Category: Matthew 25

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Matthew Matthew 25

Parable of the sheep and goats: How we treat others

Matthew

Jesus finishes his dialogue on the end times with this last story. And it talks about the final judgment following the tribulation.

At that time, God will judge the nations, separating the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Considering the context, it seems God will specifically judge the nations for how they treat his people during the tribulation.

Some, who out of their love for God and faith in Jesus, work to help them in their time of need will be blessed and welcomed into the kingdom.

But those who participate in their persecution, or who simply turn a blind eye to them will be condemned.

But there’s a broader application that we can get from this. For as much as people will be judged for how they treat God’s people during that time, we will be judged for how we treat them in the here and now.

Jesus said,

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.

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.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)

And when these people asked when they did such a thing for him, the King will reply,

I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. (Matthew 25:40)

But to those who did not help others in their time of need, he will say,

I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. (Matthew 25:45)

When we see our brothers and sisters in Christ in need, how do we react? Do we reach out to them in the love of God? If we do, we do so to Christ.

But Jesus says that if we instead turn a blind eye to them, we are turning a blind eye to Christ and we will be held accountable for it.

John wrote,

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18)

Jesus has given us so much. He laid down his own life to give us life. How then can we not do the same for others?

Let us turn a blind eye to Jesus no longer, but reach out and touch the lives of those he loved enough to die for.

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Matthew Matthew 25

Parable of the talents: Being faithful

Matthew

The second parable in this chapter goes to the point that Jesus brought up earlier. That we need to be faithful, doing the things that God has called us to do until he returns.

In this story, Jesus talks about a man who gave money to three different servants to invest.

To one, he gave five talents (a talent was a measure of weight for precious metals, usually 58-80 pounds) of silver, to another 2 talents, and to the last servant he gave one.

And it says that he gave to them, each according to their ability.

In the same way, God has given us different talents (not money, but abilities) and resources. He does not give them equally to us, but rather according to what we can handle.

And like the story, God requires us to use and invest what he has given us. If we are faithful, doing what he’s asked us to do until he returns, then like the master in the story, he will tell us,

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! (Matthew 25:21)

In the story, the master said this to two of his servants.

But there was a third servant, who instead of investing what his master had entrusted to him, buried it in the ground. And when his master returned, he had nothing to show for what he had been entrusted.

Why? Probably more than anything because he did not honor his master.

He saw his master as unfair, as a man who merely leached off the work of others. And he feared that his master would be unfair in judging him were he to try to invest, but instead lose everything.

Many people look at God the same way. They don’t truly honor him.

They see him as unfair. They see him as too harsh. They throw all kinds of criticisms his way. And they use these criticisms as an excuse to live for themselves, instead of investing what God gave them and living for him.

This will especially happen in the last days when everything is falling apart. Earthquakes, famines, wars, and plagues.

And people, even more than they do now, will throw criticisms God’s way, rather than turning from their sin and serving him.

But when Jesus comes back, they’ll find out that all their criticisms and excuses are empty.

They’ll realize that God is completely fair and just, and that it was they who were wrong. It was they who were selfish, wicked, and lazy. And they will be judged for that.

Part of faith is believing that God is good. That though there is evil in this world, it is not God who is evil. That though there is injustice in the world, it is not God who is unjust.

Rather it is we who have made a mess of things.

But as long as we fail to honor God and criticize him for the mess we made, we will make all kinds of excuses for why we need not be faithful with all he has given us.

How about you? How do you see God?

Do you honor him enough to honor him with your life? Do you honor him enough to be faithful and use what he’s given you to make a difference in this world as he has called you to?

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Matthew Matthew 25

Parable of the ten virgins: Being ready

Matthew

In this chapter, we see two parables on what Jesus was just talking about, watching for his return and also doing the things he’s asked us to do until he comes.

In this first parable, I think it’s easy to try to over-interpret each facet of the parable, and I think we can get into trouble trying to do so.

The main point, again, is that we are to watch and be ready for when Jesus comes back, because he will come back when we don’t expect it.

That’s what happened with these bridesmaids.

The bridegroom had gone to the bride’s house and was due to return to his home for the wedding banquet, and so everyone was waiting for his return.

But for some reason, it took more time than they expected, and so when the bridegroom finally came, they were fast asleep.

Awakened from their slumber, the bridesmaids quickly realized that their lamps were going out and needed more oil.

Five of them were ready for such a situation and quickly refilled their lamps.

The other five, however, were not ready and as a result, had to go out and buy more oil and by the time they came back, the doors were shut, and they could not enter.

The point? Some thought they were ready and were not, while others were truly ready for the bridegroom’s return.

Those who were ready were able to join the banquet, while the rest were shut out.

Many Jews will be like this when Jesus finally returns. They have been yearning for the Messiah for so long. And some will be ready; they will have already acknowledged Jesus as Messiah, been filled with his Spirit, and be ready to enter the kingdom when Jesus comes.

But others, though they claim to be waiting for the Messiah, are not ready. And they will find that out when Jesus returns. That the Messiah they’d been waiting for had been Jesus all along.

But when they find out, it will be too late, and they will be locked out of his kingdom.

But the same can be said of the rest of us. Many people claim to be Christians but have never truly received him as Lord and Savior. Rather, they merely have the “form of godliness but deny its power.” (2 Timothy 3:5)

They claim to follow Christ, but in their hearts, merely live for themselves. And when Jesus returns, they’ll realize that they are not ready for his return, and will find themselves locked out of his kingdom.

How about you? Are you ready for when Jesus returns? There is only one way. The apostle Paul wrote,

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

Are you ready for our Lord’s return?