Matthew 25 - The Parable of the Ten Virgins, The Talents, and the Sheep and the Goats.

Click Here to Listen to or Read Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Jesus tells three more parables about what the kingdom of heaven is like. All three have a theme of some aspect of judgment and accountability. Judgment for how they have handled the truths Jesus had taught them and shown them in his life.  

Matthew 24 ended with a parable meant to emphasize the idea of readiness for the coming of Jesus. Matthew 25 begins with another parable upon the same principle. - Guzik

Here is a little bit history regarding Jewish weddings. 

There were three stages to a Jewish wedding in that day. The first was engagement – a formal agreement made by the fathers. The second was betrothal – the ceremony where mutual promises are made. The third was marriage – approximately one year later when the bridegroom came at an unexpected time for his bride. - Guzik

The parable teaches the principles of "preparedness" and "presumption". The story is about "ten virgins", or what we call "bridesmaids", who went out to the meet to meet a bridegroom. Five of the virgins brought their lit lamps and importantly an extra container of oil just in case it took a long time for the groom to come. The other five virgins did not take this into consideration or didn't care.  

When the bridegroom was delayed, all ten virgins fell asleep. When they woke up all of their oil had burned up, but those who had brought a reserve supply were still able to make it on time to the wedding. The foolish virgins went out looking for more oil and by the time they got back the wedding, the door had been closed. When they cried, "Lord, Lord" they were denied entry. Their lack of foresight keep them from the wedding banquet.  

The parable re-emphasizes the fact that Jesus will come back at a time we least expect it. Foolish people roll the dice and say, "I will get prepared when I get around to it". They presume they will have time to get matters in order to be ready to meet the Lord. But this may not be the case. Wise people realize the Lord could come back at any time, so they are ready at any time. 

Are you ready if Jesus were to return soon? What would you need to change in order to be ready?

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

While the last parable was about "preparedness" and "presumption", this one is about "responsibility". Note the word "responsibility" comes from the two words "response" and "able", meaning one's ability to respond.  Specifically today's teaching from Jesus is about the responsibility we have to use what we have been given. This parable has many important applications too many to expound upon here. But suffice it to say the truth of this parable is needed both in the church and in the world today. 

In this parables each of the servants were given a different amount of bags of gold. Traditionally this term has been called "talents". Here is some background on this word. 

 “The English use of ‘talent’ for a natural (or supernatural) aptitude derives from this parable…But of course the Greek talanton is simply a sum of money…it was generally regarded as equal to 6,000 denarii.” (France) “If a talent were worth six thousand denarii, then it would take a day laborer twenty years to earn so much.” (Carson)

"In the application of this parable it is appropriate to see these talents as life resources – such as time, money, abilities, and authority." (Guzik)

So you can see a "talent" is a lot more valuable than a "denari", which was equal to one day's wage. Bottom line is that all of these men were given a lot of money. It shows the trust the owner had in these servants.  He also divied up these talents based on the abilities of each man. One was given five talents, another two talents, and another one talent. He had different expectations for each man based on what he thought they were capable of doing with the talent(s). 

So what were the results? The passage says "at once" the one with five talents, and the one with two talents, went out and "put their money to work". They knew they were given a large amount of money and trust. They knew their master had an expectation for them to use it. They proceeded to double their master's money which had been given to him. 

However, there was one man who decided that it was too risky to lose his master's money, so he found a safe place and buried it in the ground. Importantly listen to his reasoning, "I knew that you get what you wanted out of this talent regardless of what I do with it."   

These two commentators sum up quite nicely the rationalization he made. 

The servant who merely buried his talent tried to excuse himself because of his master’s great power. In fact, he believed his master to be in some sense omnipotent: reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. - Guzik

F.B. Meyer expressed the thinking of this servant: “I can do very little; it will not make much difference if I do nothing: I shall not be missed; my tiny push is not needed to turn the scale.” 

When the day of reckoning came each servant came in to give an account for what they did with what they had been given. The men who doubled the man's money were given their master's commendation. In fact, they were told they would be given much more because of their faithfulness. The master was so pleased, he invited them to "share in his happiness".

Another translation uses the words, "Enter into the joy of the Lord". When we are faithful with God has given us, we join in His joy. 

The idea is that there is a place of joy belonging to the master of these servants, and they are invited to join the master in that place. There is a sense of heaven about this destiny for the two faithful servants.  - Guzik

Finally, the last servant who had hidden his ONE talent was held accountable for his decision to do nothing. Remember for him to do nothing is also a decision. After the master rebukes him, he takes his talent and gives it to the other servants. 

You might say of the lazy servant: 

- He didn’t think.

· He didn’t work.

· He didn’t even try.

· He made excuses.

I think the main application is that we have all been given differing amounts of time, talents, and treasures from our Lord. I am not responsible for what you have been given, and you are not responsible for what I have been given. But the one thing we have in common is that one day we will give an account for what we have done with what we have been given! Let's be like the profitable servants and enter into the JOY OF OUR LORD!

The Sheep and the Goats

In the final of these three parables, Jesus speaks directly about His second coming. When he comes with his angels there will be a day of judgment for all the nations. Typically the term "nations", means "people groups". So in this teaching Jesus is talking about a universal judgment. Some commentators feel he is talking about the judgment of the Gentiles based on how they treat the Jewish people. But to me it would seem odd that Jesus would switch his audience from the Jewish people to the Gentiles, when this whole stretch of teaching has been an indictment on the unbelief of the Jewish leaders and how they will be accountable for it. 

Regardless, the crux of this parable is that when Jesus returns there will be a separation between what he calls the "sheep" and "goats". What is most interesting is the criteria he uses for the judgment. His criteria is how they treated those in need. I.e. the hungry, the thirsty, those in prison, those who lack clothes, and the alienated and lonely. He ends by saying the famous quote, "What you did unto the least of these you did unto me!"

You might say, "Is Jesus teaching salvation by works here?" If I do not do enough good works will I be like the goats who are judged unto eternal punishment? It is really important to realize you don't take one passage to develop a doctrine as important as "salvation". 

The overriding teaching in both Jesus' gospels and the rest of the New Testament is that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus. We cannot earn our salvation for if we could as Paul says in Galatians 2:21, "If righteousness could be obtained by the works of the Law, then Christ died for nothing." 

So if Jesus is not teaching about salvation, what is he teaching about? 

Jesus is teaching that if you do claim to be his follower, and don't care for others who are in need there is something seriouisly wrong. Remember the Great Commission is to make disciples by baptizing, but also by "Teaching them to obey all that I have commanded." Obedience to what Jesus has taught us to do matters.

Although works do not save us, they a result of and flow out our salvation. If there are never any good works like those mentioned in today's passage, I would be concerned about this person's salvation. John 15 teaches us that Jesus called us and appointed us to go and bear fruit that will last. If we abide in and follow Jesus we cannot but help but do good works to help the poor, the homeless, the addicted, the mentally ill, and the disenfranchised. What when we do them we show ourselves to be Jesus disciples! James 1:27 says it a different way, "Faith without works is dead."  

Does your discipleship with Christ show the type of works talked about in this passage? If not what do you think this might say about your relationship with Jesus?