Expository Thoughts (continued)
a piece of cloth. We are told of his useless arguments in his own defense, and of his final ruin, for not using the knowledge which he confessedly possessed. There can be no mistake as to the people he represents. He represents the whole company of the ungodly; and his ruin represents their miserable end in the judgment day.
Let us never forget the end to which all ungodly people are coming. Sooner or later, the unbeliever and the impenitent will be put to shame before the whole world, stripped of the means of grace and hope of glory, and cast down to hell. There will be no escape at the last day. False profession and formality will fail to abide the fire of God's judgment. Grace, and grace alone, shall stand. Men will discover at last, that there is such a thing as "the wrath of the Lamb."
The excuses with which so many content their consciences now, shall prove unavailing at the bar of Christ. The most ignorant shall find that they had knowledge enough to be their condemnation. The possessors of buried talents and misused privileges will discover at last that it would have been good for them never to have been born.
These are solemn things. Who shall stand in the great day when the Master requires an account of "His pounds?" The words of Peter will form a fitting conclusion to the whole parable, "Seeing that you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless." (2 Pet. 3:14.)
Notes on 19:11-27
11. A parable. There is a great similarity between this parable and that of the talents in Matthew. Yet they are not the same. They were evidently spoken at different times and differ in one important respect—namely, the sums of money given to the servants. In Matthew the servants receive different sums. In Luke all receive the same.
14. "'We don't want this man to be our king.'" Theophylact remarks about the striking resemblance between this part of the parable and the cry of the Jews when Christ was before Pilate. They were asked, "Shall I crucify your king?" They answered, "We have no king but Caesar." They said, "Away with him! Crucify him!"
15. "He was made king." This part of the parable describes the second coming of Jesus Christ. The kingdom for which we pray in the Lord's
Prayer is not yet come.
16. "'Your mina.'" The humility of a true Christian is seen here. The servant does not say, "By my skill I have earned," but "Your mina has earned." We have nothing to boast of. All that we have, we have received.
17. "'Take charge of ten cities.'" The servant who had turned one mina into ten was put in charge of ten cities, and the servant who had turned one into five was put in charge of five cities; each was rewarded according to his diligence. The doctrine of reward according to deeds seems to stand out here as well as in other places in Scripture. Our title to heaven is all of grace. Our degree of glory in heaven will be in proportion to our deeds. Every person will receive his own reward according to his own labor.
Henry remarks, "There are degrees of glory in heaven. Every vessel will be alike full, but not alike large. And the degree of glory there will be according to the degrees of usefulness here." (See 1