Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Luke 19:24-27
24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’
25 “ ‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’
26 “ ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’ ”
24 “Then, turning to the others standing nearby, the king ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’
25 “ ‘But, master,’ they said, ‘he already has ten pounds!’
26 “ ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to those who use well what they are given, even more will be given. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 27 And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king—bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’ ”
Commentary:
The paradox in this verse reinforces the point in the previous one: the person who welcomes God’s rule and presence will be given more of God’s intended fruit; the one who depends on his own resources without receiving the word (the one who has not) will lose even that (what he has will be taken away).
19:27 But as for these enemies of mine may allude to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, but it also forecasts the final judgment of those who reject Jesus.
19:27 But as for these enemies of mine may allude to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70, but it also forecasts the final judgment of those who reject Jesus.
Questions:
- The faithful will be rewarded, the faker will be judged, and the HATER will be DESTROYED. This was the delegation of people that didn't want the master to be king... the ones who were eventually executed. This one is pretty clear cut. Jesus Himself said you're either with Him or against Him. There is no neutrality or fence riding. Those who reject Him will suffer the harshest judgement from the King. There are many in our culture in this category. They don't want a king. They want to be their own king. They don't want to be subject to anyone other than themselves. Who in your life is in this category? What can you do to try to reach them before it's too late?
- But here is the irony of any kingdom: The subjects are subjects whether they want to be or not. And to be a subject that doesn't accept a king is a dangerous thing. Theologian Darrell Bock said, "One group remains to be dealt with, the rejecters. They will be slain. Their rejection is total. The parable follows the reality of ancient politics. Refusing the rule of the one in power often meant paying with one’s life. Here is the judgment of God. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of a judging and rejected God." The most selfish thing you can do is be content to go to heaven alone. How much time, energy, prayer, thoughts are you putting towards reaching lost people in your life? How can you make this more of a priority for you?
Pray:
- That your heart would break for the lost people in your life.
- That you would do whatever it takes to reach them.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
7. How can I trust that the Bible is still God’s Word today? I trust the Bible is still God’s Word today because Jesus rose from the dead proving He was God and said His words would never pass away. Through the Holy Spirit, God inspired the writing of the Scripture, determined the canon of Scripture and protected the copying of Scripture so that we might know Him and worship Him to this day.
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
(Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
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