Judged Out of Your Own Mouth - Luke 19:22

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. And as they heard these things, he added and spake a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they thought that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return. And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us. And it came to pass, that when he was returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading. Then came the first, saying, Lord, your pound has gained ten pounds. And he said unto him, Well, you good servant: because you have been faithful in a very little, have you authority over ten cities. And the second came, saying, Lord, your pound has gained five pounds. And he said likewise to him, Be you also over five cities. And another came, saying, Lord, behold, here is your pound, which I have kept laid up in a napkin: For I feared you, because you are an austere man: you take up that you laid not down, and reap that you did not sow”, and in chapter nineteen and verse twenty-two of his book Luke shared how Jesus said the nobleman told the third servant, “out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant” where we read:

And he said unto him, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant. You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:

The verse reads, “And he said unto him, Out of your own mouth will I judge you, you wicked servant.” Luke began with the words, “and he said unto him” or “and the nobleman uttered, declared and proclaimed to the third servant”, “out of your own mouth” which means “from your, the servant's, own orifice in his face used for eating, drinking and speaking” “will I judge you” or “shall I, the nobleman, pronounce an opinion concerning right and wrong upon the servant”, “you wicked servant” which means “you annoying, bad natured, blind and evil man of servile condition, slave or bondman”. Luke shared how Jesus said the nobleman told this “evil and blind” servant that he would have “judgment” brought upon him from the servant's own words.

The verse continues, “You knew that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow:” Luke added the words, “you knew” or “you, the servant, understood, perceived, noticed and discerned” “that I was an austere man” which means “that I, the nobleman, was a male human being who is rough, rigid and harsh of mind and manners”, “taking up that I laid not down” or “raising up and elevating from the ground what I had not set, put, established or ordained”, “and reaping” which means “and harvesting or cutting down crops with a sickle” “that I did not sow” or “that I, the nobleman, did not scatter or plant in the ground”. Luke shared how Jesus said the nobleman reiterated the words of the servant who knew he was “austere” and gathered things he did not set in place and harvested in places he did not plant.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn how this servant basically set forth his own judgment because he knew the nature and character of the nobleman. Many people understand God to be the same as this nobleman, and some of them know Him. Even though God has given His Son Jesus to be the “Savior and Lord” of the world, many reject and refuse to receive Him or to acknowledge the source of their gifts. We shall discover more about this servant's judgment in our next verse, but in the mean time, let us examine ourselves to be certain that we not only know what God is like, but also that we are responding to Him in a manner that is pleasing to Him.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says the nobleman asked the third servant, “wherefore then gave not you my money into the bank?”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".