Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-02-22


much" Luke 1910.
! AS they neared Jerusalem. the ex-
pectation Of the disciples reached a
higher pitch. They thought thSt the
| kingdom would be Immediately es-
| tablished to correct this impression.
Jesus told them the parable of the
| pounds. Of course their impression
was that the kingdom was to be
national kingdom; they had no con-
ception whatever of a spiritual king
dom. The parable was to show them
| that even the spiritual kingdom was
| to be delayed; and what their atti-
tude should be during the interval.
A nobIeman went into a far coun-
| try to receive a kingdom and to re-
| turn Before he left he called ten
| of his bondslaves and gave them SIS
each, telling them to trade with them
until he returned. But his citizens
| hated him and sent a committee to
thwart his purposes, saying: We
will not have this man to rule over
us. In spite of their protest, he re-
ceived the kingdom and came back
| He asked for report from his
| slaves, commended and promoted
some, and condemned others. Then
he ordered his enemies slain.
The parable is an autobiography,
and also a historical story. When
| HerOd died, his son, ArChelaus. had
gone to Rome to receive the ap-
| pOintment as successor to his father.
He was so hated by his citizens that
| they sent formal protest to his ap-
| pointment. The Roman emperor,
! therefore, divided Herod's territory
and appointed Archelaus to one Of
the divisions that had no jurisdic-
| ton over the Protestants. This fact
was we'll known to all the Jews of
Jesus time, and, therefore. they
could better understand what He
was telling them.
The parable contained more; it
was also his autobiography. He is
the nobleman who was soon to leave
them for a far country to receive
a kingdom and to return. He came
to His own and His son received
Him not. They hated Him and re-
fused to have Him reign over them;
but neither their protest nor that
Of all the universe can keep Him
from receiving the kingdom. He is
nobleman indeed, the Son of God,
the only one of real royal birth.
There is nothing that would keep
His Father from giving Him the
kingdom, for He is worthy to re-
ceive it. SO He was trying to pre-
pare His disciples to let them appre-
ciate that his kingdom would be
future; that before it could be estab-
lished He would have to go away
into far country and return.
Some of His disciples today haven't
yet grasped this truth. They think
He established His kingdom, a.
spiritual one, then; but His district
teaching was that it should be in
the future when he returns.
The Testing Time
In the meantime is a testing time.
Here the nobleman left His bond
slaves among the citizens who hated
their master. There are just two
classes of folks--the citizen who will
not have Jesus to rule over them,
and His bondslaves who know no
other rule but His will for them.
These bondsiaves who were left by
their master, were in a very diff
cult position, for they had to live
in the midst of the citizens who
would not submit to their masters
to do everything they could to make
it hard for anyone connected with
their master.
But when the nobleman should
establish his kingdom he would need
loyal subjects and efficient servants.
There is no better way in the world
to make efficient rulers than to have
been faithful servants; so the noble
i NI 4
set his bondslaVes free to do as they
pleased with a definite part of his
property, and hold them strictly to
account for it. He wanted to see
what they would do with his prop
erty when they were left to their
own responsibilities. Accordingly he
placed in each ones possession a
pOund-$15-and told him to trade
with it in his absence.
Notice that each one was given the
same amount; not, as in the parable
of the talents, leach according to
his several ability. There the Man,
for it was Jesus, recognized that
men have different capacities and
therefore that more would be expect
ed from the man with the greater
capacity. Here, however, He is
giving to each man the same
amount, and we shall see that the
rewards were given, not according
to mans capacity, but according to
the faithfulness he had displayed
in the use of that which his Lord
had given him. The pound there
fore differs from the talents in this
important respect. Talents are diff
ferent; one man may have great ca
n fny
money making, another for knowI-
edge, another for winning others
craftsmanship, another for details,
etc. God expects each man to use
these according to his several ability
and shall hold him to account for
the use of these gifts.
The pound though was the sams
to every one of the bond slaves of
the nobleman-it was the gift of the
knowledge of God, the gift of saliva
tiCn through Jesus Christ. To ev-
cry one of His servants, the Noble
man has entrusted this possession Of
His, and He shall expect a report
from each one as to his or her use
of it when He returns.
Trading
Notice the command He gave his
bondslaVes-"T herewith until
1 come" Trade! Yes, that is the
servants duty-not fight, but trade.
His servants in the midst of citizens
who are hostile other master have
ever been ready to fight with his
enemies; but that was not his plan.
He wanted them to trade. Now,
trading in the enemies company
was difficult; to use the pound and
not lose it was a hard proposition
when all around was ,7position, but
that was their business.
The nobleman would have been re-
garded as very foolish by a wise
world-the idea of turning over his
nnSSnSSinns Ia hnndSlaNas who had