Big Idea: We have opportunities to serve God while we wait for his kingdom to be fulfilled, and he expects us to use them well.

Understanding the Text

As Jesus approaches Jerusalem, expectations are high. He has recently been hailed as “Son of David” (18:38–39), and soon he will be acclaimed “king” (19:38). He has declared that salvation has come “today” (19:9). Is this then the moment for the “kingdom of God” that he has preached to be brought in, with Jesus as its king in his capital, Jerusalem? This parable takes up that issue and prepares the reader for the paradoxical way things will work out in Jerusalem. It warns against expecting too much too soon, but at the same time it warns against indifference. The king will return, and those who have disobeyed or opposed him will be the los…