Don't Waste Your Life

It has been said that “Disappointment is the gap between expectation and reality.” When we have a particular vision in mind for how things ought to go it often makes it impossible to be satisfied when it doesn’t come to exact fruition. Sometimes our expectations are simply unattainable; other times they are just flat wrong. As Jesus nears the final week of his life and prepares to march into Jerusalem, he issues a severe and challenging parable to the increasingly excited but misguided crowd. No matter how many times Jesus had taught and insisted that the Kingdom of God would not fit their preconceived notions they were still unable to shake their paradigm.

This passage is meant to warn us against rejecting the kingship of Jesus and being unfaithful while he is away. To love and submit to the king is to seek to be productive (V13 - “Engage in business”) until he comes. Though the consequences for the unfaithful are severe, the return to the faithful is wildly generous and abundant. If we grasp the glory of the Cross, we will gladly live for the king and gain the the long-term vision to be productive and not waste our lives.