S.M. Lockridge - Occupy Until He Comes (Sermon Jam)

“And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy until I come.” (Luke 19:13) This passage gives us the purpose for the parable. Apparently the apostles and other disciples felt that Jesus Christ was going to set up His kingdom at this time as He went close to the city of Jerusalem. Verse eleven tells us that they thought that the kingdom of God would immediately appear. They believed that Christ was going to literally and actually set up His millennial kingdom, or physical rule on earth, right at this very time in His ministry. Obviously, this was a mistaken concept. They did not understand what he was doing or His immediate purposes, nor did they understand fully His plan of the ages. Christ knew that they were confused as to what God was doing next, and consequently, He gave them this parable to clarify God’s actions in their minds. By use of the parable, He explains to them that He is going away and that while He is gone, He has called His servants and delivered them authority to take care of that business of His which remains on earth. It is at this point that He says, “Occupy until I come.” It is obvious that this is a very important statement of the purposes of God’s Church on earth while He is gone to Heaven, for He reiterates the theme of this parable in numerous other parables in His teachings.