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Luke 19
Jesus probably told this parable twice. Because he was an itinerant traveling speaker, sometimes it would make sense to say the same stories in different places, if the context fits.
So, in the Luke passage, Jesus Christ told the disciples the parable, and it says that the reason for this telling is that they thought that the kingdom of God was going to come immediately. They are headed to Jerusalem, and the disciples interpret this as a march on Jerusalem, where all the opposing rulers are removed from power, and Jesus creates the kingdom of God on earth. Jesus told them that he was going up to Jerusalem to die. They were to understand that when Jesus left the Earth, they were to carry on his business until he returned.
The parable starts with a nobleman who was heir to a kingdom and going away to receive that kingdom.
“Receiving a kingdom” in the context of the parable may refer to been confirmed as king by the Roman Senate or something. For Jesus, it might mean something like returning to heavenly kingdom that is the dwelling place of God, and being confirmed as king there.
It is suggested by scholars that this part of the story might be a reference to a ruler named Herod Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great
He would be relevant to the audience of the parable because he actually ruled over the Judeans, Idumeans (this probably refers to Edom), and Samaritans.
So, before the ruler leaves his business temporarily and travels to Rome or wherever to be confirmed as ruler, he entrusts his business into the hands of ten servants. They are given ten minas, and then asked to carry his business on until he returns.
What I understand this passage to be about is that Jesus was saying that he was going to leave, and that he was going to return. In the period between leaving and returning, it describes the nobleman’s employees as carrying out his work for him.
This is something he told them because they thought God’s kingdom would a
This is the period we are in now. Jesus said He would soon go away at the Last Supper, () and later, He ascended into heaven with His Father. We are kind of like the employees.
The nobleman gave them a sum of money that they were to use. What we have been given by God, we are supposed to work for his kingdom, and the gospel.
44 Then Jesus cried out, “Whoever believes in me does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45 The one who looks at me is seeing the one who sent me.
This verse takes place in Jerusalem about 5 days (or less) before the Passover holiday. In the context of John 12, Jesus is asking that people accept Him and His message. He is tying his message to God.
We see that the apostle John, a few verses earlier, describes chief priests and scribes, and others who believed, not wanting to confess belief in Him and his message because of the Pharisees. Jesus says that God will judge by His message, and that rejecting him is the same as rejecting God. Jesus mentions multiple times in the New Testament (Gospel of John verses 5:23,24,30, 6:39, 7:16,18,28,33 12:45, 13:20, Luke 9:37, 48, Mark 9:33 and Matthew 10:40.) about “the One who sent Him”.
If we accept Jesus, we accept God, and Christianity is not about accepting Jesus excluding the One who sent Him.
Based on the gospel texts, it seems that Jesus did not agree that people could get around Him to get to God (Gospel of John 14:6), who was “the One who sent Him”.
Luke 10:16
He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Regarding a group of seventy evangelists, whom Jesus sent to evangelize in pairs, two by two. The word referring to hearing is “ακουο” (pronounced “aa-k-o-ou-o”). Jesus stated that believing them would be treated the same as believing Him and that the people that would repudiate (Greek: αθετων; “aa-th-e-t-oo-n”; a person who repudiates ) them would be treated as having repudiated ( αθετει: “aa-th-e-t-e-i”)Jesus himself, and the One who sent Him.
I have also found that Gospel of Mark 9:33 and Matthew 10:40 also share the same phrasing, regarding receiving Jesus and the one who sent him. However, the context is very different, and will be addressed in a separate post.
In the end, I leave you with the following:
John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Mark 9:33
Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.
In the context of Mark 9, Jesus is giving a lesson to the disciples about what it means to be a great person. When they arrived at Capernaum, the disciples had been arguing about which of them should be remembered as the greatest disciple. (They often argued about who should be the top leaders in a kingdom that they thought Jesus was about to create in Jerusalem). Jesus informs them that true greatness is really about serving other people. Jesus uses a child to explain the idea.
What does “receive” mean in this context?
The Greek word is “δέχομαι”, (pronounced ) and seems to be about receiving someone to be hospitable towards them. The statement being made is that helping people is treated as helping Jesus. This comes up more than once in the New Testament. Mt. 25:40,
You see, to be truly great, you must be in the role of serving. The truest sense is not that you are not lording your greatness over people, or even having people think of you as a “great” person.
I included this verse because it says that helping the child is the same as helping Jesus and is the same as helping God. This is intended to show the connection between them.
Matthew - Chapter 10
40. He that receiveth you receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.
Similar to the previous one, but contextually relates to the twelve disciples sent forth. Multiple verses state that helping people is like helping Jesus, and this is like helping the one who sent him.
Luke 10:16
Regarding the seventy evangelists, who were sent two and two. The word referring to hearing is “ακουο” (pronounced “”)