Soul Seeds: Kingdom to Come

One of the most interesting debates among Protestant theologians today is whether the term “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven” applies to something we live with now, something coming later at Christ’s return, or something including both. Sometimes it’s just a matter of emphasis. We know in one sense, Jesus said clearly, what we live today can be called the “Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:27). Yet it’s equally clear that phrase was also used to describe His Second Coming (2 Timothy 4:1). The Parable of the Minas (Luke 19:11-27) can be seen as either one. “Now as they heard these things, He spoke another parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and because they thought the Kingdom of God would appear immediately” (v. 11).
For many Jews, the term “Kingdom of God” meant a literal return of the Davidic Throne, a resurrection of the old Kingdom of Israel in her glory days. Obviously, this meant for them breaking Rome’s power in some way, or at least a radical change in the way things stood during Jesus’ lifetime. In spite of all Jesus said to clarify the prophecies, this notion remained the gut instinct of His disciples. In the final days of Jesus’ life on this earth, as the dramatic conflict approached, and the group was traveling to Jerusalem, Jesus tried yet again to correct this.
A mina is an old Hebrew word for a coin roughly equal to three month’s pay for the average laborer, 100 denarii in Roman money. Those who were in business or property owners, or had special artistic skills would naturally make quite a bit more than a denarius per day. A nobleman would surely have considerable wealth, and could easily afford to loan that much to individuals. Keep in mind this is not the same story told in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). However, like many lessons Jesus taught, there was nonetheless a similar theme. In this case, it had a similar purpose: to clarify what was going to happen.
The specific problem Jesus had here was an almost frantic expectation: What they believed would be the “Kingdom of God” was about to arise just any day now. As His close followers, they were anticipating a wonderful future serving Jesus the Messiah. Some of what they were expecting can be found in a collection of predictions produced during the Years of Silence, when no Scripture was written, between Malachi in about 400 BC, and the earliest of the New Testament books (Paul’s letters) beginning around AD 50. During that space of time there arose wild predictions (Messianic Expectations) which had some bearing on the Temptations in the Wilderness Jesus endured at the hands of Satan (Luke 4:1-13). In each offer Satan made, Jesus was tempted to be the Messiah everyone was expecting, rather than the Messiah God had actually sent Him to be.
Readers may recall Herod the Great died while Jesus was an infant (Matthew 2:16-23). We also note Herod’s son, Archelaus, inherited the throne, but not all his father’s domain. What we are not told in the biblical accounts is how Archelaus had no easy time getting that crown. First, it was for the Rome to decide who ruled its subject kingdoms. Herod had left the throne in his will to Achelaus, and the imperial government was aware of that. His brother, Antipas, was contesting that will, based on a claim of support from the Jewish community leadership. The issue for Caesar to judge in his court was to verify the will, then to verify if indeed the resistance to Archelaus was significant. It was imperial policy not to set a king over people who simply could not tolerate him, unless there was a compelling reason.
Since the Herodian family was from Edom, circumcised and married into the surviving ruling family of Judah, it took an awful lot of political maneuvering and constantly placating the Jewish nobility to keep Herod on the throne in the first place. Recall, he designed and built a new Temple for his Jewish subjects. The resistance to Archelaus was troubling and he had to appear personally in Rome to settle the issue. Right behind him came a delegation of Jewish nobles who claimed to represent the will of the Jewish nation in opposing him in favor of Antipas. The latter had made some big promises to a faction of Jewish leadership. However, Archelaus won his case, and returned to rule as his father’s heir. That he was no nicer than his father, and had taken the throne in a foul mood, prompted Jesus’ parents to move to Nazareth, in Galilee, outside the particular parcel of jurisdiction Archelaus had inherited from his father’s kingdom, upon returning from Egypt. Keep in mind, Herod tried to have Jesus killed as a possible usurper, actually a legitimate royal descendant of Israel.
But the story of political intrigue between Herod’s sons was fairly well known by the time of Jesus’ ministry. Thus, He took it as the background for this parable. When this would-be king departed, he distributed some of his assets for more than just safekeeping. He was a hard man, and expected some profit from these loans. He specifically told his servants to do business, to invest his money in something which would bring a return.
How the man in this parable settled affairs on his return was a blend of Herodian harshness and Kingdom holiness. Those entrusted with the money were called to account. In this, we see the King of Kings will expect us to branch out in faith. We are required to take what He has given us and use it for His business: changing hearts. The disciples were to remake themselves into His image, by using His power and knowledge. Though they may have had little enough at the time, it was certain if they walked in the light they had, more would come. Some would go far with that mission, because the changes in themselves would be the means to bringing others into the Kingdom. Some would not do quite so well, but that would be no direct cause for God’s displeasure.
He who takes God’s investment into his heart and simply hangs onto it has accomplished nothing. If we see our lives as the marketplace, the merchandise to be bought with His Word and loving power, we can get a sense of what Jesus is saying here. When we first come to Him, we have agreed to His ownership and Lordship. We spend the rest of our earthly lives executing His claims on all our whole selves. The areas of our existence which are not occupied in His business have to be seized on His authority, bit by bit, until it all serves His Kingdom. We take sides with this new conquering ruler, as his agents against our old ways. The process itself is infectious, and draws others to consider a similar deal with God.
To fail in activating His ownership, to fail in giving Him hands-on control over the affairs of our daily living, is to fail miserably His command to accomplish something with His grace in us. What He can trust us with later will be based on how fully we turn things over to Him early on. His property is occupied by a lot of demonic squatters. If we make no effort to evict Satan’s minions, Jesus’ sacrifice is wasted. However, we note in the parable this servant who failed is simply stripped of his future opportunities, and the riches of life that could have been his go to someone more faithful. The failed servant is not turned out, but simply not allowed to advance to a place of responsibility. Such are restricted to lesser responsibilities, kept back from hurting the Kingdom business, and from hurting the faith of others.
Those who actively oppose His Lordship are another story. They will be destroyed. The Herodians had no qualms with dispatching their enemies. There are stories of a bloodbath upon this one’s return from Rome. The final end of those who reject Christ will be far worse.
The point Jesus makes with all this? His active rule would be delayed. Did He mean the 3 days He spent in the grave, plus the 40 days or so after His resurrection, followed by His ascension? And then can we say He began to rule as the Holy Spirit, who descended at Pentecost? Or did He mean the long period of grace from His ascension until the Day of Return, sometime longer than these 2000 years so far? Or is it both, in one sense or another?
That doesn’t really matter here. What Jesus was saying was to forget about those dreams of ruling in the Courts of the Messiah, the Second David, at least in the short term of their dreams. He knew the events subsequent to His crucifixion and resurrection would clarify things, anyway. Once they passed through the dark night of His trial, the agony of His death, the dejection of His burial, and the unspeakable joy of His resurrection, all their silly notions would be forgotten. If they could just make it through that final week of Passover, things would move too quickly for them to react foolishly. It was necessary to restrain them from trying to fight Roman soldiers, expecting miracles to make it possible for them to win.
The battlefield was about to change completely.