Today we read some powerful parables about being ready for Jesus’ return and about how our attitudes and actions should be.

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE TEN BRIDESMAIDS / 25:1-13 

Jesus told the following parables to clarify further what it means to be spiritually vigilant—ready for his return and how to live until he comes. The ten bridesmaids (25:1-13) teach that every person is responsible for his or her own spiritual condition. The story of the talents (25:14-30) shows the necessity of using well what God has entrusted to us. The parable of the sheep and goats (25:31-46) stresses the importance of serving others in need. No parable by itself completely describes our preparation. Instead, each presents one part of the whole picture.

25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.”^NRSV The word “then” reminds us that this parable ties in with Jesus’ words about his return (see chapter 24). This parable about a wedding describes the need for readiness for the kingdom and explains that some will be included while others will not. Wedding customs differed from village to village in ancient Israel, but all weddings included the processional of the bridegroom to the bride’s family home.

The wedding day would be spent in dancing and celebrating, concluding with the wedding feast at dusk. The bride would be accompanied with torches to the bridegroom’s house for this feast. These ten bridesmaids (also called “virgins” because they were unmarried) were going out to meet the bridegroom, who was coming to the bride’s home to join the procession back to his house for the ceremony and the wedding banquet. This happened after dark, and in villages and towns without streetlights, these torches lit the way (the Greek word translated “lamps” means torches, not lanterns). Everyone was required to carry his or her own “lamp”; those who didn’t have one were considered party crashers—those who had not been invited.

25:2-4 “Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.”^NRSV The foolish bridesmaids were unprepared; they took no oil with them. If their lamps burned out, they would be unable to light them again. The wise bridesmaids had brought along flasks of oil, so they were prepared to relight their lamps if necessary. As with any parable, the details ought not to be pressed. For example, that there were five wise bridesmaids and five foolish ones does not mean that half the world will be saved. The parable simply establishes two categories, for there will be only two—those who believe and receive the king, and those who do not.

25:5-7 “The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.”^NIV During the long wait, the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep. Again this need not be taken as an allegory; their sleep was not condemned, because both the wise and the foolish slept. “Sleep” simply illustrates the long time they waited for the bridegroom. The second coming of Jesus will be delayed, as Jesus has already alluded to many times. It will be a longer wait than anyone (especially Jesus’ first disciples) expected. The difference was that one group had made preparations early; the other group waited until the last minute, and then it was too late.

Finally at midnight, the bridegroom arrived. Everyone woke up and trimmed their lamps in anticipation of the procession. (The word translated “trimmed their lamps,” kosmeo, means “put in order” and could refer to preparing their torches, which were usually made with rags soaked in oil.)

25:8-9 “The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.'”^NRSV The foolish bridesmaids realized that their torches were burning low (going out) and that they would need more oil to raise the flame higher. But the wise bridesmaids explained that they didn’t have enough to share. This was not selfishness, but rather the realization that if they shared their little oil, then all the torches would burn low and there would not be enough light for the wedding procession. They needed all their oil to make their torches burn brightly enough. The suggestion to go to the dealers and buy some at midnight was not that unusual. A wedding procession, especially in the small villages of Israel, might cause the whole town to be up and about. The foolish women were able to buy oil at this late hour. However, Jesus’ focus was on their unpreparedness and on engaging in secular pursuits at the moment of spiritual need. When Jesus returns to take his people to heaven, we must be ready. Spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute. No one can rely on anyone else. Our relationship with God must be our own.

25:10-12 “And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.”^NRSV While the foolish bridesmaids were off trying to get ready for the bridegroom’s arrival, he came. Everyone proceeded on to the wedding banquet. The central focus of the parable lies in the words “and the door was shut.” Jesus’ point again is that to not be ready at the right time means to miss out completely. Jesus explained, “Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'”^NRSV There is a finality to the shutting of that door. Those outside will not have another chance to be let in. To have been “part of the party” will not be enough. Unless correct preparations are made, some will still lose out.

25:13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”^NIV Jesus concluded with the application that his true followers must keep watch and be ready because he will return when they will least expect it. God may delay his return longer than we might prefer or expect. We must be prepared for such a delay—counting the cost of discipleship and persevering faithfully until he returns. Those who are unfaithful must realize that neglecting Christ’s invitation may lead to irreversible consequences and the time of opportunity to believe may pass. In the following parable, Jesus described how we are to “keep watch.”

JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE LOANED MONEY / 25:14-30 

The following parable explains how Jesus’ followers are to “keep watch” (25:13) during their wait for his return. While the previous parable about the wise and foolish bridesmaids stressed readiness, this parable focused on using the waiting time well.

25:14-15 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.”^NIV The man going on a journey was obviously wealthy enough to have servants and to have an amount of money that he wanted invested and multiplied while he was gone. He would be gone a long time (25:19) and did not want his assets to lie fallow during his absence. He was characterized as a “harsh man” (25:24 nrsv).

The master divided the money (talents) among his servants according to their abilities. While the English word “talent” has come to mean a natural ability, the Greek word talanton simply means a sum of money. Each of three servants received different amounts of money according to his ability. The first received five talents of money (over twelve thousand dollars), the second two talents, and the last one talent. No one received more or less than he could handle. Obviously the master knew his servants well, for the one entrusted with the least was the one who let him down. The different sums of money point out how God recognizes each person as a unique individual with varied circumstances and personality. What he “gives” to each person is exactly what that person can handle. For these servants, if any of them failed in the assignment, his excuse could not be that he was overwhelmed. We can only speculate why the servant with one talent failed in his responsibility. He could have been lazy, borne hatred toward his master, made a stupid decision, lacked self-confidence, or even simply procrastinated. The talents represent any kind of resource that believers are given. God gives us time, abilities, and other resources according to our abilities, and he expects us to invest them wisely until he returns.

25:16-18 “The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.”^NRSV These “servants” may have been professional people who were either allowed to engage in business, paying a fixed amount to their master, or to “trade” (engage in business) on his behalf and share the profits with him. Many slaves earned their freedom this way, saving their share in order to buy their freedom.

The first two servants doubled the money the master had given them. But the third servant went off and dug a hole . . . and hid his master’s money. This would not have seemed unusual to Jesus’ listeners, for in the ancient world, it was not an uncommon way to safeguard one’s valuables (see 13:44). We do not know why he did it; he could have been lazy or afraid.

25:19-21 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.'”^NRSV The master returned after a long time (again Jesus was making it clear that his return would not be immediate) and settled accounts with them. The “settled accounts” indicates that the master had expected his servants to make money with his money. This first slave brought the ten talents, and his master was pleased with his efforts and with the profit. “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'”^NIV The reward for the servant’s fulfilling his responsibilities and faithfulness is even greater responsibility. In addition, the master’s happiness points to the eternal rewards of heaven (see John 15:11).

25:22-23 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!'”^NIV The second servant had also faithfully fulfilled his responsibility. He had been given less money, but he had done everything he could and brought the four talents to the master. Because he had faithfully discharged his responsibility, even though he had less than the first servant, he received the same reward, commendation, and privileges.

We are responsible to use well what God has given us. The issue is not how much we have but how well we use what we have. Each believer should faithfully carry out the duties entrusted to him or her by God and multiply his or her God-given “talents” for the sake of the kingdom.

25:24-25 “Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.'”^NRSV Since this is a story, we can only speculate how this last servant reasoned. All we know is that he was afraid. Perhaps this last man was thinking only of himself. He hoped to play it safe and protect himself from his hard master, but he had accomplished nothing for him. His words to the master reveal a self-centered character. He accused his master of being harsh and exploiting the labors of others (reaping and gathering where he did not sow or scatter). His accusation was an attempt to cover up his own irresponsibility. He knew that if he were to lose the one talent, he would be punished. He may also have been so afraid that he decided to do nothing with it at all.

The servant made excuses instead of realizing that, from the start, his responsibility was to serve his master to the best of his ability. To refuse to serve reveals a lack of love and little desire to accomplish anything for the master. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. God truly is our Master, so we must obey him. Our time, abilities, and money aren’t really ours; we are caretakers, not owners. When we ignore, squander, or abuse what we have been given, we are rebellious and deserve to be punished.

25:26-27 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.'”^NIV Using the servant’s own words, the master pointed out that he had every right to harvest and gather even if he had not sown or scattered. He also had every right to require that his servants fulfill their responsibilities. He had not expected much of this servant in the first place; that’s why the servant received so little. So even putting the money in the bank to earn interest would have been enough. Yet the wicked, lazy servant had not even done that.

25:28-29 “‘So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.'”^NKJV The master severed his relationship with this servant, took away his talent, and gave it to the one who had earned the ten talents. Jesus had already taught the concept of to everyone who has, more will be given in 13:12. This parable describes the consequences of two attitudes regarding Christ’s return. The person who diligently prepares for it by investing his or her time and talent to serve God will be rewarded. The person who has no heart for the work of the kingdom will be punished. God rewards faithfulness. Those who bear no fruit for God’s kingdom cannot expect to be treated the same as those who are faithful.

25:30 “‘And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'”^NIV To fail to do good with what God has entrusted to us, to fail to use it to increase his kingdom, is a grievous sin that will receive severe punishment—for it means that one never knew or loved the Master. The outside, darkness, and weeping and gnashing of teeth picture hell (see 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51).

Watching and waiting for the kingdom means being prepared. Being prepared means making ready for it by increasing the glory of God in this world through good deeds. Good deeds are best performed through the talents God has given us and should be done to the best of our ability.

JESUS TELLS ABOUT THE FINAL JUDGMENT/ 25:31-46 

This so-called “parable of the sheep and goats” is not truly a parable but a metaphor around which Jesus builds his message of judgment and salvation.

25:31-33 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.”^NIV This verse pictures Jesus when he will return, not as the humble carpenter from Nazareth but in his glory. The sight will be spectacular when the angels accompany the Son and we see him on his throne in heavenly glory (see also 16:27-28; 24:30-31; Zechariah 14:5). He will come as Judge, for “all the nations will be gathered before him.” This fulfills Psalm 110:1, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet'” (niv). Jesus had quoted from this psalm in 22:41-45, applying the words to himself. Paul later wrote, “For all of us must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil” (2 Corinthians 5:10 nrsv).

“And he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.”^NRSV Jesus used sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. Sheep and goats often grazed together but were separated at night because the goats needed a warm shelter at night (their coats are not nearly as thick) while sheep preferred open air.

In the parable of the wheat and the weeds (13:24-30), Jesus had talked about a final separation at the Last Judgment. The sheep and goats grazed together; the wheat and weeds grew together. At the end, however, Jesus, the Judge, will separate people one from another. While all “nations” are before him, he will separate individuals, for each individual is responsible for his or her own salvation (as seen in the parable of the bridesmaids, 25:1-13). This “separation” became a picture for the Last Judgment. The gathering and separating, part of the shepherd’s duties, further united the concept of the Son of Man as both Shepherd and Judge. (See also Ezekiel 34:17-23.)

25:34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'”^NIV The “sheep” were at the king’s right side, referring to a position of honor. Sheep were more commercially valuable than goats, and throughout Scripture they are an image for God’s people. Thus here they are identified as “the elect,” God’s chosen people, as seen in the words “take . . . the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” This kingdom, existing from the beginning of time, is sure and unchangeable. Believers need never doubt its existence, nor the glory of it as their inheritance. This inheritance had been God’s plan for them since the creation of the world.

25:35-36 “‘For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”^NIV This list describes acts of mercy people can do every day. These acts do not depend on wealth, ability, or intelligence; they are simple acts freely given and freely received.

The list is not exhaustive; instead, it represents all types of good deeds. This parable is not teaching salvation by good deeds, but evidence of salvation through good deeds.

25:37-39 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'”^NIV The righteous are surprised at the King’s words. He commends them for their acts of kindness to him, but they realize that they did not have opportunity to do such kindnesses to him directly.

25:40 “And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.'”^NRSV

Jesus himself, through the Holy Spirit, is present in even the most humble, lowly, or “insignificant” follower of Christ.

There has been much discussion about the identity of the “family members.” Some have said they are the Jews; others say they are the apostles and/or all Christians; still others say they are poor and needy people everywhere. Such a debate is much like the lawyer’s question to Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). The point of this parable is not the “who” but the “what”—the importance of serving where service is needed. Jesus’ original intent seems to be that how we treat lowly and needy fellow Christians determines how truly we love Jesus. If Christians who have resources would help needy fellow Christians, non-Christians would be totally persuaded of the validity of Christian love. Such love for others glorifies God by reflecting our love for him. But that does not excuse our broader responsibility to show love and mercy to everyone in need.

25:41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'”^NIV For the goats (those on his left), however, the story is different. These “goats,” mingling every day as they did with the sheep, may have thought that they could get by unnoticed. But God would separate them, and their judgment would be severe. There will be no middle ground at the final judgment—either a person is a “sheep” or a “goat.” And the result will be either “the kingdom” (25:34) or eternal fire (referring to hell) and separation from God forever (indicated by the words “depart from me”).

Eternal punishment takes place in hell (that is, the lake of fire or Gehenna), which is the place of punishment after death for all those who refuse to repent. In the Bible, three words are used in connection with eternal punishment: (1) Sheol, or “the grave,” is used in the Old Testament to mean the place of the dead, generally thought to be under the earth. (See Job 24:19; Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 38:10.) (2) “Hades” is the Greek word for the underworld, the realm of the dead. It is the word used in the New Testament for Sheol. (See Matthew 16:18; Revelation 1:18; 20:13-14.) (3) Gehenna, or hell, was named after the Valley of Hinnom near Jerusalem where children had been sacrificed by fire to the pagan gods (see 2 Kings 23:10; 2 Chronicles 28:3). This is the place of eternal fire (Matthew 5:22; 10:28; Mark 9:43; Luke 12:5; James 3:6; Revelation 19:20) prepared for the devil, his angels, and all those who do not believe in Christ (Revelation 20:9-10). This is the final and eternal state of the wicked after the resurrection and the Last Judgment.

25:42-43 “‘For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'”^NIV The sin noted by the King was (as in the parables of the bridesmaids and the talents) not active evildoing but failure to do good. The apostle James later wrote, “Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin” (James 4:17 nrsv). As in 25:35-36, the list is not comprehensive, but it represents good deeds that people often fail to do. Doing wrong in ignorance may be excusable (see Acts 3:17; 1 Timothy 1:13), but when believers neglect to help those in need, they disobey Christ. These actions do not take special talents, gifts, or lifestyles. One need not be rich to carry these out. Failure to do them then, as with the man who buried the talent, shows a lack of love for Christian brothers and, by extension, for the Lord himself.

25:44-45 “Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'”^NRSV The evildoers, also, were surprised at the King’s words. How could he say that they had neglected to do acts of kindness to him personally when, in reality, that would seem to be an impossibility? So he explained that in neglecting to do these kindnesses to even the least of the Christian brothers and sisters, they had neglected to do so for him. By that neglect, they had shown no true salvation, for their salvation had not manifested itself in good deeds, as it would naturally do. Their failures were not acts of wickedness, but refusals to do good and to show compassion.

25:46 “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”^NKJV God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers, and their destinies will be vastly different. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. To treat all persons we encounter as if they are Jesus is not easy, for we may not know if they are believers. What we do for others demonstrates what we really think about Jesus’ words to us—feed the hungry, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick. How well do your actions separate you from pretenders and unbelievers? Will you be sent away to the place of everlasting punishment or into eternal life?

www.RidgeFellowship.com

Source:  Life Application Bible Commentary – Matthew.