[19:14]
Another element of the first story regards the nobleman’s fellow citizens, who send a delegation as their representatives because they despised him and do not want him as their king. Josephus indicates that fifty ambassadors were sent from Judea to Rome to request that Archelaus not become king, because he had already killed three thousand Jews in quelling an uprising.21 In the parable, however, the citizens’ hatred of the nobleman is unwarranted (see Luke 6:22). Similarly, without having doing anything wrong, Jesus in Jerusalem will encounter those who do not want him as their king (23:2–3; see John 19:15).
[19:15]
The rest of the parable relates the conclusion of the stories introduced in Luke 19:12–14. Regarding the first story, the nobleman returns with the kingship. The historical background is similar. Caesar Augustus compromised by appointing Archelaus not king but ethnarch over half of Herod’s kingdom (Judea, Samaria, and Idumea), promising to make him king if he proved worthy.22 Since the nobleman is now king, he can more readily be understood to represent Jesus, who will be acclaimed as king in the following passage (19:38).
As for the second story, the servants are summoned to give an account of their trading, a subject that occupies the following eleven verses (vv. 16–26).
[19:16–19]
Coming forward, the servants fittingly address the king as sir or lord (kyrios; vv. 16, 18, 20), as does the whole group (v. 25). Significantly, both before and after the parable, Jesus is the one called Lord (kyrios; 19:8, 31, 34). Something similar occurred earlier with Jesus’ dialogue with Peter, inserted between short parables about a master and servants (12:35–48). This connection provides further support for understanding the king in the parable as a figure of Jesus.
The first and second servants report that the king’s gift of a mina has earned a profit of ten and five more minas, respectively. The king thus gives them charge of (literally, “authority over”) ten and five cities. They have been faithful or trustworthy in a relatively small matter, so the king entrusts them with a greater one, according to the principle of discipleship taught earlier (16:10). Not to be overlooked is the king’s generosity in rewarding his faithful servants. Disciples of Jesus who respond faithfully by exercising the gifts entrusted to them will be given further gifts—and the responsibilities that go along with them. For example, the apostles at the Last Supper are given a share in Jesus’ kingly authority (22:28–30), which they will then exercise over the new community of believers in Acts.
[19:20–21]
Only one other of the remaining servants is explicitly mentioned. This third servant simply returns the gold coin, having kept it stored safely in a handkerchief. Surprisingly, he explains his disobedience to the command to “engage in trade” (19:13) by blaming the king for being demanding and unfair (taking what he did not lay down and harvesting what he did not plant), which led him to be afraid. However, up to this point, there is no evidence that the king is so severe and unjust. On the contrary, he seems rather generous. Like the fellow citizens’ hatred of the king (v. 14), the servant’s complaint seems unwarranted. It is rather an excuse for his own failure to respond. He thus may represent those disciples who “fail to produce mature fruit” (8:14) in contrast to the first two servants who bore “fruit through perseverance” (8:15).
[19:22–26]
In contrast to the first “good servant” (19:17), this one is a wicked servant, whose words the king now uses against him. Surprisingly, he does not challenge the servant’s description of him, but rather takes it to its logical conclusion. Since the servant knew that the king was a demanding person, he should have at least put the money in a bank—literally, “the table” used by money changers (Mark 11:15)—so as to collect interest, which Jews could lawfully do from non-Jews (Deut 23:20–21). The king then orders that servant’s gold coin to be taken from him and, despite an objection, given to the one with ten. This action illustrates another principle of discipleship stated earlier (Luke 8:18): more will be given to those who have, while even the little of those who have not will be taken away. Of course, this kingdom logic refers not to material possessions but to God’s gifts of grace, which disciples should not receive in vain (1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 6:1), lest they risk losing those gifts. The third servant loses the mina given to him, but no further punishment is mentioned (compare Matt 25:30).
[19:27]
The parable concludes with a startling reference back to the first story: the king gives the command to summon the enemies who had opposed him (Luke 19:14) and slay them. Once again the scenario likely recalls the historical situation under Archelaus. After becoming ethnarch, he remembered who his enemies were and thus continued his barbarous ways before being deposed in AD 6.23 Since such words are what one would expect from a tyrant like Archelaus but not from Jesus, some scholars deny that the king in the parable represents Jesus in any way.24 Several points can be made in response. First, it is helpful to remember that this command occurs within the parable (12:46), and other parables also contain shocking characters who nonetheless are compared in some limited way to Jesus (e.g., the Son of Man appearing unexpectedly like a thief, 12:39–40) or to God (e.g., the unjust judge who hears the widow’s plea, 18:5). Second, the context of the journey to Jerusalem is a reminder that the king Jesus (19:38) is also different from the king in the parable, since Jesus is the one who is about to be slain. The background regarding Archelaus is thus sharply ironic: some people are rejecting the innocent Messiah as if he were like the wicked Archelaus!25 Third, as he approaches Jerusalem, Jesus will also weep for the city because of the judgment that will befall it for not recognizing God’s visitation in his coming (19:41–44). As the encounter with Zacchaeus demonstrated, Jesus has come offering salvation (19:9); however, the flip side is judgment for those who reject that offer. Consequently, the conclusion of the parable is a prophetic warning of the judgment that results from rejection of the king.
BIBLICAL BACKGROUND
Parables Revisited
One reason why Luke’s central section (9:51–19:44) is so long is that it contains so many parables. Parables have a different function than other kinds of passages.a In the parables, the action of the main story—for example, Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem—pauses as we hear not a story about Jesus (e.g., some miracle he performed) but a story that Jesus himself tells. In the parables, Luke in a sense allows Jesus to speak to his readers directly, teaching them and persuading them to follow him. Readers thus find themselves in the same situation as the characters in the Gospel who are “listening to him speak” (19:11). In other parts of the Gospel, readers are typically in a privileged position with respect to the characters; in other words, they know more. For example, when the shepherds hear the message of the angel regarding Jesus’ identity, readers are not surprised, because Luke has already told them what the angel Gabriel said to Mary. However, in the parables, which are stories within a story, readers to a large extent know just as much—or as little—as the characters in the Gospel. Indeed, Luke does not explain the parables’ surprising turns, thus allowing the readers to experience their shock effect. Parables therefore pose a challenge, inviting readers to reflect on their meaning, leading to growth in understanding and to a deeper commitment as disciples of Jesus.
a. For the ideas in this sidebar, see Aletti, L’art de raconter Jésus Christ, 150–53.
[19:28]
After finishing the parable, Jesus continues going up to Jerusalem. The parable is thus framed by references to the city at the beginning (v. 11) and at the end, also suggesting that the citizens (v. 14) who reject their king are precisely those of Jerusalem. That “king” is about to be identified as Jesus himself (19:38), whose imminent rejection will eventually lead to the city’s destruction.
The King on the Mount of Olives (19:29–40)
29As he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples. 30He said, “Go into the village opposite you, and as you ent
er it you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here. 31And if anyone should ask you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you will answer, ‘The Master has need of it.’” 32So those who had been sent went off and found everything just as he had told them. 33And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying this colt?” 34They answered, “The Master has need of it.” 35So they brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks over the colt, and helped Jesus to mount. 36As he rode along, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road; 37and now as he was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of his disciples began to praise God aloud with joy for all the mighty deeds they had seen. 38They proclaimed:
“Blessed is the king who comes
in the name of the Lord.
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest.”
39Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” 40He said in reply, “I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones will cry out!”
OT: 1 Kings 1:33; 2 Kings 9:13; Ps 118:26; Zech 9:9; 14:4
NT: Luke 2:13–14; 13:35; 22:8, 13. // Matt 21:1–9; Mark 11:1–10; John 12:12–19
Catechism: Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, 559–60
Lectionary: Luke 19:28–40: Palm Sunday Procession (Year C)
[19:29–31]
The road leading up to Jerusalem passed by Bethphage and Bethany, villages on the eastern slope of the north-south ridge called the Mount of Olives, with Jerusalem about two miles to the west. Bethany, known from John’s Gospel as the village of Martha and Mary (John 11:1; 12:1–3), is later the site of Jesus’ ascension (Luke 24:50; see Acts 1:12). Jesus also goes to Bethany at night during his Jerusalem ministry (Matt 21:17; Mark 11:11–12), although Luke more generally says the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37). On the night Jesus is betrayed, he also goes out to the Mount of Olives (22:39; Matt 26:30; Mark 14:26), specifically to a place on its western slope, the garden of Gethsemane (Matt 26:36; Mark 14:32; see John 18:1). In the Old Testament, the Mount of Olives appears in a prophecy: “the Lord will go forth and . . . on that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives” (Zech 14:3–4 NETS).26 Indeed, Jesus the Master, or rather “the Lord” (kyrios, repeated in Luke 19:34),27 is drawing near.
In order to prepare for his arrival, Jesus sends two of his disciples—as he does customarily (10:1; 22:8)—to a village. The two disciples’ task is to fetch a colt and bring it to him. The animal itself and the specification that no one has ever sat on it28 point to Jesus’ dignity as Jerusalem’s king:
Shout for joy, O daughter Jerusalem!
Behold: your king is coming to you,
a just savior is he,
Humble, and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zech 9:9)29
Since a king could expropriate animals to do his work (1 Sam 8:16), Jesus instructs the two to respond to anyone who questions why they are untying the colt by saying that the Master—that is, “the Lord” (kyrios)—needs it.
[19:32–34]
The two disciples find everything just as he had told them. The same will happen when Peter and John go to prepare the Passover (Luke 22:13). Jesus expresses awareness of how God’s plan must unfold not only through his passion predictions (18:31–33) but also in these details. The question about untying the colt as well as the answer rehearsed with Jesus (v. 31) are repeated in order to emphasize that Jesus is the Master—that is, “the Lord” (kyrios). The same title was also used twice in the encounter with Zacchaeus (19:8).
[19:35–36]
Also the way Jesus is treated emphasizes that he is king. For example, when David appointed Solomon to succeed him as king, he ordered his officials to “mount” him upon his own mule (1 Kings 1:33). Similarly, the disciples help Jesus to mount the colt. Also, when Elisha’s aide anointed Jehu as king over the northern kingdom of Israel, the army commanders spread their garments or cloaks under him (2 Kings 9:13 LXX). Here, they similarly threw their cloaks over the colt before Jesus mounted, and people likewise were spreading their cloaks on the road as Jesus rode along.
[19:37–38]
The repetition of the location, the Mount of Olives, begins the second part of the passage. Jesus is about to descend the mount’s western slope, and the response to him on this last bit of the journey sums up earlier reactions. Because of all the mighty deeds—like the healing of the blind man—that they have seen Jesus do, his disciples begin to praise God (Luke 18:43). They do so aloud, like the healed leper did (17:15), and filled with joy, like those who witnessed his miracles (13:17).
LIVING TRADITION
Liturgical Coming of the Lord
“Blessed is he / who comes in the name of the LORD” (Ps 118:26). At Mass, the chant “Holy, Holy, Holy” (Sanctus) sung at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer includes, since at least the sixth century,a these words of Psalm 118 that were addressed to Jesus as he approached Jerusalem (Luke 19:38; see 13:35; Catechism 559). Pope Benedict XVI explains the theological significance:
Just as the Lord entered the Holy City that day on a donkey, so too the Church saw him coming again and again in the humble form of bread and wine. The Church greets the Lord in the Holy Eucharist as the one who is coming now, the one who has entered into her midst. At the same time, she greets him as the one who continues to come, the one who leads us toward his coming. As pilgrims, we go up to him; as a pilgrim, he comes to us and takes us up with him in his “ascent” to the Cross and Resurrection, to the definitive Jerusalem.b
a. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 73.2, in Sermons, trans. Mary M. Mueller, 3 vols., FC 31 (Washington, DC: Catholic University of America Press, 1956–73), 1:343: “Shout with trembling and joy: ‘Holy, holy, holy, blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord’” (translation adapted).
b. Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week; From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection, trans. Philip J. Whitmore (San Francisco: Ignatius, 2011), 10–11.
Jesus is acclaimed with the words of a psalm “that was historically understood as featuring Israel’s king”:30 “Blessed is he / who comes in the name of the Lord” (quoting Ps 118:26). John had spoken about one who “is coming” (Luke 3:16; see 7:19–20), and Jesus had prophesied that Jerusalem would not see him until these very words were said (13:35). Now that time has arrived, as he comes into view of the city and everything is being fulfilled (18:31). Moreover, in the middle of this psalm verse are added here the words the king, the culminating title of the journey section. This proclamation complements Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah at the end of the Galilean ministry (9:20). Both are titles associated with King David: “the Messiah is the Son of David” (20:41) and “a king” (23:2). However, whereas David captured Jerusalem through war (2 Sam 5:6–8), Jesus comes offering peace (Luke 19:42).
Indeed, the whole multitude of disciples proclaims peace in heaven / and glory in the highest, echoing the “multitude of the heavenly host” who proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest / and on earth peace,” at Jesus’ birth (2:13–14), when he was similarly acclaimed as the Davidic and kingly “Messiah and Lord” (2:11).
[19:39–40]
Amid the acclamation of Jesus as king, some of the Pharisees—who are here explicitly mentioned for the last time in Luke—express their disapproval. Perhaps fearing Roman reprisal, they ask Jesus to rebuke his disciples. Earlier, some people had rebuked the blind man when he called Jesus by the kingly title, “Son of David” (Luke 18:38–39), and Jesus himself had commanded silence about his identity when Peter privately called him “Messiah” (9:20–21). Now, however, Jesus’ suffering, which has been repeatedly revealed (9:22, 44; 17:25; 18:31–33), is imminent, so it is proper to proclaim his kingship publicly. One can no longer keep silent, else even the stones themselves will cry out in witness. This saying recalls the “children of Abraham” whom God can raise up “from these stones” (3:8), people like the blind man who “cried out all the m
ore” (18:39 RSV) that Jesus is the kingly “Son of David.”
Weeping over Jerusalem, Jesus Predicts Its Destruction (19:41–44)
41As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, 42saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. 44They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
OT: Deut 29:3; Isa 6:9–10; 29:3; Ezek 4:1–3
NT: Luke 1:68, 78; 8:10; 13:34; 21:6, 20, 24; 23:28–30; Rom 11:8
Catechism: Jesus weeps over Jerusalem, 558
[19:41]
When this last phase of the journey began, Jesus predicted that he would be killed in Jerusalem (18:31–33). Correspondingly, as he approaches the end of the journey, he predicts Jerusalem’s destruction. Thus, when he saw the city as he came down the Mount of Olives, he wept over it. He weeps on account of the suffering the people will undergo. Thus, he will also later tell the women of Jerusalem to “weep . . . for yourselves and for your children” (23:28). His attitude is very different from that of the king in the parable (19:27).
Figure 16. Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives. [Silvano Kim]
[19:42]
The Gospel of Luke Page 44