Lesson #67

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RETURN TO THE SYLLABUS

THE PARABLES OF JESUS CHRIST
LESSON #67
THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS (LUK 19:11-27)

• MEMORY VERSE: LUK 19:26

• THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS (LUK 19:11-27)

• READ LUK 19:1-27 FOR THE CONTEXT OF THE PARABLE.
• HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
• ARCHELAUS, WHOSE PALACE WAS AT JERICHO, WENT TO ROME AND LEFT THE INTERESTS OF HIS LITTLE KINGDOM IN THE HANDS OF HIS SERVANTS. WHILE HE WAS ABSENT, A GROUP OF 50 JEWS STRONGLY PROTESTED HIS KINGSHIP. THEY WERE SO SUCCESSFUL THAT ARCHELAUS NEVER RECEIVED THE TITLE OF KING FROM ROME.
• TO WHOM IS THE PARABLE SPOKEN?
• JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE TO A MIXED MULTITUDE INCLUDING ZACCHAEUS, A HATED JEWISH TAX COLLECTOR.
• FOR WHAT REASON DID JESUS SPEAK THE PARABLE? (11)
• JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE BECAUSE HE WAS “NEAR JERUSALEM” AND THE CRUCIFIXION.
• JESUS SPOKE THIS PARABLE BECAUSE HIS BELIEVERS THOUGHT IT WAS TIME FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM WHEN JESUS WOULD SET UP HIS EARTHLY KINGDOM.
• THEREFORE, JESUS WANTED TO CORRECT THEIR THINKING. THEREFORE, THIS IS A PROPHETIC PARABLE HAVING TO DO WITH THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• WHO DOES THE CERTAIN NOBLEMAN REPRESENT? (12)
• THE NOBLEMAN REPRESENTS JESUS CHRIST.
• NOTICE THAT JESUS DESCRIBES HIMSELF AS ONE HAVING ROYAL AUTHORITY.
• WHEN JESUS CHRIST RETURNS TO THIS EARTH, HE WILL RETURN AS THE KING OF KINGS.
• WHAT DOES THE “FAR COUNTRY” REPRESENT?
• THE FAR COUNTRY REPRESENTS JESUS’ ASCENSION TO HEAVEN AFTER HIS CRUCIFIXION AND RESURRECTION.
• WHO DO THE TEN SERVANTS REPRESENT?
• THE TEN SERVANTS REPRESENT BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST.
• WHY ARE THERE 10?
• THE NUMBER, 10, IS A SYMBOLIC NUMBER IN THE BIBLE. IT REPRESENTS GOD’S STANDARD BY WHICH MAN IS TESTED.
• FOR EXAMPLE:
• THERE WERE 10 PLAGUES THAT TESTED PHARAOH.
• THERE ARE 10 COMMANDMENTS THAT TESTED MAN IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
• THERE WAS THE PARABLE OF THE 10 VIRGINS.
• SINCE ALL SERVANTS RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT, WHAT DOES 1 POUND REPRESENT?
• THE MONETARY VALUE OF 1 POUND AMOUNTS TO ABOUT $9.00 TODAY.
• SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, THE ONE POUND REPRESENTS ONE LIFE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST.
• READ JUDE 3
• READ GAL 2:20
• WHO DO THE CITIZENS REPRESENT? (14)
• THE CITIZENS REPRESENT THE NON-BELIEVERS.
• THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO REJECT THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD OVER THEIR LIVES.
• THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE GOD’S ENEMIES.
• OF COURSE, AT THAT TIME WHEN JESUS SPOKE THE PARABLE, HE WAS SURROUNDED BY THOSE WHO WERE PLOTTING TO KILL HIM.
• CONSIDERING THE MEANING OF 1 POUND, HOW SHOULD A CHRISTIAN GAIN BY TRADING IT? (15)
• THE WORD, “OCCUPY” MEANS = TO DO BUSINESS WITH.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THIS IS THE PERSON WHO SPENDS HIS LIFE BY POURING IT OUT IN SERVICE TO OTHERS FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
• THE RETURNING NOBLEMAN AND HIS REWARDS:
• WE KNOW ONLY THREE OF THE TEN SERVANTS:
• SERVANT #1:
• HIS ONE POUND GAINED 10.
• NOTICE THAT HE DID NOT SAY, “I GAINED 10”. THIS IS A SERVANT WITH HUMILITY.
• SERVANT #2:
• HIS ONE POUND GAINED 5.
• NOTICE THAT JESUS DOES NOT REPRIMAND HIM FOR ONLY INCREASING BY 4.
• SERVANT #3:
• HIS ONE POUND GAINED NOTHING.
• WE WILL DISCUSS HIM MORE FULLY IN A MOMENT.
• WHAT IS THE NOBLEMAN SEEKING IN HIS SERVANTS ON HIS RETURN?
• CHRIST SEEKS FAITHFULNESS, DILIGENCE, AND SPIRITUAL WISDOM.
• IN OTHER WORDS, GOD DESIRES THAT THE CHRISTIAN BUILD HIS CHARACTER.
• WHAT DOES “AUTHORITY OVER CITIES” REPRESENT?
• LITERALLY IT REPRESENTS AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY DURING THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM.
• READ REV 20:6
• BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST WILL HAVE POSITIONS OF AUTHORITY OVER CITIES AND GROUPS OF PEOPLE.
• THEREFORE, THIS LIFE ON EARTH IS A TRAINING CAMP FOR OUR FUTURE RULERSHIP WITH CHRIST.
• THE THIRD SERVANT:
• THE THIRD SERVANT’S POUND GAINED NOTHING.
• HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN HIDE HIS POUND IN A NAPKIN?
• THIS IS THE SAME ILLUSTRATION AS A BELIEVER HIDING HIS LIGHT UNDER A BASKET. (MAT 5:14-15)
• THIS IS THE BELIEVER WHO SPENDS HIS LIFE AS THOUGH CHRIST WERE NOT HIS LORD AND MASTER. THEREFORE, HE DOES NOT DEVELOP CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER QUALITIES IN HIS LIFE.
• THE REWARD OF THE THIRD SERVANT:
• JESUS SAYS, “OUT OF YOUR MOUTH I WILL JUDGE YOU.” (22)
• WHAT DID HE MEAN?
• THE MAN SAID THAT THE LORD WAS HARSH AND UNFAIR EXPECTING HIS SERVANTS TO LIVE FOR THE LORD. THEREFORE, JESUS WOULD JUDGE HIM HARSHLY AND GIVE HIM WHAT HE EXPECTED.
• THIS SERVANT LOSES HIS ONE POUND.
• IN OTHER WORDS, AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, HE LOSES THE EQUIVALENT VALUE OF WHAT A LIFE LIVED FOR CHRIST WOULD BE HAD HE LIVED IT FAITHFULLY.
• THIS SERVANT HAS ONLY WOOD, HAY, AND STUBBLE AT THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST. THESE ELEMENTS BURN EASILY. THEREFORE, THERE IS NOTHING LEFT. (1COR 3:12)
• A COMPARISON OF THIS PARABLE OF THE POUNDS WITH THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS AND REWARDS (MAT 25:14-30):
• READ MAT 25:15
• EVERYONE WAS GIVEN DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.
• WE LEARNED IN THAT PARABLE THAT EACH BELIEVER IS GIVEN DIFFERENT TALENTS, DIFFERENT GIFTS, DIFFERENT CAPABILITIES. WE ARE TO USE WHAT IS GIVEN TO US TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THAT WE CAN FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
• THE PARABLE OF THE POUNDS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE EACH SERVANT IS GIVEN THE SAME AMOUNT.
• THE SIMILARITIES OF THE TWO PARABLES:
• BOTH PARABLES TEACH THAT THE LORD GIVES PRIVILEGES AND DEMANDS FAITHFULNESS.
• BOTH PARABLES TEACH THAT THE LORD GIVES REWARDS AT HIS COMING.
• BOTH PARABLES DEAL WITH THE BASIC DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FAITHFUL SERVANT AND THE UNFAITHFUL SERVANT.
• THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THESE TWO PARABLES:
• THE AMOUNT GIVEN IS UNEQUAL IN THE MATTHEW PARABLE AND EQUAL IN THE LUKE PARABLE.
• THE PARABLE IN MATTHEW FOCUSES ON INDIVIDUAL TALENTS, GIFTS, AND CAPABILITIES GIVEN TO EACH BELIEVER, WHILE THE PARABLE IN LUKE FOCUSES ON ONE’S LIFE AS A WHOLE AFTER ACCEPTING CHRIST AS SAVIOR WITH NO REGARD TO INDIVIDUAL TALENTS OR GIFTS.
• WHAT IS THE CENTRAL TRUTH OF THE PARABLE?
• EACH BELIEVER IS GIVEN ONE LIFE TO LIVE FOR CHRIST. WE WILL BE REWARDED ACCORDING TO HIS FAITHFULNESS TO USE THAT LIFE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
• THE KINGDOM PRINCIPLE (LUK 19:26):
• TO EVERYONE WHO HAS, MORE WILL BE GIVEN.
• FROM EVERYONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE, EVEN WHAT HE HAS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY.

• APPLICATION:
• THE CHRISTIAN HAS A CHOICE, EITHER HE USES WHAT TIME AND ENERGY GOD GIVES HIM IN HIS LIFE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, OR HE WILL LOSE A LIFE LIVED FOR CHRIST AND WILL SUFFER THE REWARD OF LOSS.

THIS PARABLE ENDS OUR EXTENSIVE STUDY OF THE GOSPEL PARABLES.
MAY GOD BLESS YOU AS YOU TAKE TO HEART THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST.