Question About Luke 19:27

[xSilverPhinx]

The bible says that Jesus said: But those mine enemies, [i]which would not that I should reign over them[/i], bring hither, and slay [them] before me.

So...what is this exactly? What about "thou shalt not kill"?

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And why don't you kill atheists and people of other religions if the bible says you should?

Edited August 17, 2011 by Lil Red

[Theoketos]

Good Question! I believe this parable has an eschatological emphasis. That is, it speaks to what will happen at the end of time (the Eschaton). And so the moral meaning is that if we do not follow God's commands eternal death awaits us. The moral lesson here is not to kill our enemies. Although this parable does speak to the legitimacy of self defense even to the point of lethal force.

One of the Patristics, Theophylus, has this to say about the parable.

[quote] For seeing that he gained ten, by multiplying his pound tenfold, it is plain that by having more to multiply, he would be an occasion of greater gain to his Lord. But of the slothful and idle, who stirs not himself to increase what he has received, shall be taken away even that which he possesses, that there may be no gap in the Lord's account when it is given to others and multiplied. But this is not to be applied only to the words of God and teaching, but also to the moral virtues; for in respect of these also, God sends us His gracious gifts, endowing one man with fasting, another with prayer, another with mildness or humility; but all these so long as we watch strictly over ourselves we shall multiply, but if we grow cold we shall extinguish. He adds of His adversaries, But those mine enemies who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither, and slay them before me.[/quote]

Also, so that you may understand Scripture easer, I think it would be helpful for you to read the following from the Catechism

[quote]115 According to an ancient tradition, one can distinguish between two senses of Scripture: the literal and the spiritual, the latter being subdivided into the allegorical, moral and anagogical senses. The profound concordance of the four senses guarantees all its richness to the living reading of Scripture in the Church.

116 The literal sense is the meaning conveyed by the words of Scripture and discovered by exegesis, following the rules of sound interpretation: "All other senses of Sacred Scripture are based on the literal."83

117 The spiritual sense. Thanks to the unity of God's plan, not only the text of Scripture but also the realities and events about which it speaks can be signs.

1. The allegorical sense. We can acquire a more profound understanding of events by recognizing their significance in Christ; thus the crossing of the Red Sea is a sign or type of Christ's victory and also of Christian Baptism.84

2. The moral sense. The events reported in Scripture ought to lead us to act justly. As St. Paul says, they were written "for our instruction".85

3. The anagogical sense (Greek: anagoge, "leading"). We can view realities and events in terms of their eternal significance, leading us toward our true homeland: thus the Church on earth is a sign of the heavenly Jerusalem.86

118 A medieval couplet summarizes the significance of the four senses:

The Letter speaks of deeds; Allegory to faith;
The Moral how to act; Anagogy our destiny.87[/quote]

Let me know if you need more help.