John Calvin Commentary Luke 19:12

"He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country, to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return." — Luke 19:12 (ASV)

A certain nobleman. Matthew interweaves this parable with others, without paying attention to the order of time. However, since his intention in the twenty-second chapter was to make a collection of Christ’s latest discourses, readers should not trouble themselves greatly with inquiring which of them was delivered on the first, or the second, or the third day within that short period.

It is proper, however, to observe the difference between Matthew and Luke. While the former touches on only one point, the latter embraces two. The point common to both is that Christ resembles a nobleman who, undertaking a long journey for the sake of obtaining a kingdom, has entrusted his money to the management of his servants, and so on. The other point, peculiar to Luke, is that the subjects abused the absence of the prince and raised a tumult to shake off his yoke.

In both accounts, Christ intended to show that the disciples were greatly mistaken in supposing that His royal authority was already established and that He was coming to Jerusalem to immediately begin a course of prosperity. Thus, by taking away the expectation of an immediate kingdom, He exhorts them to hope and patience, for He tells them that they must long and steadily endure many trials before they enjoy that glory for which they yearn too earnestly.

Into a distant country. Since the disciples thought that Christ was now about to enter into the possession of His kingdom, He first corrects this mistake by informing them that He must undertake a long journey in order to obtain the kingdom.⁶⁸⁶ Regarding what is meant by the distant country, I leave it to the ingenious expositions of those who are fond of subtleties. For my own part, I think that Christ expresses nothing more than His long absence, which would extend from the time of His death to His final coming.

For, though He sits at the right hand of the Father and holds the government of heaven and earth, and though, from the time He ascended to heaven, all power was given to Him (Matthew 28:18), that every knee might bow before Him (Philippians 2:10); yet since He has not yet subdued His enemies—has not yet appeared as Judge of the world or revealed His majesty—it is appropriate that He is said to be absent from His people until He returns again, clothed with His new sovereignty.

It is true, indeed, that He now reigns: while He regenerates His people to the heavenly life, forms them anew to the image of God, and associates them with angels; while He governs the Church by His word, guards it by His protection, enriches it with the gifts of the Spirit, nourishes it by His grace, and maintains it by His power, and, in short, supplies it with all that is necessary for salvation; while He restrains the fury of Satan and of all the ungodly, and defeats all their schemes.

But since this way of reigning is concealed from the flesh, His manifestation is rightly said to be delayed until the last day. Therefore, because the apostles foolishly aimed at the shadow of a kingdom, our Lord declares that He must go to seek a distant kingdom, so that they may learn to endure delay.⁶⁸⁷

⁶⁸⁶ “Pour conquester ce royaurae;” — “to conquer this kingdom.’;” — “to conquer this kingdom.’

⁶⁸⁷ “Qu’ils apprenent de porter patiemment la longue attente;” — “that they may learn to endure patiently the long delay.”;” — “that they may learn to endure patiently the long delay.”