SCRIPTURE: MATTHEW 25
THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS (vs. 1-13)
The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not prepare oil in it. The wise however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. When the bridegroom was finally approaching, a cry rang out at midnight “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” (v. 6). Then all the ten virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones did not have enough oil in their lamps, so they asked the wise ones to give them some of their oil. But the wise ones told them to buy it outside. While they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. When the foolish ones arrived, they called to open the door. But the bridegroom replied: “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” (v. 12)
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (vs. 14-30)
The kingdom of heaven 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. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
After a long time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. The master was happy and called him good and faithful servant. He put him in charge of many things. The man with the two talents also gave his master two more. His master also called him good and faithful servant and put him in charge of many things. Then the man who had received the one talent came. He said: “Master, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.” (v. 24-25) The master was furious and replied: “You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest 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.” (vs. 26-27). The master took the talent from him and gave it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone, who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. He threw that worthless servant outside into the darkness.
THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS (vs. 31-46)
The Son of Man will come in his glory together with all the angels and sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the king will say to those on the 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 your clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me. ” (vs. 34-36) Then the righteous was astonished because they did not do those things to the king. Then the king replied: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” (v. 40). Then he said to those on his left: “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 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 your did not look after me.” (vs. 41-43). They answered: “Lord, when did we see your hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?”(v. 44) He replied: “I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” (v. 45-46)
THOUGHTS:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins was about a wedding. The ten virgins were waiting to join the procession of a wedding and hoped to take part in the marriage feast. But when the groom did not come at the expected time, five of them were out of lamp oil. By the time they had purchased the extra oil, it was too late to join the feast. The wise virgins prepared to meet the bridegroom with oil but the foolish did no preparation. People profess to be Christians should be born again and prepare themselves with the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts in order to enter into the marriage feast. When Jesus returns to take his people to heaven, we must be ready. Spiritual preparation cannot be bought or borrowed at the last minute. Our relationship with God must be personal.
The Parable of the Talents described a master dividing the money among his servants according to their abilities they can handle. Failure to do his assignment indicates his laziness or hatred toward the master. The first and second man did what the master had told them to do. And they were commended and rewarded. The last man hoped to play safe and protected himself from his hard master. But he was judged for his self-centeredness.
The Talents represent any kind of resources – time, talents, treasure given by God according to our abilities. He expects us to use them wisely until He returns. We are responsible to invest our lives and earn dividends for His glory. We must use the abilities that God has given us to faithfully do His work. We must serve God completely and diligently out of our love for Him. We must not make excuses to avoid doing what God calls us to do. When we ignore, squander or abuse what we are given, we are rebellious and deserved to be punished. God will measure us against ourselves and not against the other servants. Step out by faith and take some risks for God. For the ministries we performed that we thought is insignificant will be also be rewarded.
In the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, the sheep and the goats were separated. Jesus used the sheep and goats to picture the division between believers and unbelievers. God will separate his obedient followers from pretenders and unbelievers. The real evidence of our belief is the way we act. What we do for others demonstrates how we really obey His words – Feed the hungry, clothe the needy, give the homeless a place to stay, look after the sick, visit the people in prison. Those are simple acts for us to follow. We have no excuse to neglect those who have deep needs because Jesus demands our personal involvement in caring for other’s needs.