Luke 19:11 11And as they heard these things, going on he told a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. 12He said therefore, “A certain man born noble went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and return.
The next parable is given in response to Zacchaeus’ repentance and confession. The audience is unclear, with the closest reference being the crowd in verse 3, but Luke often leaves the audience as vague; he seems more concerned about the teaching and those who were saved than those who were mere bystanders. However, if the crowd is intended, it included the disciples, Zacchaeus, and the people who had followed Jesus along the road. Because Luke mentions Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, the implication is that Jesus intended the parable for disciples.
The more specific issue was the misunderstanding people (most likely the disciples) had about the core message Jesus had been preaching about the kingdom of God. They thought about the kingdom in earthly terms and that Jesus would re-establish the power of Israel as a nation (see Acts 1:6). This parable concludes the travel narrative begun in 9:51 and prepared for the triumphal entry, which comes next.
This story is an allegory and has an eschatological theme about a nobleman who went away for a time. This man is a clear reference to Jesus, who would also soon go away. The parable gives a sense of expectation of Jesus’ coming again and what his followers should do between now and then. The main character is described as a man of noble birth, royalty who had inherited a faraway kingdom. The kingdom is not described in detail but is related to the royal position and reign of the nobleman. A clue to the meaning of the parable is that the nobleman would return after he had received the honor of his kingdom. Many people try to figure out Jesus’ return and get confused by preachers and teachers who make certain claims that turn out to be false. Jesus’ coming will be obvious. His kingdom has already infiltrated the darkness of the world and is obvious to those with faith.
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