Matt 25:1-30: “Jesus, Lord of History: Part 4”
INTRO: Today we continue our time in the gospel of Matthew. Matthew was one of Jesus’ apostles and this is historical account of Jesus’ life and ministry. It is called a gospel because it tells us the good news of Jesus’ person and work. Jesus is the promised Messiah that God’s people have been waiting for. He is promised son of Abraham who would cause all the nations to be blessed. He is the promised son of David who would righteously reign over God’s people as their king. He is Immanuel, God with us. He came and he built his church and promises that not gates of hell will not prevail against it. He came and saved his people from their sins by dying on the cross. He rose from the dead & commissioned his people to carry the good news of his victory to the end of the earth. He ascended to heaven; one day he is coming back. In our journey through Matthew’s account we have reached what has come to be known as the Olivet Discourse. This is the last week of Jesus’ life and here, he teaches from the Mount of Olives about future events that will take place, includes his return in glory, a return that will bring in the end of history as we know it. Last week, we saw Jesus speak about the fact that NO ONE knows what date when Jesus will return; because this is true his followers were to take a posture of readiness and faithfulness while they wait. To help them in this, Jesus gave them 3 parables to encourage and orient them. Today we look at two of these parables.
READ/PRAY
History is moving in a particular direction and it is shaped by one particular event: the return of King Jesus. He is coming back, and there is a wise and faithful way to live in light of this REALITY. Jesus helps his followers do this in these parables by showing them that faithful obedience while waiting for his return is the path of WISDOM and GOODNESS.
PATH OF WISDOM: THE PARABLE OF THE FOOLISH AND WISE-BRIDESMAIDS (1-13)
ANCIENT PALASTINIAN MARRIAGES: On the day of a wedding a bridegroom would be celebrating with his groomsmen and family while the bride was in her house with her bridesmaids and family. “VIRGINS” in this passage is referring to the bride’s close friends who were to be part of the ceremony, they were the bridesmaids. The groom would come to the bride in the evening—often after long delays and many announcements of impending arrival—and the bridemaids were responsible for being ready to greet him and lead the group to the groom’s house. They would carry the lamps for the group as they proceeded to the groom’s parents house, where the ceremony would take place, followed by 7 days of feasting.
JESUS TEACHES THAT THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN AND HIS RETURN IN SOME WAY WILL BE LIKE WHAT TAKES PLACE IN THIS PARABLE. JESUS IS THE GROOM and his followers are the wise bridesmaids.
-10 BRIDESMAIDS: 5 are foolish, but 5 are wise (2)
FOOLISHNESS AND FOLLY AS A BIBLICAL CATEGORY: When the Bible speaks of foolishness and folly it is not speaking about mere cognitive faculties (IQ score), but a way of living that neglects the wisdom and authority of God. It a way of living and thinking that is rooted in “one’s own understanding” rather than a fear of the LORD. It is the way of arrogance, rather than humility. A person can be very intelligent, but also very FOOLISH. We see this today, where a person can be incredibly smart but incredibly foolish. EXAMPLES: A brilliant scientist who thinks his reputation puts him above the law and engages in sexual abuse of his interns; or a smart businessman who foolishly gambles and loses his family’s finances out of an imprudent & risky financial decision; or a skilled politician who can lead and speak brilliantly but thinks it does not matter how much he drinks before he drives because he is above the law; or if you have read Jane Austen’ “Pride and Prejudice” you have some like Lydia, who in her is an outrageous flirt and runs off with Wickam and potentially ruins her family’s reputation and the prospect of her sisters ever marrying (until Darcy saves the day).
WAY OF WISDOM is this: Prov 1:7 “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.” It is living in light of the truth that God exists, and that He has absolute power, authority, and beauty.
SETTING: The bridesmaids are waiting for the return of the groom. TWO WAYS OF WAITING: FOOLISH (3) OR WISE (4)
–FOOLISH (3) did not live as though the groom could come back at any time, even a time a long ways off. They were arrogantly unconcerned about their responsibility, and in their prideful foolishness made decisions would lead to their own ruin. Even today: Bridesmaids are to support the bride, and operate not on their timetable. It is their responsibility. Imagine a destination wedding in Chicago, and instead of supporting the bride, the bridemaids ran off to eat deep dish pizza or look at the Chicago bean, and then missed the wedding. The root is a FOOLISH arrogance. APP: Such is the way of SIN—Foolish arrogance that rejects God’s legit authority.
-The WISE (4) lived with the fact that the groom is coming and it may take a long time.
-EVERYONE FALLS ASLEEP (5), ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE GROOM’S RETURN (6)
-DILEMMA FOR THE FOOLISH, WHO WERE UNPREPARED (7-9)
-The foolish did not plan ahead, so they pleaded for the wise to share their oil (8), but they are refused and sent off to buy more oil for themselves (9). If the wise had shared, the whole ceremony would have been ruined as all would have run out of oil and light.
-THE WISE ARE READY FOR THE RETURN OF THE MASTER AND GO TO THE FEAST (10). They live with the humble recognition of that the groom really is coming back and a bridesmaid ought to be ready. Heaven and New Earth is sometimes pictured in terms of a great FEAST (Matt 8:11-12)
-THE FOOLISH ARRIVE TOO LATE AND ARE SHUT OUT (11-12)
“‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” This makes one think of Matt 7:21-23. We see here that merely being “part of the bridal party” was not enough, just as a mere external profession is not enough.
-JESUS GIVES THE PRINCIPLE: “WATCH” (13). We don’t know when Jesus will come back, so the way wisdom is pursue faithfulness and readiness as we wait. “WATCH” really means following Jesus, seeking to do the good works he has for us, walking in his ways, proclaiming the gospel, and living as though Jesus really is coming back and could do so any time. It is to take Jesus at his word.
APP: Friends, Jesus is really coming back; at his return he will usher in his kingdom. This is a CERTAIN fact. Thus, it is WISE to live in light of this and live as though it were true—because it is really is true—and FOOLISH to not choose the path of unbelief in his words or live as though he won’t come back. It is WISE to tell others about Christ, WISE to die to sin, WISE to live for Christ and not live for our career, WISE to choose a posture of faithful obedience while we wait for Jesus to return. But FOOLISH not to.
QUESTION: Is your living shaped by the CERTAIN fact that Jesus will return? Does your day to day life show this?
PATH OF GOODNESS: THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (14-30) Jesus is teaching his followers to pursue faithfulness while they wait for his return. In the parable we see that this approach is way to GOODNESS. We’re reminded there is a right and wrong way to live as we wait for Jesus.
-ANCIENT CONTEXT: Wealthy landowners would often go on journeys, and while they were away they would entrust their business and property to trusted servants. The servants were expected to be faithful and prudent. A “TALENT” was a monetary use for 20 years wages. So one talent was the equivalent of around 1million dollars.
-PARABLE SETTING (14-15): Man goes away and entrusts his property to three servants.
–Note “his servants…his property…gave to each according to his ability. (5, 2, 1)”
-The right thing for the servants to do was faithful use of the talent while the master was away: Not unreasonable.
-TWO WAYS TO HANDLE THE TALENTS (16-18)
-LONG DELAY AND THEN THE ACCOUNTING (19) –Jesus’ delay is long, at least from a human perspective. But it will come.
–SERVANT ENTRUSTED WITH 5 THAT BECAME 10 IS EVALUATED (20-21)
-The servant multiplied the 5 to 10 (20)
-The servant is received well by the master (21)
-Praised “‘Well done, good and faithful servant.” We see the goodness and faithfulness of faithful obedience.
-Future rewards: “You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much” Future reward for believers
-“little” is 5 million. Little to this rich master. Same with what God entrusts to us: what is thousands or millions of dollars to God who own it all? Or 20 or 50 or 90 years to God who is eternal? Or mental/physical strength to an all-powerful God?
-Future joy: “Enter into the joy of your master.” Christian faith is an invitation to joy (Ps 16:11)
–SERVANT ENTRUSTED WITH 2 THAT BECAME 4 (22-23)
-Evaluation is the same as the one with 5.
APP: Good point to remember that God doesn’t ask us to achieve what other believers achieve, but to faithful with what is given to us. This KILLS jealousy—God gives me what is good for me and I can be grateful—and it KILLS insecurity—I don’t have to have the talents of a brother or sister.
-Do you need to repent of envy of a brother or sister? Or Repent of self-pity? (CONFESSION—I have to repent of this daily!)
–PILGRIM’S PROGRESS—Story of “Little Faith” who has many more struggles, but still has faith in Christ. Moreover, God knows how weak He is, and his journey to the heavenly city is filled with God’s mercy and help along the way.
-SERVANT WHO BURIED THE TALENT (24-30)
-BEGINS WITH RATIONALIZING (24-25)
-ACTIONS SHOWN FOR WHAT THEY ARE: WICKED AND LAZY (26)
-THE UNBELIEF and FAITHLESSNESS OF SERVANT SHOWN IN HIS ACTIONS (26b-27)
-JUDGMENT ON THE SERVANT (28)
-PRINCIPLE (29) Some who have much will be given even more, but those who have been faithless with little even what little they have will be taken away.
-JUDGMENT OF HELL on the WICKED SERVANT (30)
– “And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness.”
-“In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” (SAME IN OTHER PLACES IN MATTHEW)
APP: This parable shows us the GOODNESS of faithful serving Christ and living as though he really is going to return, and the evil of forsaking God’s will for our lives and living as though Jesus does not actually have good works for us to do. And justice: God will punish those who forsake faithfulness to Him, even in the name of fear or “playing it safe.” All rationalizations will be shown for what they are: wickedness and unbelief.
3 REALITIES
REALITY 1: Some people will not go to heaven, but will be locked out and cast into the outer darkness. God is righteous and just and he will punish sin. Our life and time and talents are a gift from Him; we’re invited to know and love and live for Him and it is right for us do so. God has good works for us to do. No RATIONALIZATION will keep us out of hell. God sees through all our arguments. Perhaps you look at your life and you see that really you’re like the foolish bridesmaids or the wicked servant—arrogantly doubting the wisdom of living for Christ, questioning whether he’ll ever return, living not for God but self. TODAY you need to hear the warning of Jesus: God will punish sin, and for some it will be a terrible reality of outer darkness and eternal separation from Him.
SOLUTION: NOT be more wise, be more faithful, but look to Jesus who died for our sins. Titus 3:4-7
REALITY 2: JESUS is the only TRULY WISE AND FAITHFUL one. If we look at our hearts and lives we see our desperate condition. I want to be wise and faithful, but I can’t—the ways of the world are too alluring, the philosophies of secular culture are too powerful. Only Jesus was the TRULY wise servant of the Father. Only Jesus was the TRULY faithful one. He never chose the way of unbelief of arrogant foolishness. As Christians we don’t put our confidence in our obedience, but in the obedience of Jesus Christ. In his great LOVE, he covered all of our foolishness and disobedience. This gospel truth ground us: our hope is not in ourselves, but Jesus.
REALITY 3: Jesus gives these parables to help believers choose the path of faithful obedience while we wait for his return. We are meant to see the wise bridesmaids and be encouraged that our forsaking sin and walking in godliness is the way of wisdom. We are meant to see the faithful servants and know in our hearts the goodness of following Christ. Friends: it is WISE and GOOD to follow Christ and live as though he were really coming back. There is a FEAST that is coming and one day we will hear the words of a master who says, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your master.” It is worth the hardship and difficulties, Jesus deserves our faithful love and obedience.
