Luke 19:14
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’
Tag: The World is Hostile Toward the Giver of Gifts
The above verse is taken from a parable told by Jesus. Because the disciples and people around Him thought He was going to usher in the Kingdom of God, immediately, Jesus told a parable. He told the story of a nobleman who would live his servants to go receive another country and then return. Before he left, the nobleman distributed gifts to the servants. The object of the parable was to impress upon the disciples, that while Jesus went away (via death, burial and resurrection) to receive the Kingdom of God (paid for by His death), the disciples were to be busy investing in the gifts God gave them. In the middle of the story, the above verse appears.
Is this verse here simply to give us the “context” for the servants conditions? It states that the world around these servants are very hostile to the nobleman. We, like them, are in a place where they reject God, but are still responsible for the gifts God gave us to use to His glory. Notice that after Jesus finishes telling the story of rewarding those who invested in the gifts the nobleman gave them, He returns to this hostile group:
Luke 19:27
But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”
We live in a hostile world. Paul states the world is at war with God:
Romans 8:7-8
For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
Even though we live in a hostile world, we are still responsible to use and invest in the gifts God gave us. Yes, the world is hostile. But, as the parable teaches, we are still responsible to invest and use the gifts God gave us until He returns.
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