Let's pray.
Fathers, we come now to the end of this road to Jerusalem with Jesus.
Along the way, he's cleared up many misconceptions of what it means to follow you.
And now we have the challenge before us.
As the words of the old poems say, only one life will soon be passed, only what's done for Christ will last.
May those words reverberate in our hearts and our minds this morning.
And we ask it for your glory. Amen.
A team of European doctors in the 1990s, in the early 1990s,
discovered that there was a higher chance of having a heart attack on Monday than any other day of the week.
In fact, they found out there was a dramatic increase in all stress-related illnesses on Mondays.
Blood pressure is up, and so you're more likely to have a stroke on a Monday.
Stomach acidity is up, increasing the risk of ulcers.
People are twice as likely to commit suicide on Mondays than any other day of the week.
And so they concluded that the Monday morning feeling is actually no myth.
It's medical fact.
There was one explanation for it.
Most of us feel that the very idea of working another week, depressing.
However, it wasn't because of the workload or the responsibilities.
The research found that there was little distinction between a high flyer
and what you might call a low flyer, I'm assuming.
People with mundane and undemanding jobs displayed the same symptoms
as those at the other end of the scale.
No matter how good the job as well, or how considerate the employer,
how nice the people you worked with,
or even the surrounds in which you work,
it made no difference.
The very idea of working another week caused so much stress-related illnesses.
And the reason?
Purposelessness.
Purposelessness is having plenty to do,
but no satisfying reason to do it.
It's like living life without purpose
is kind of like playing soccer without goalposts.
You can dribble the ball with great skill,
you can execute some fine passes,
you can enjoy your time on the paddock,
but in the end, what's the point?
What's the point to it all?
Unless there is some goal, some objective,
some reason for doing it,
then in the end,
it is all a farce.
It is this quest for purpose in our daily existence
that makes this parable of the ten miners
so drastically important for us.
Jesus here provides us with that vital missing link,
and that is future perspective.
And we need that future perspective
in order to give our daily routine significance.
As you know,
we have been travelling with Jesus
on his way to Jerusalem,
and as we've been travelling with Jesus,
he has encountered a number of people,
he has told lots of stories
about what it means to be part of his kingdom,
he has cleared up misconceptions
of what it means to be his disciple,
he has told stories like the rich fool
and the lost sheep and the lost coin
and the lost son and the shrewd manager,
he has encountered people
like the rich young ruler
and the blind beggar,
and as he arrives close to Jerusalem,
he has one final encounter
with a person,
and that is with Zacchaeus.
And this encounter with Zacchaeus
is where this journey with Jesus
comes to its climax.
The visit of Jesus to Jericho
attracts a large crowd.
Zacchaeus, the chief tax collector,
wants a chance to look at Jesus,
but he can't because he's too short.
Instead, he climbs a tree
to get a glimpse of Jesus
as he wanders by.
The important thing is, though,
in that encounter
is the fact that Jesus took the initiative.
Verse 5,
Zacchaeus,
Jesus said to him,
Zacchaeus,
come down immediately,
I must stay at your house today.
And it's this acceptance
of Zacchaeus
by Jesus
that repulses the crowd.
It says in verse 7,
all the people saw this
and began to mutter,
he has gone
to be the guest
of a sinner.
You see,
Zac and his kind
were social outcasts,
but Jesus welcomes him.
Zacchaeus responds to Jesus
by coming out of the tree immediately
and it says he received
Jesus with joy.
A reception of joy
to Jesus
is the appropriate response
on Jesus' actions
on our behalf.
We also see another response
to Jesus by Zac.
In verse 8,
it says,
Look, Lord,
here and now
I give half of my possessions
to the poor
and if I have cheated anybody
out of anything,
I will pay back
four times the amount.
There are, in fact,
two responses there.
A new generosity,
which means he gives
half of his assets
to the poor.
And secondly,
a desire to undo
the wrongs from the past.
And he says
he will pay back them
four times as much
anyone that he has robbed.
It's interesting
that normal restitution
only actually added 20%.
If I've robbed you
of a dollar,
I'll give you
a dollar,
you know,
a dollar,
twenty back.
But Zacchaeus
actually suggests
and submits himself
to the highest penalty
that the Old Testament
law required.
The highest penalty.
You see,
what has happened here,
God has made
the impossible happen.
He's done the impossible.
A rich man
gets through
the eye of the needle.
A rich man
gets through
the eye of the needle
and here
at the end
of this road
to Jerusalem,
Jesus sets up
Zacchaeus
as the model disciple.
The model disciple.
He receives
the grace
of the Lord Jesus
with joy
and a radical
transformation
of priorities
and his life
is a result.
His priorities
change because
of this new life.
It's this new life
and his priority
which will govern
the rest of his life.
Which is why
Jesus launches
into this parable
straight after
his encounter
with Zacchaeus.
Jesus is close
to Jerusalem
and there are
some that are
there with Jesus
thinking that
it's all over.
It's about to finish.
Jesus the king
who's done all these
miracles along the way
he's going to get
to Jerusalem
and he's going to
beat up the Romans
and kick the king out
and we're going to
go to the palace
and we're going to
get the temple back.
It's all going to
be hunky dory
and it's going to
be like the good old days
we're going to party on
and it's kind of
the king is established
and he's thrown
and Jesus goes
hang on a bit.
Verse 11
Jesus tells
this parable
because he was
near Jerusalem
and the people
thought that the
kingdom of God
was going to
appear at once.
They thought it
was almost over.
And so Jesus
uses this parable
to instruct
his disciples
that salvation
as we saw
with Zacchaeus
is not the end
of the matter.
It's not just
a matter of
ticking a box
and praying a prayer
and getting in
the kingdom
and that's it.
Getting into
the kingdom of God
like Zacchaeus
doesn't mean that
you just kind of
sit back
and wait
for heaven
to come.
You know
we fill our pews
it's not like
church is like
a holding pen
for Christians
waiting for Jesus
to come back
like a bunch
of sheep
really
in a pen
kind of
waiting to be
shorn.
If you're part
of the kingdom
of God
if you respond
to Jesus
then you've
got a job
to do
until the king
comes back.
So he says
this
soon after
they arrived
in Jerusalem
Jesus would
be leaving
them.
In verse 12
he said
this
a man
of noble
birth
went to
a distant
country
to have
himself
appointed
king
and then
to return.
But the
disciples were
not meant
to be
disheartened
by this.
Yes
Jesus was
going to
leave them
he made
it clear
they were
not to be
disheartened
by this
because the
king
would
return.
And the
point of
this parable
is what
do they do
between when
the king
leaves and
when the
king comes
back again?
What happens
in the meantime?
Verse 13
So he called
in ten of his
servants and
gave them ten
minors, put
this money to
work until I
come back.
That
sentence
is
Jesus'
answer to
the dreaded
Monday morning
feeling.
That sentence
is the
Bible's work
ethic.
We've got a
job to do
for the
king until
the king
comes back.
And that
gives everything
meaning.
It gives
everything
purpose.
And this
work ethic
is not
grounded in
a moral
duty but
in future
hope.
Future
hope.
We are
to put the
king's
resources to
work until
he comes
back.
Those
few words
are desperately
important
because the
world is
going
somewhere.
There is a
hope and
the king
is returning.
Therefore,
make the
most of the
opportunities
and the
resources we
have to
invest in
the kingdom
by working
hard for
the king.
I said
this a
couple of
Sundays
ago on
Vision
Sunday.
Wise
investments.
This is
what gives
our daily
routine
meaning.
It's
what gives
our daily
routine
purpose.
This is
the task
that Jesus
leaves us
with.
And what
this parable
says is
that people
are divided
into three
broad
categories
depending
on how
they respond
to the
challenge
from the
king.
At one
extreme
are those
described in
verse 14.
Jesus
saying is
that there
will be
some who
reject
God's
king.
They'll
reject
Jesus
being the
king.
They won't
want him
to be
king.
And they
won't
accept his
authority
as the
king.
Some
will hide
their
rebellion
against
the
king
under
the
guise
of
doubt
or
ignorance.
But Jesus
is clear
here that
the main
resistance
to the
rule of
king
Jesus
is
the
will.
Verse
14.
We don't
want
this man
to be
our
king.
We don't
want this
man to
be our
king.
But of
course it's
all in
vain because
he is
the king.
Verse 15.
He was
made king
however and
he returned
home.
That's
the reality
of it.
My
desire for
Jesus not
to be
king is
somehow
stronger than
the fact
he is
king.
Nothing
can stop
Jesus'
final
triumph.
Whether
you like
it or
not,
he is
king.
And the
Bible says
that people
will resist
his
will,
with their
will,
resist
king
Jesus
right to
the very
end.
Right to
the very
end.
It
astounds
me that
the Bible
says that
in the
last days
when Jesus
appears with
loud trumpet
sounds,
people will be
confronted with
the descending
Lord Jesus
and instead
of bowing
and asking
for mercy
in that
last moment
of their
life,
they will
say let
the mountains
fall on
me rather
than submit
to him.
The
strength of
the will
to resist
Jesus right
to the
very end.
Nothing
can stop
Jesus'
final triumph.
He is
king.
The end
of the
parable tells
us what
happened to
those who
rebelled
against the
king.
Verse 27,
but those
enemies of
mine who
did not
want me to
be king
over them,
bring them
here and
kill them
in front
of me.
Would
have been
so nice
if he
didn't
mention
that,
wouldn't
it?
It would
have been
so much
nicer if
he didn't
say it
so strongly.
But there
is no room
in God's
kingdom for
rebels.
It's a
harsh
verdict,
but by
it Jesus
conveys the
hard truth
that if
you don't
want to
submit to
the king
then you
have no
place in
the kingdom.
What this
parable is
saying is
that God
takes our
sin,
our
rebellion
against him
very
seriously
and he
will judge
all acts
of rebellion
against him.
sin.
The second
category of
people are
at the
other end
of the
extreme.
There are
those whom
Jesus called
into this
story, the
good servants.
Verse 15,
he was made
king, however,
returned home.
Then he sent
for the
servants to
those whom
he had given
money in
order to find
out what
they had
gained with
it.
The first
one said,
sir, your
miner has
earned ten
more.
Well done.
my good
servant.
His master
replied,
because you
have been
trustworthy in
a very small
matter, take
charge of
ten cities.
The second
came and
said, sir,
your miner
has earned
five more.
His master
answered, you
take charge of
five cities.
I think it's
awesome.
What the
Bible actually
portrays is
that our
deepest joy and
satisfaction is
found in
serving the
king.
And this is
clearly here as
well.
That what
happens is,
when you
spend a
life of
serving king
Jesus, what
is the
reward?
More service.
Over ten
cities or
five cities.
More
opportunities to
serve king
Jesus because
it's where our
deepest satisfaction
and joy comes
from.
What a
wonderful picture.
Anyway, that's
just a side
point.
What Jesus is
using here is a
financial metaphor
to describe the
sort of
trustworthiness
that God is
working out in
those who
follow him.
The minor
represents the
thing that
Jesus left
us with.
The resources,
the endowments,
the charge,
the mandate,
the mandate to
go and make
disciples of
all nations.
The things that
he wants us to
get on with,
his business,
until he
returns.
What he is
saying is that
it actually
matters how we
live now.
It matters how
we order our
priorities.
It matters
what we
spend our
time doing
and how we
use the
resources that
God has
given us.
What it's
saying is that
for those who
are part of
the kingdom,
you don't sit
around twiddling
your thumbs,
kind of just
waiting for
Jesus to come
back.
We've got a
job to do
for the
king.
It's saying
that we use
our resources
and opportunities
here,
now,
and they will
have eternal
consequences.
In other
words,
it is possible
to live in
such a way
now that
heaven will
actually be
enriched for
us.
You get
that?
It is
possible to
live in
such a way
now that
heaven will
actually be
enriched for
us.
And the
mark of a
good and
trustworthy
servant is
that they
make wise
long-term
investments.
They build
for the
kingdom.
This is
brilliant news
in a world
that is full
of Monday
morning
itis.
It means
that you
can work
your guts
out in
service of
the king
and it
actually
counts.
It doesn't
matter what
your job
is.
It doesn't
matter what
role you
feel in
society.
You might
be a slave
or a
master.
You
might be
a husband
or a
wife.
You
might be
a child
or a
parent.
Every
Christian
can and
should
dedicate
their
daily
business
to
Christ
the
king.
Do it
all as
if working
for the
king.
And we
do it
because we
are going
somewhere.
We have a
goal and
we have a
hope.
But there
is one
more
servant.
Verse 20.
Then another
servant came
and said,
Sir,
here is
your
minor.
I have
kept it
laid away
in a
piece of
cloth.
I was
afraid of
you because
you're a
hard man.
You take
out what
you did
not put
in and
reap
what you
did
not
sow.
The
first thing
to say
about this
guy is
that his
characterization
of the
king is
grossly
unfair.
he actually
gave his
servants
responsibility.
He is
saying that
the king
is a
vicious
exploiter
of people.
He's
quite clear
from this
story in
fact that
the king
is nothing
of the
kind.
For
whatever
reason this
servant
can't bring
himself to
believe in
the kindness
and the
generosity
of the
king.
He wraps
up that
little piece
of money.
I was
afraid
was his
excuse.
I was
afraid.
Was he
afraid that
he might
not be
successful?
Maybe.
Was he
afraid that
he might
actually
miserably
fail?
Maybe.
But do
you know
what I
think his
real problem
is?
He wasn't
afraid enough.
He didn't
fear the
master
enough.
He didn't
fear the
master.
If he
had he
actually
would have
done
something
with that
minor.
The truth
was that
he was a
wicked servant
looking for
an excuse
for his
laziness,
for his
negligence and
for his
irresponsibility.
laziness.
And Jesus
is warning
us against
laziness.
He is
telling us
that we
must work
for his
kingdom with
vision and
vigour.
We mustn't
allow fear
to make us
withdraw like a
turtle into the
security of our
shell.
We must be
prepared to
commit ourselves
boldly to
the kingdom,
to kingdom
initiatives.
we are not
to be rash
with the
resources that
God has
given us,
but we
are to
make courageous
decisions for
the king.
I think what
Jesus is saying
here is that we
should never be
content as
Christians just
to kind of
happily attend
church each
week, feel
secure and
cosy, while
the rest of the
world is going
to hell in a
handbasket.
He is
telling us not
to stay on
the sidelines
as spectators
of other
people's
enterprise for
the kingdom.
Because too
often we do
that.
Too often we
just do that
by nature.
You go and
watch a football
team play,
you sit up
there in the
stands, you
watch them, if
they win you
kind of feel
like somehow
you've
contributed to
it.
I mean,
does anyone
boast?
I mean, I
do that.
I think that
somehow my
cheering has
sort of got
them over the
line.
Too often we
do that.
We sit on
the sideline
as spectators
of other
people's
enterprise for
the kingdom.
That's why I
can say that
I'm particularly
encouraged that
the staff of
the parish
council are
not sitting
on the
sidelines.
They're not
sitting on
the sidelines.
Some of us
are crippled by
what we
perceive to
be our
lack of
resources.
You know, if
I could preach
like Billy
Graham, I'd
be an
evangelist.
Or if I
was any
good at
languages, I'd
be a
missionary.
If I
could do
music, I'd
sort of bump
Nick from
his job.
If I was
academic, I'd
go to Bible
college.
If I wasn't
so shy, I'd
evangelise my
friends.
If I had
more money, I'd
be able to
give.
I had more
time, I could
do church
ministry
more.
If only, if
only, if
only God
had not
given me so
little to
work with.
It's his
fault in the
end.
God isn't
interested in
the hypothetical
devotion that
we would give
if we had the
resources.
The irony of
this faithless
servant is
that in
trying to
avoid taking
risks, he
was in
fact taking
the greatest
risk of
all.
Gambling with
his place in
the kingdom,
gambling with
his life.
God's
life.
Well, friends,
sorry to
say, but it's
going to be
Monday again
tomorrow, and
you could wake
up depressed
and miserable
as people who
are going
nowhere, like
all the
purposeless
people who
drive here,
past you on
a Monday
morning, going
to their
offices in
their fancy
cars.
Or you
could be
motivated and
ambitious as
people who
know that you
have a hope,
a purpose,
and a reason,
and a job
to do, using
the king's
resources to
build up
treasure in
heaven, and
enriching your
experience and
other people's
experience of
heaven until
he comes.
The message
for us as
we get near
Jerusalem with
Jesus, over
these whole
number of
weeks as
we're travelled
with Jesus,
is quite
simple.
Honour the
king.
Live for
the king.
All of our
lives are on
the way to
eternity.
Jesus has
gone.
He's left.
After his
resurrection,
after his
ascension,
and his
glorification,
and he sits
on the
throne now.
And the
day has
been set
when he
will return.
And all
of our
lives are
on the
way to
eternity.
An
eternity
with
Christ,
or a
Christ-less
eternity.
And so,
in the
words of
the old
poem,
only one
life will
soon be
passed,
only what's
done for
Christ will
last.
Amen.