^“Now Adonijah son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. ⁶ His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. ⁷ He conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with the priest Abiathar, and they supported Adonijah. ⁸ But the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the prophet Nathan, and Shimei, and Rei, and David’s own warriors did not side with Adonijah. ⁹ Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fatted cattle by the stone Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, ¹⁰ but he did not invite the prophet Nathan or Benaiah or the warriors or his brother Solomon. ¹¹ Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king and our lord David does not know it? ¹² Now therefore come, let me give you advice, so that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³ Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying: Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne? Why then is Adonijah king?’ ¹⁴ Then while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.” 1 Kings 1:5-14

Solomon is appointed by David to be king, appointed over his brother Adonijah, for no apparent reason, just like Adonijah appoints or “exalts” himself over others to become king. Adonijah is the only living son of the first four sons born to David, and so assumes that the kingship is rightly his – and so he acts on his own account, even before David is dead. Solomon is appointed by others, and remains a passive figure appearing to have the will of G-d on his side. But, this is the way that the bible works things out. No matter how humans scheme, G-d’s will is worked out, often to our and their surprise. Recall these stories: Joseph is sold into slavery by his own family; Abraham is told to kill his only son, the one through whom the promise of generations were to come; a shepherd boy kills a giant; G-d’s son is put on a cross. No matter what we might think, G-d will do as G-d will do – we just need to hang on for the ride.

Pastor Dave

¹¹ As they were listening to this, he went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the kingdom of God was to appear immediately. ¹² So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. ¹³ He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds,^[a] and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ ¹⁴ But the citizens of his country hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned, having received royal power, he ordered these slaves, to whom he had given the money, to be summoned so that he might find out what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds.’ ¹⁷ He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’ ¹⁸ Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ ¹⁹ He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ ²⁰ Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, ²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are a harsh man; you take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ‘I will judge you by your own words, you wicked slave! You knew, did you, that I was a harsh man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ ²⁴ He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ ²⁵ (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ²⁶ ‘I tell you, to all those who have, more will be given; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ²⁷ But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here and slaughter them in my presence.’” Luke 19:11-27

The parable of the Ten Pounds is one that sounds familiar. It is also a parable that has some difficulties to it. What are we to make of the saying, “to all those who have, more will be given?” What are we to make of the saying, “from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away?”  This is a parable about good stewardship. If it is a stewardship story about money, it is difficult for us to understand, in light of the number of poor and homeless in our society.  If it is about the stewardship of G-d’s love, mercy and grace, and the caring for and the growing of G-d’s love, mercy and grace, then the story is better for us to consider. For those who have experienced the depth of G-d’s love know that there is no limit to that love, mercy and grace.  

But, all in all, we should also remember that we should stand in solidarity with the people who complain, “Lord, he has ten pounds.”  Why do I say that? There are plenty of injustices happening throughout our world – in the unequal distribution of wealth, food and other resources. If we do not stand up and say “enough is enough”, then who will?

Pastor Dave