Out of the Napkin, Into the WorldThe Allegory of the Ten Pounds and the Lost Tribes of IsraelDedicated to Marina Chancery and All the World's Chancerys and Showalters
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The Destruction of
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Java Jane Digital Photography Luke
19:11-28; Obadiah 1:15-21; Psalms 122 NEWS
FLASH APRIL 1, 2004: The winner of the $239 million dollar lottery had made a
deal with Go-ad – “If you give me a little money sometime, I’m going to buy my
friend who died thirty years ago a tombstone.”
His wife said, “I’m going to shop until I drop!” And the King said, “I will condemn you out of
your own mouth, you wicked servants!” Luke 19:11. As they heard these things, he proceeded to
tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because 12.
He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive a
kingdom and then return. 13. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten
pounds, and said to them, ‘Trade with these till I come.’ 14.
But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do
not want this man to reign over us.’ 15.
When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these
servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might
know what they had gained by trading.
16. The first came before him,
saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten pounds more.’ 17.
And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been
faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18.
And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ 19.
And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20.
Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound, which I kept laid
away in a napkin; 21. for I was afraid of you, because you are a
severe man; you take up what you did not lay down, and reap what you did not
sow.’ 22. He said to him, ‘I will
condemn you out of your own mouth, you wicked servant! You knew that I was
a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not
sow? 23.
Why then did you not put my money into the bank, and at my coming I should
have collected it with interest?’
24. And he said to those who
stood by, ‘Take the pound from him, and give it to him who has the ten
pounds.’ 25. (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten
pounds!’) 26. ‘I tell you, that to every one who has will
more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken
away. 27. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not
want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.’“ 28.
And when he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Almighty Father, in your tender love for us you sent your Son Yahshua
to take up our nature, live a man’s life, boldly ride through the gates, and
suffer death upon a tree, giving us the example of his great humility: We love
him! Mercifully grant that we may walk in
the way of his triumph, his suffering then share in his resurrection. Amen. Context of the Parable
The reason I chose this allegory {on Palm
Sunday} is because it precedes “The
Triumphal Entry” of Yahshua into Jerusalem, seated on an ass, with the people
hailing him king, throwing their clothing into the road and waving palm
branches. The colt he rides is
in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Everyone on the Yahshua speaks about his entry into Maurice Nicoll
Nicoll Bio Here
I’d like to quote the psychologist and
author
Dr.
Maurice Nicoll (d.
1953), who used the gospels as a psychology textbook in the first
half of the twentieth century. He
writes: “Everything recorded in the very
concentrated account of Christ’s teaching has a special meaning. There is not one sentence, not a single word,
in the Gospels, that has not meaning totally beyond the
literal meaning.” (Dr. Maurice Nicoll, The
New Man, 88) I agree with his
conclusion. Nicoll taught that one might
find truth in the Bible, but knowing truth
often leads to cruelty rather than godliness. In the story of the Good Samaritan, the
Levites had the truth, but they acted cruelly when they passed the
wounded man on the road. It was the
Samaritan, the one who didn’t have the truth, who stopped to do the
good deed. Nicoll’s conclusion is
something like this: knowing the truth can lead to good, to doing nothing, to
nailing an innocent man to a tree. But
truth only finds its highest and best expression in doing good. We may be full of grace and truth, but do we
do exalt the Almighty in our work or not? This is very appropriate as we learn the
Allegory of the Pounds. When those who know
the truth of the nobleman’s identity do the right thing, everyone
gains. But the one who knows the truth
but doesn’t do good loses whatever truth and good he might
have. In fact, the one servant in the
today’s story exchanged the truth for a lie in order to justify his own
apathy. Dr. Nicoll is quite correct in
saying that every single word has meaning beyond the literal – every
single word. Defining the Characters
There are many truths to be discovered in
the Allegory of the Pounds: Luke says
that Yahshua told this tale because he was nearing In the story, Yahshua himself is the nobleman
– he’s going into a far country to receive a kingdom. The far country is death
– and the Kingdom is the timeless Kingdom of Yahweh composed
of the saints of all ages. Now Yahshua
tells us who the ten servants (slaves douloV) are in verse 26.
The ten servants are everyone who heeds his call to
the Gospel. In Scripture, ten is the
number of the few. The nobleman has ten pounds (literally
minas): each worth about six
months pay (200 denarii = 1 mina) – that’s a large sum for a slave.
{This is important:}
These ten pounds are pieces of Yahshua – his Gospel – his
very being – his Holy Spirit – each pound is disbursed one by one to ten
servants, each servant getting the same amount, one pound. His citizens are the Priests,
Levites, Pharisees and any others who hate him – but
especially religious leaders who should’ve embraced his nobility, since
they knew him from the annals of Moses, their lawgiver. He came unto his own, but his own didn’t
receive him (John 1:11). These citizens send an embassy against
him. The embassy is The
Roman Embassy – Pontius Pilate,
the Roman Procurator, and his ilk. With
the entrance of the embassy, Yahshua, our nobleman, leaves for the far
country, which we already defined as death. Judging the Slaves
There, our nobleman receives his Kingdom, and
returns. He’ll now interview only
three of those slaves to see what they’ve done with his pound. (Remember that the pound
represents a piece of Yahshua.) The first slave reports that he’s
gained ten pounds through trading.
The ten pounds represent the ten “lost” tribes of The second slave is likewise
commended. He’s made five pounds and
given authority over five cities. Five
is the number of the nations – five cities gained
represent the nations of the world.
The second slave is like those who go outside
the Finally, a third slave comes forth
and offers the nobleman back the pound that he’d been advanced. He’s kept it in a napkin! Why?
Now that he’s to be judged, he says, “I’m afraid of you!” Then the third slave insults his
master, “You reap what you don’t sow!”
This saying is a grave error; the slave lies because he wants to
justify hiding his pound in a napkin.
The master’s already shown that he does sow, and he reaps where
he sows. He’s sowed a pound of himself
into each slave and reaped; but he didn’t gain anything from the third but
jive-talk. “¿So you think I reap
where I don’t sow, eh? ¿Then why didn’t
you prove yourself correct by putting my pound in the bank?” ¿Hide a pound in a napkin? How silly.
But it’s the key to knowing whom the third slave represents. The napkin’s wrapped around Yahshua’s head
after he’s killed (Luke 23:23 & John 20:7). The third slave wraps a POUND
OF YAHSHUA in a napkin. This third
slave represents the Levites – those in charge of The pound is taken from the third and given
to the first slave, who’d made ten. This
pound is the tribe of Judah – Jews – which is added to the other
ten to make eleven tribes of the original twelve. But what is to happen to the third
slave, the Levites – the twelfth tribe? He is to have nothing – no currency – no
favor. Each one in the Levite class,
having hidden his pound in a napkin, will be judged by his laxity and excuses;
all that he has will be taken away (unless he repents, loves and does the good
rather than the evil). ¿As for the citizens who hate
the nobleman: the crowd who didn’t heed the call, the reprobate who won’t keep
the Law, the mocker and scoffer, the persecutor and evil doer, the
commandment-breaker and finger-pointer, the lecherous and wasteful – all those
who would not have Yahshua reign? Thus
saith Yahweh Tsaviot, “Bring them and slay them before me!” {dramatic musical interlude} The Embassy Moves In
Forty years after this story was told on the
General Titus commanded his legions not
to destroy or burn the An eyewitness tells the incredible story
about the end of the unworthy slave.
When the smoke had risen in thick columns and flames leaped through the
roof of the grand structure, one of Levite priests climbed to the top of the
highest I have news for you, the key to the holy
place will soon be returned to the faithful, for the King of Glory has it and will
bring it back to those servants awaiting his coming! Hallelujah!
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of Yahweh!” You
and Your Pound You, my friend, have been given a pound of
Yahshua’s flesh: the very flesh you may partake of today at this altar
rail. Before doing so, consider: Where
is your pound? In a dark cave
wrapped in a bloody napkin? What have
you done with the Paraclete? What have
you accomplished with your gifts? What
has his love bought you and your love bought him? Have you respected the nobleman enough to
invest what he has already given you in worthy enterprises to be
redeemed for his glory? Have you earned
back ten pounds? Five? One? None? Heaven forbid that on that great day of
reckoning, you be embarrassed, make excuses then be slain. Heaven forbid you being that religious
Levite without even a pound or a key to show for it. Heaven forbid you’ve cheered on the death of
the one who came to save your hide or persecuted his servant mercilessly! But I know you’re not among the religious
hypocrites! No way! You’re the real thing. You know the truth of
the Gospel; I know you use that truth to do right. N’est-ce pas? A
High Note My friend, now you have your pound: Yahshua
says, “Occupy until I come.” Since it’s
a new day, you have no past in the eyes of Yahweh. You may begin afresh and start building
capital toward the Kingdom promise.
Don’t get me wrong – you don’t work to be saved – but you work because
you love the Savior. You keep the commandments,
pray, and let the King change you and make you ready for his Kingdom Come. “If you love me,” he said, “then keep my
commandments. Be ye perfected as your
father is perfect.” To take your truth and do good is to
follow the pathway to holiness and sanctification. Goodness must show through in every area
of one’s life – at work, at play, at home – as well as in church. John Paul II addresses those in secular work
situations, where it’s often difficult to be a public servant of the Savior. He says: Yes, the world needs more saints than reformers, because
saints are the most authentic and productive reformers. Every great period of renewal is linked to
important testimonials of holiness. Our
conviction is that all Christians are called to share and spread [scriptural]
holiness because they are the new creation – the New Man. This is not just for the spiritual elite –
no! Not just for the heroically
courageous. People must be encouraged to
live every aspect of their life – whatever circumstances that Yahweh has
placed them in – in a holy manner, in faith, hope and love. (June 7, 1986 –
an alternate
reading is here.) I know that one’s true greatness comes from what
one is rather than what one does.
We’re taught that in seminary.
However, what you are is confirmed in very great measure by what
you do. Many may see Yahshua’s pound
demonstrated in you through both who you are and what you do, and be
drawn into the noble country. Such
witness of investing truth in goodness is true holiness. As Dr. Nicoll said, knowing what’s true
isn’t enough. A man, woman or child of
Yahweh must get his pound out of the napkin and into the world! It’s in the doing that the truth may
even transform one’s ignoble flesh to follow the highway of holiness to
its terminus. Let all your people see this
new creation enfleshed in you, my friend, riding through the ancient gates
upon the foal of prophecy; Let them rejoice in it, raise the palm branch and
hail him when they behold you.
For the nobleman will certainly return in
glory with his great and awesome host – Saviors will come forth out of the
earth – kingdoms will be established everywhere (Obadiah 1:21) – and Yahweh will become the world’s great Shalom
forever. This all will be your doing,
beloved! “Well done, good and faithful
servant! Because you have been faithful
in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.” Amen {Alternate Ending: How
It Ends
The Allegory of
the Pounds ends by saying that Yahshua went on ahead, going up, into The person of today looks at you and repeats
what the visitors to SERMON CHECK-OFF
[ ] Luke 19:11.
As they heard these things ... [ ] Zechariah 9:9. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of [ ] “Everything recorded in Christ’s teaching...” [ ] Every single word has meaning beyond the
literal [ ] Yahshua himself is the nobleman. [ ] The far country is death. [ ] The Kingdom is the timeless Kingdom
of Yahweh. [ ] The ten servants are everyone
who heeds his call. [ ] These ten pounds are pieces of
Yahshua. [ ] His citizens are those who
hate him. [ ] The embassy is The Roman
Embassy. [ ] The ten pounds gained represent
the ten “lost” tribes. [ ] Ten cities represent the land
Yahweh promised them. [ ] The second slave brings in the
mixed multitude. [ ] Five cities gained represent the
nations of the world. [ ] The napkin is found in Luke 23:23 and John
20:7. [ ] The third slave represents the Levites. [ ] The pound taken away is the tribe
of [ ] You, my friend, have been given a pound of
Yahshua’s flesh [ ] “If
you love me,” he said, “then keep my commandments.” [ ] “Be
ye perfect as your father is perfect.” [ ] “The visitors said to the Apostle Philip, ‘We
wish to see Jesus!’” [ ] “Saviors will come forth; Kingdoms will be established (Obad. 1:21).
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