“Slay Them Before Me” (Luke 19:1-27)

“Bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me” (vs27).

The Lord Jesus is the King, and all must bow to Him eventually, even those who hated Him on earth. He rewards us according to labor, for if we serve Him faithfully, then we enter a paradise far and beyond what our labors would dictate. But, if we refuse Him, then we'll be cast into outer darkness and punished. He says, “slay them before me”.

First, the Lord saves sinners (Luke 19:1-10). We read, “But when they saw it, they all murmured, saying, He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner... for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost”. Zacchaeus, like all who are saved, was “lost”. He had sinned and sinned, rebelled against God, and hurt his fellow man. But, when the Son of God passed by and saw him, He called Zacchaeus down, gave him eternal life, and entered into his fellowship, forever.

Others were angry, but they didn't know that Christ came to save sinners, and only sinners receive Him.

Secondly, the Lord is returning, but it isn't immediate (Luke 19:11-15). He says, “A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten monies, and said to them, Do business till I come... And so it was that when he returned, having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading”. Two of these servants labored in expectation, and so do we. We labor now, knowing the payoff is at the end. We read, “And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities”. If our hope is in this life only, then we're fools and miserable idiots. But, if the Lord shall reward us on His return, then we PREPARE wisely, planning ahead. We are taught by God to use the gospel for God's glory, to live by it, preach it, and make Christ all.

I cannot say that differing degrees of reward are proved here. We do read, “And the second came, saying, Master your money has earned five monies. Likewise he said to him, You also be over five cities”. Nothing else in the bible is clear about one saint being rewarded above another (Matt 13:43). But, if election has given a measure of grace on earth correspondent to the measure of grace in heaven, then God is righteous. Either way, for our best life now, if not later, let us live wholeheartedly in expectation of reward.

Thirdly, those who will not believe, must be punished (Luke 19:20-27). He says, “bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before me”. It is not possible that those who live in the pleasure of sin, and HAVE NOT served the Lord, would enjoy the same peace as those that did. There will be a great slaughter, and those who should have heaven, will have hell is the reward of unbelief and sin.

Finally, choose wisely. What are you preparing for? Like Zacchaeus, you may have lived in sin, but the Son calls you now to receive Him.