“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 19:12 Mean?
"A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." Jesus tells this parable near Jerusalem, specifically because the people thought the kingdom of God would appear immediately (verse 11). The parable corrects that expectation: the nobleman goes away, is gone for a while, and comes back. The kingdom isn't arriving today. There's a gap — and the gap has work to do.
The far country represents heaven — or more broadly, the absence of the visible king. The nobleman's departure creates an interim period where servants are given resources (minas — verse 13) and told to "occupy till I come." The period of absence is the period of stewardship.
The historical background may reference Archelaus, who traveled to Rome to receive authority over Judea — a journey Jesus' audience would recognize. A nobleman going to receive a kingdom and return was not abstract to first-century Palestinians; it was recent political history.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What resources has God given you to 'occupy' with during this interim period?
- 2.How does the delay of the kingdom's full arrival change what you do now?
- 3.What will you have to show for what you've been given when the King returns?
- 4.How does the parable correct the expectation of an immediate kingdom?
Devotional
The king goes away. He'll be gone for a while. And while He's gone, you have work to do.
Jesus tells this parable because the crowd thinks the kingdom is arriving immediately. They're on the road to Jerusalem. The energy is building. The expectation is palpable. And Jesus says: not yet. The nobleman has to go to the far country first. The kingdom is coming, but there's a gap between the going and the returning.
The gap is where you live. The period between Jesus' ascension and His return is the time of the parable. The resources have been distributed. The instruction has been given: occupy till I come. Use what you've been given. Trade with it. Produce a return. The king isn't here, but the king's money is — and what you do with it during the absence determines your position when He returns.
The word 'occupy' (pragmateuomai) means to do business, to be engaged in commerce, to be actively working with what you've been given. The absence of the king doesn't mean the absence of responsibility. His going away creates more responsibility, not less.
What has the absent king given you to work with? What minas are in your possession? And what will you have to show for them when He returns?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And he called his ten servants,.... By whom are meant, not all mankind; for though these are all his servants of right,…
A certain nobleman - A prince; a man descended from kings, and having a title, therefore, to succeed in the kingdom.…
A certain nobleman - In the following parable there are two distinct morals intended; let it be viewed in these two…
Our Lord Jesus is now upon his way to Jerusalem, to his last passover, when he was to suffer and die; now here we are…
A certain nobleman, &c. This would seem a most unintelligible incident if we did not know what suggested it. The…
Cross References
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