Luke 19:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’"

NIV: 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.’ "

NASB: But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’?'

CSB: But bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence.’"

NLT: And as for these enemies of mine who didn’t want me to be their king — bring them in and execute them right here in front of me.’'

KJV: But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me.

NKJV: But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me.’ ”

Jesus finishes the parable of the ten minas with a horrifying conclusion (Luke 19:11–27). In the parable, a nobleman leaves to meet the ruler who will crown him king. When he goes, those of his citizens who did not want him to be king send a delegation to the ruler to try to stop the coronation. Their protest doesn't succeed; the nobleman is now king and is ready to execute his traitors.

The parable impacts our lives on several different points. Jesus is not going to rule from His earthly throne immediately; He will have to die, be resurrected, ascend to heaven, and wait until the time is right for His return (Luke 24:50–53; Revelation 19:11–16). Until that time, we need to decide whether we believe that He is our Savior enough to identify with Him and spread the gospel.

Additionally, there's more than one way to reject Jesus. There's the way of the third servant who understood the nobleman was going to return as king. Yet he had no trust and the lack of faith led to a lack of action. He was afraid to invest the mina he'd been given for fear of losing it. He represents the leaders of Jerusalem who knew Jesus was the Messiah, "but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (John 12:42–43).

And there's the way of the rebellious who do not want Jesus to reign over them (Luke 19:14). This is an apt description of the members of the Sanhedrin and other religious leaders who are jealous of Jesus' following and convince Pilate to crucify Him (Matthew 27:15–25).

The punishment sounds harsh, but it is just. Jesus is King of the Jews. He is the Savior of the world and the Son of God. If someone has enough information to know that but refuses to submit to Him because of selfishness, pride, and/or envy, they are Christ's enemies. In the end, they will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 20:11–15).

Luke 19:11–27 is the final passage of a series of stories about the kingdom of God. In a parable, Jesus explains that He cannot take the kingdom now; He must leave to receive it. His followers will be those who have understanding about His kingship: the gospel. Those who faithfully spread that message will be greatly rewarded. Those who plot against Him will be destroyed. This parable is about responsibility with the gospel; the similar parable of the talents is about responsibility with resources like time and spiritual gifts (Matthew 25:14–30). Next comes the triumphal entry (Luke 19:28–44).

Jesus approaches Jerusalem by way of Jericho. Along the road, he encounters Zacchaeus: an unusually short man and infamous tax collector. Zacchaeus responds to Jesus' invitation and demonstrates humility and repentance. Jesus gives a parable explaining a believer's obligation to encourage the spread of the gospel. Jesus enters Jerusalem to great fanfare, upsetting local Pharisees. As He rides, Jesus weeps to think of the future destruction in store for the city. He once again drives corrupt businessmen from the temple grounds. His enemies are furious, but too afraid of the adoring crowds to take direct action.

Luke 19 finishes the "travelogue of Christ to Jerusalem" and introduces His first actions there (Luke 9:51—19:27). This long passage semi-chronologically records Jesus' journey to Jerusalem and the theological reasons why He must go to the cross. It finishes here, in this chapter, with Jesus meeting Zacchaeus and the parable of the ten minas. The chapter continues with Jesus' entry into Jerusalem as its king—the triumphal entry. Jesus mourns over Jerusalem, its rejection of their Messiah, and its coming destruction in AD 70. He also cleanses the temple and teaches there. In the next segments, Luke covers the last hours of Jesus' earthly life (Luke 22—23) as well as Jesus' resurrection (Luke 24).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.