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Matthew 25 – To Be Ready

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This passage is as follows:

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“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

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“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.  So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.  Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’  And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.  So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.  For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

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“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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(End of passage)

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Who remembers what we learned from chapter 24?

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1. The disciples ask Jesus to tell him when these things will be, the signs of his coming, and the signs of the end of the age.

2. Jesus speaks of two separate times.A time for those in Judea to flee and a time that if it had not been cut short, no human being would have been left alive.

3. Many will claim to be the Messiah and lead many astray.

4. There will be persecution for those that follow Jesus.

5. The gospel will be proclaimed throughout the whole world before the end will come.

6. The coming of Jesus will be like lightning on the clouds of heaven and all will see it.

7. When you see all these things, the coming of Jesus is very near.The tribulation generation will not pass away until all these things take place and he returns.

8. No one knows the time of his return.

9. We must be ready.It is important that we not only believe in Jesus, but also that faith is translated into action.

10. Jesus gives the example of the wise servant and the mean servant.The servant that is mean to his fellow servants and squanders the drink and food will be thrown into a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 

In chapter 25, Jesus continues to give examples of what it will be like for people when Jesus comes again.  The first example is the parable of the ten virgins.

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Verses 1-13,

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“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.  Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.  As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.  But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’  Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’  And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.  Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’  But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’  Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

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What is the moral of this story?

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1. The bridegroom gets 5 wives?Nope – it says they are only going out to meet him.

2. Always have plenty of oil on hand for your lamp?Not exactly.The moral is at the end.

3. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

 

What is the reward for being wise and prepared for the second coming?

 

-You get to attend the wedding feast.

 

The next example Jesus gives us it the parable of the talents.

 

Verses 14-30,

 

“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.  To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.  So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.  But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.  Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’  And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’  But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?  Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.  So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.  For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.  But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.  And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.  In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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What is the moral of this parable?

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1. You have to make money for God to get to heaven?Nope.

2. Do something with what God gave you.Make it multiply, or at least invest it.There are rewards to be given out in heaven and you will be held accountable.

 

What kinds of things do you think we could invest in with what God gave us?  The next few verses tell us how.

 

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’  Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?  And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’  And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

 

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’  Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’  And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

 

What does this mean?

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1. Salvation is by good works?

2. Salvation flows through those that are truly believing.

3. This passage underscores Matthew 7:17:

 

So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.

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James 2:14-17,

 

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works?  Can that faith save him?  If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?  So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

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So, we can invest what God has given us by being kind and loving those around us.  If we can give water to the thirsty and food to the hungry, then we have invested God’s love for us.  If we forgive those that have harmed us, then we have invested the forgiveness that God has given us.  Repenting and believing in Jesus has an effect.  That effect is a changed person.  You can’t live the way you did before.  You can only live the new way, with the new perspective.

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A little boy went over to a pastor's house, where the pastor was doing some carpentry in his garage. The boy simply stood there and watched him for quite a long time. The preacher wondered why this boy was watching him and was finally so curious that he stopped and said, “Son, are you trying to pick up some pointers on how to build something?”

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The little boy replied, “No. I am just waiting to hear what a preacher says when he hits his thumb with a hammer.”

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Galatians 5:22-23 gives us 9 fruits of the Spirit that we can invest in.

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“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

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Do we produce fruit only when we are feeling good?

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My uncle Bob had an old apple tree in his side yard.  It was really old.  He had a platform on it that would serve as a tree fort.  My cousin and I would climb up on it and pick the apples and throw the apples down to their German Shepherd to catch.  I wondered how the apples grew on that tree because the trunk was pretty rotted out.  I figured that the roots must have gone deeply into the ground so that it was well grounded.

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How long did Jesus teach his disciples before he sent them out?

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Three different Passovers are recorded in the New Testament, so Jesus’ ministry likely lasted for 3 years.  We know from the chronology in Matthew that Jesus was teaching the crowds even before he called his disciples.  When the disciples of Jesus go out preaching the gospel town to town, there is an increase in challenges from the Pharisees.  Shortly after this, they go up to Caesarea Philippi and you have Peter’s confession and the transfiguration.  From there it is a one way trip to the crucifixion.  The only Passover recorded after Jesus sends his disciples out town to town is the one in which Jesus pays for the sin of the whole world.  So, Jesus had to have taught his disciples for at least two years before sending them out to preach the gospel.  Jesus made sure that they were well grounded in Scripture and his teaching.  They were rooted in him and getting the nourishment that needed to produce fruit.

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I remember when my grandpa died.  Grandpa was a very kind man.  He read his Bible every evening after dinner.  He was always ready to give someone a ride somewhere if they were stranded or if their car broke down.  Every year he installed a dock on the shore of his lake property with a diving board on the end and roped off an area with rope and old bleach bottles so the boats would leave the area alone for swimmers.  He even had the mud dug out and replaced with sand.  It was the best swimming hole in the lake and he let anyone come and swim there.  All my cousins would come there on Saturdays in the summer.  Grandpa was always telling others about Jesus.  He could answer all the hard questions that anyone might have.  Then one day, he died suddenly of a heart attack.  When we were saying at his house before the funeral, my youngest sister asked where Grandpa was.  I used this opportunity to explain how that if you accept Jesus as your Savior, you go to heaven when you die.  She accepted Jesus as her Savior at that time.  At his funeral, the church was packed.  Everyone that ever knew him came to the funeral.  There he was at the front of the church laying in the open casket.  The preacher gave a sermon about his life and about his favorite verse about knowing Christ - Ephesians 3:19, “and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”  The preacher gave an invitation and over 20 people came forward.  One of those people was my other sister.  That completed God’s answer to my prayer that everyone in my family would be saved.  So, even when he was dead physically, my grandpa was bearing fruit.

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Song: Stand In Your Love by Josh Baldwin