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Luke 19:11-27 – Yes We’re Open
“Sorry, We’re Closed;” “Sale;” “New Store Hours” – these are commonly placed signs in windows of businesses.
Some signs express hope, “Under New Management.” Others, the demise of hope – “Going Out of Business.” As an aside, I heard of one store whose going out of business sale was so successful he decided to have one every weekend!
What is the saddest store window sign? To me, the most pitiful sign is, “Yes, We’re Open.” To me, this is paramount to commercialized, down-on their-knees begging. They might as well be completely honest and say, “Please, Won’t Someone Come In and Buy Something…Please?!
Think, have you ever seen a McDonald’s resort to begging for customers by using this sign? No, they don’t need to remind people “Yes, We’re Open.” They are too busy for such pitiful pleas.
What is an establishment really advertising by proclaiming, “Yes, We’re Open?” Very publicly, it tacitly admits no one knows they’re open! Hence the sign! And even when there is contruction impeding the entrance – and a sign encourages people to somehow get through the mess because “Yes, We’re Open?” – the message is still the same. People don’t know they are open for business. There is something “advertising” a negative appearance, and usually it is an empty parking lot.
What about congregations? Should some advertise, “Yes, We’re Open?” I know we have a sign out front advertising our meeting times. Sometimes I wonder if we need to put another sign reading, “Yes, We’re Open,” so that some of our own members will remember to attend. But if you think about, the sign is not there for Christians anyway. Its for those who are outside of this local church of Jesus Christ.
A Christian spoke to a neighbor located near a church building. This non-Christian neighbor didn’t even know there was a congregation in the neighborhood. Whose fault was that?! She didn’t know, “Yes, We’re Open!”
Now we can’t remedy that through carnal attractions, but there are other ways. Walk-arounds is a good advertisement. Having a sign that actually grabs people’s attention is also good advertisement. Again, the sign is not there for Christians anyway. It is to inform the public. I knew of a congregation whose sign was uuuggglllyyy. And by ugly I mean it leaned one direction, and the paint was peeling. It made one wonder if the church was open for business! Think—would you go into a restaurant with a sign like that?
What about individual Christians? Do people know we are open for business? Are we letting our “light shine” (Matthew 5:16)? Afterall, having the lights on in a business is usually a hint that they are open for business. Our character is our light.
Overseers must be open for business also. After we appoint elders, go to them. They are open for business (Hebrews 13:7; James 5:14).
Parents, do our children know we are open for business? Is our time filled with bringing them up in the “discipline and instruction of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4)? Time, yes it takes time to be open for business (Ephesians 5:16).
Husbands, when is the last time we took time for our wife to nourish and cherish her (Ephesians 5:29)? Pardon the gruffness of my illustration, but a good business owner keeps the employees happy! And yes…I know a wife isn’t an employee, but you get the point!
Let’s not forget you wives! Do your husbands know how much you respect them (Ephesians 5:33)? That even includes when they are honestly mistaken. That’s your job! Are you busy in the business of a wife or are you a busybody in other people’s business (1 Timothy 5:13).
Luke 19:11-27 NASB While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. (12) So He said, “A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. (13) “And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.‘ (14) “But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ (15) “When he returned, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done. (16) “The first appeared, saying, ‘Master, your mina has made ten minas more.’ (17) “And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave, because you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.’ (18) “The second came, saying, ‘Your mina, master, has made five minas.’ (19) “And he said to him also, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ (20) “Another came, saying, ‘Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief; (21) for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.’ (22) “He *said to him, ‘By your own words I will judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not sow? (23) ‘Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come, I would have collected it with interest?’ (24) “Then he said to the bystanders, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ (25) “And they said to him, ‘Master, he has ten minas already.‘ (26) “I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. (27) “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”
Not only must we be open for business, we must be so open, so busy, everybody already knows, “Yes, We’re Open!”
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