this is your
chance.
:27 But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over
them, and slay them before me.’ ”
slay – katasphatto
– to kill off, to slaughter
from sphazo – to slay, slaughter, butcher; to put to death by violence;
mortally wounded
:27 bring here those enemies of mine
Jesus picks up this last thread of His story and addresses those enemies of
the nobleman (vs. 14) who hated him.
We have no record that Archelaus did any of this.
The Jews who hated Archelaus had
done something similar, trying to derail his plans to become king.
Is this how Archelaus responded,
killing his enemies?
We don’t have a record of that.
Josephus records that after Caesar
made Archelaus ruler, he went back to Palestine. Caesar had asked him to live a life of
integrity, but instead he divorced his wife, married his brother’s wife, and
partied the whole time.
Ten years after becoming ruler,
Caesar called him back to Rome and banished him to Germany (Vienna).
(Josephus, Antiquities of the
Jews, 17:13).
Jesus isn’t talking about Archelaus anymore.
He’s talking about Himself.
He’s talking about what will happen to those who do not want God to rule
over them.
:27 who did not want me to reign over them
Lesson
Who’s your king?
Those who do not follow this King will be slain.
Sounds cruel, huh?
This King is not what you think.
Don’t forget what Jesus is all about.
Jesus has just met a man named Zacchaeus, who was changed by the love of
God.
And while others complained about Zacchaeus getting saved, Jesus reminded
them
(Luke
19:10 NKJV) for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was
lost.”
This is a King who would soon give His life for the sins of the world.
This is a King who has died for your sins.
This is a King who offers to forgive your sins and make it possible for you
to spend eternity with Him in heaven.
If you reject this King, your eternity in hell will be on your hands, not
His.
Why wouldn’t you let this King reign over you?