March 28, 2017 – Luke 19
But those enemies of
mine who did not want me to be king over them-bring them here and kill them in
front of me. Luke 19:27
Jesus is the eternal
ruler for those who make Him king on earth.
The game of Monopoly
is one many families have played. If you
have, you know that one of the prized possessions is a “Get out of Jail Free”
card. With it, you can circle the board
acquiring property, roll doubles, and draw risky cards with no fear of
consequence. By having it, you can
continue to play the game as you see fit.
Jesus is often portrayed as a “Get out of Jail Free” card
for life, but we forget how hard his teachings are.
In this parable about the Kingdom, Jesus talks about a new
king who calls his citizens to account for the investment made in them. Some served the king, others avoided him, and
some rejected him. At the end of the
story, the King finally arrives, honoring those who fulfilled his wishes, but
casting out the ones who rejected him.
This story offended many of the rulers, because they knew it was
condemning them for not following Jesus.
These are hard words – because it speaks to the lack of
obedience and service MANY practice today.
People treat God’s grace as a license to live selfishly, thinking that
salvation doesn’t require change in lifestyle.
Some don’t believe, and fight against Jesus instead of embracing
him. And by all appearances, none of
them seem to be held accountable, and many follow their footsteps. But Jesus is warning us of the upcoming
judgment – when all of us will be called to account for how we spend our
lives. Those who gave God their best
will be rewarded. Those who gave God
little will be reduced. Those who
rejected God will be condemned. (This is
a solemn warning.)
Every person decides who is their king while living on
earth. It is not a decision that can be
delayed until eternity. You must choose
now. So who do you choose today? Are you living like Jesus is king? Or are you counting on a “get out of jail
free card”?
Grace is an amazing gift – but it is not cheap. You don’t just “Get out of Jail”, and
continue to live life for yourself. You
change kings by accepting grace. Life is
not about circling the board acquiring property, it’s now about serving the King
and fulfilling His commands in loving obedience. If you’re fortunate enough to have God’s
Grace, don’t waste it or reject it. Use
it to live a life of purpose & passion.
Because if you don’t make Jesus King now … He won’t be your
king later.
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