“The king was told, “Here is the prophet Nathan.” When he came in before the king, he did obeisance to the king, with his face to the ground. Nathan said, “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne’? For today he has gone down and has sacrificed oxen, fatted cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s children, Joab the commander^[a] of the army, and the priest Abiathar, who are now eating and drinking before him, and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ But he did not invite me, your servant, and the priest Zadok, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon. Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not let your servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” King David answered, “Summon Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king. The king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has saved my life from every adversity, as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Your son Solomon shall succeed me as king, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so will I do this day.” Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground, and did obeisance to the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!” 1 kings 1:23-31

“There are men in the world who derive as stern an exaltation from the proximity of disaster and ruin, as others from success.”  (Winston S. Churchill)

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, remains a passive figure, and appears to have the will of G-d on his side.  

This is the way that the bible works things out — no matter how we humans scheme, G-d’s will is worked out, maybe not at first, but often to our and their surprise. Joseph is sold into slavery by his own family, but he comes to help rule Egypt and saves the Israelites; Abraham is told to kill his only son, but an angel intervenes; a shepherd boy kills a giant, while bigger and more talented men hide in terror; G-d’s son is put on a cross, and comes to save us all.

Pastor Dave

“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. So he said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to get royal power for himself and then return. He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’ 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.’ 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. The first came forward and said, ‘Lord, your pound has made ten more pounds. ’He said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been trustworthy in a very small thing, take charge of ten cities.’ Then the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your pound has made five pounds.’ He said to him, ‘And you, rule over five cities.’ Then the other came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your pound. I wrapped it up in a piece of cloth, 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.’ 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? Why then did you not put my money into the bank? Then when I returned, I could have collected it with interest.’ He said to the bystanders, ‘Take the pound from him and give it to the one who has ten pounds.’ (And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds!’) ‘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. But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them here….’” Luke 19:11-27

The parable of the Ten Pounds is one that sounds familiar. This is after all, a parable about good stewardship. We know that if we invest our money or invest our time in practice or ministry, they we will see returns. But this 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?” 

If this story is truly a parable about stewardship, about money, it is difficult for us to understand in light of the poor and oppressed of our society. We know all too well the injustice that is happening throughout our world – how goods and needed resources are not equally distributed across the very poor regions of our earth. But if it is about the stewardship of G-d’s love, mercy and grace, and the caring for and the sharing of G-d’s love, mercy and grace, then the story is easier for us to consider. But all in all, we should stand in solidarity with the people of our neighborhood and world who are in need both of goods and resources and G-d’s love, mercy and grace.

Pastor Dave