Let me remind you of the passage we have been looking into. Luke 19:11-13, “And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was nigh to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. 12 He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. 13 And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.”
Second, the present position of Jesus Christ is …. It could be understood in light of this passage. Jesus says of a parable in verse 12, “… A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” (1) Like the noble man, the Lord Jesus is gone into a far country. We all know that Jesus has His spiritual kingdom. He is King over the hearts of His believing people, and they are all His subjects. He is the King of kings. “By Him all things consist,” and nothing can happen without His permission. However, it is not the only kingdom He has. His real, literal, visible, and complete kingdom has not been revealed yet. Hebrews 2:8 says, “Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” Know “now we see not yet all things put under him.” If we use a different expression, it is what Psalm 110:1 says, “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.”
(2) The devil is the prince of this world now. John 14:30 says, “Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.” Sadly, the majority of the populace of the earth choose the things that please the devil far more than the things that please God. Little as they think it, they are doing the devil’s will, behaving as the devil’s subjects, and serving the devil far more than Christ. Settle it down in your mind that Christ’s kingdom is yet to come. The day of His power has not yet begun. He is gathering out a people to carry the cross and walk in His steps, but the time of His coronation has not yet arrived. But just as the Lord Jesus, like the nobleman, “went to receive a kingdom,” so, like the nobleman, the Lord Jesus intends one day “to return.” The words of the angels in Acts 1:11 shall have a complete fulfillment: “Which [the angels] also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” As His going away was a real literal going away, so His return shall be a real literal return. Then, He intends to cast out that old usurper the devil, to bind him for a thousand years, and strip him of his power as Revelation 20:1 says, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”
Third, if Christ is gone now but will return someday, then what is the present duty of all of His followers? This is a very important question that demands answers. What is our duty between the period of Christ’s first and second comings? The answer is found in verse 3 of that parable, “And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.” “Occupy Till I Come.” These words must be heard by all who profess and call themselves Christians. (1) Jesus bids us to “occupy.” By that He means that we are to be “a doer” in our Christianity, not merely a hearer. He wants His servants not only to receive His wages, eat His bread, and dwell in His house, but also to do His work. We are to shine our light before men so that they may see our good works (Matthew 5:16). Our faith should not be a dead one, but it must “work by love” (Galatians 5:6). We are redeemed so that we may be “a peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Titus 2:14). Remember the charge, “occupy.” Beware of an idle, talking, gossiping, sentimental, doing nothing religion.
(2) Jesus bids us to “occupy” what? As a noble man gave different amounts of pounds to his servants, the Lord has given each one of His people some opportunity of glorifying Him. Everyone has got his own sphere - the poorest as well as the richest. Our bodily health and strength, our mental gifts and capacities, our money and our earthly possessions, our rank and position in life, our example and influence with others, our liberty to read the Bible and hear the Gospel, our plentiful supply of means of grace – all these are our “pounds.” All these are to be used and employed with a continual reference to the glory of Christ. “Of Him come riches and honour” (2 Chronicles 29:12). “His is the silver, and his is the gold “ (Haggai 2:8). “His is your body and his is your spirit” (1 Corinthians 6:20). “He appoints your habitation. He gives you life and breath” (Acts 17:25-26). We are not our own. We are bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:20). We ought to take heed that we do not bury our pound!
(3) Jesus bids us to “occupy till He comes.” We are to do His work on earth, like one who continually looks for His return. We are to be like the faithful servant, who knows not what hour his master may come home but keeps all things in readiness and is always prepared. We are to be like one who knows that Christ’s coming is the great reckoning day and to be ready to render up our account at any moment. The greatest and the richest of mankind is only God’s tenant-at-will. We are to rise and go forth in the morning, ready, if need be, to meet Christ at noon. We are to lie down in bed at night, ready, if need be, to be awakened by the midnight cry, “Behold the Bridegroom cometh.” We are to keep our spiritual accounts in a state of constant preparation, like one who never knows how soon they may be called for. We are to measure all our ways by the measure of Christ’s appearing and not to do anything in which we would not like Jesus to find us engaged.
This beautiful truth could be a condemning word to thousands of professing Christians. It is because their daily walk and conversation show only utter absence of preparations. They are unfit to meet Christ. They know nothing of occupying the gifts of God as loans for which they must give account. They show not the slightest desire to glorify Him with “body and spirit which are His.”

At the same time, this same truth is a word of encouragement to all who seek first the kingdom of God and love the Lord Christ in sincerity. This truth exhorts us to strive more and more to be a “doing” Christian (James 1:22). Labour more and more to show forth the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into marvellous light. Improve every talent which the Lord Jesus has committed to our charge to the setting forth of His glory. Let our walk declare plainly that we seek the heavenly city. Let our conformity to the mind of Christ be unquestionable and unmistakable. Let our holiness be a clear plain fact which even the worst enemies of the Gospel cannot deny.
Lovingly,
Pastor Emeritus Rev Timothy Ki

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