Matthew 25
BolesMatthew 25:1-46
- THE TEN VIRGINS; PARABLE OF
THE TALENTS; THE
1-13 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened.—Jesus is still on the Mount of Olives on the way to Bethany; this is a continuation of the discourse to his disciples recorded in chapter twenty-four; we are still in the last week of his earthly ministry. “Then” is a significant word in this connection; it has reference to the time of Jesus’ sudden coming; he no further predicts the destruction of Jerusalem, but directs attention far beyond to his second coming and the final judgment. In that solemn, decisive hour, there will be a scene in the earthly life and destiny of all the disciples of Jesus, which is well illustrated by the parable of the ten virgins. These scenes pertain to “the kingdom of heaven,” a phrase frequently used by Matthew; they point to the rewards of that kingdom. The disciples had asked Jesus about his coming and now in some particular it will be like virgins waiting at night for the coming of the bridegroom to receive the bride.
Ten virgins.—There is no significance in the number “ten”; some have thought that this number is taken to represent the five senses, in which one class of five is prepared, and the other class of five unprepared; again some have conjectured that the number ten is taken because ten were required as the least number to form a synagogue. There are two classes of virgins represented in the parable. The Jewish marriages and feasts which followed them were celebrated at night; the newly married couple went from the house of the bride in procession after nightfall accompanied by attendants bearing torches to light the way another party went forth to meet them with torches and accompanied them to the house of the bridegroom where a feast was prepared. “Lamps” were made then like torches; they were made by wrapping up a roll of linen and inserting it in a mould of copper or earthenware fixed to a handle of wood. It contained very little oil, and the linen from time to time had to be supplied with fresh oil from another vessel which was carried in the other hand. In this parable the bridegroom, accompanied by his friends (“the sons of the bridechamber”), went at night to the residence of his bride and brought her with pomp and gladness to his own home. She was accompanied by her young companions; at some point on the way another group of virgins were waiting to join the procession and to share in the joyous festivities.
This waiting involved the watching and the preparation with their burning lamps. They all took their lamps, but five took an extra supply of oil, and the other five took no extra supply. While the bridegroom tarried, “they all slumbered and slept”; that is, all nodded and slept; they did not retire for sleep. At midnight it was announced that the bridegroom approached, and no one expected him then, for “all” were sleeping; the five wise virgins were ready to join the procession, but the foolish ones were in no way ready they slept, while their hour of preparation was passing.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.— The lamps were trimmed by removing the incrustations of the wicks and supplying fresh oil. The foolish virgins asked the others to supply them with oil as their lamps were “going out”; but the wise ones refused because they did not have a sufficient supply for themselves and others, and suggested that they go and purchase sufficient oil for their lamps. The foolish virgins went away to buy, and the procession of the bridegroom came and passed on before the five foolish returned with a supply of oil. The bridegroom went into his house, and those who were prepared and present went in with him, “and the door was shut.” A little later the five foolish virgins came and asked to be admitted, but received the answer, “I know you not.” They were not admitted. There was no more admission after the doors were shut. “I know you not” is an emphatic manner of sealing the condemnation of the foolish virgins. They had not cared enough for the feast to make the customary preparation, and now the bridegroom expressed his ignorance of them.
They had lost the happiness of his feast. Those who do not know Christ here he will not know hereafter; to be unknown by him is to be cast away from him.
There are abundant opportunities and pressing invitations to enter the kingdom, but there comes a time when it is too late to enter. We shut the door against ourselves by neglecting to be prepared to enter. Jesus draws his own conclusion and says, “Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.” Christians are like the virgins waiting for Christ’s return in a long night of uncertainty; of the hour of that event they can know nothing, therefore they must be ready for it at all times. We watch by serving the Lord as faithfully as if he were looking upon us; we watch by being on our guard against every temptation and danger. Watchfulness is a state of readiness. The warning to watch bids us to imitate the five wise virgins and to take warning from the fate of the five foolish ones.
[There are always one or two points in a parable that illustrate the truth to be taught. When more than is intended to be illustrated by it is brought out, falsehood and not truth is taught. The concluding exhortation of this parable shows clearly the lesson is that those professing to be his disciples should be watchful, waiting, ready to receive him when he comes, not to wait till his coming to make ready. While they are making ready to enter into his eternal kingdom with those prepared and ready and enjoy the rich blessings prepared for them, the others who have waited till his coming will be refused an entrance. “I know you not”—never approved you. If a man teaches anything else than this, it only shows how men will twist and torture and pervert the word of God to support a theory of their own. It shows they are much more zealous in maintaining their theories than they are of the integrity of the word of God and his teaching.]
14-30 For it is as when a man.—The parable of the ten virgins emphasizes the importance of watchfulness for the coming of Christ and preparation for the judgment; the parable of the talents teaches the duty of working during the time of watchfulness. “For the kingdom of heaven is as when a man, going into another country”; the phrase “kingdom of heaven” is omitted as it is not in the original. The obvious meaning is that “the kingdom of heaven” is like this man who went into another country and committed his goods unto his servants. The parable of the ten virgins was introduced with the comparison of “the kingdom of heaven,” and this parable institutes a comparison between this man and the kingdom of heaven. The future history of the church is sketched in the similitude here presented. A certain master going into another country to be gone for some time called three of his servants to him and divided his goods into certain portions and committed them to the servants according to their several abilities. He gave to them different trusts called “talents” according to their abilities; he dealt righteously with them in that he did not impose upon one that which he was unable to do.
These servants were “his own servants,” not “hired servants”; hence, he had the right to impose upon them certain responsibilities, and knowing their ability, he gave to each that which could be handled. To one was committed “five talents,” and to the second “two talents,” and to the third only “one talent.” A talent in silver was valued at about $1,500. The value of these talents is not known. The word “talent” has acquired in our language the meaning of abilities; it may now mean the powers of mind or degree of intelligence but did not have such meaning in the days of our Savior; some think that it has acquired its modern meaning from this parable.
After delivering to each servant these talents, the master left them in full possession of the trusts which had been committed to them. The first servant to whom was instrusted five talents began active service and used the talents in such a way as to bring great gain to his master. The “goods” which were placed in their hands represented his property and was of such a nature that could be traded and gain be had. Likewise the servant who was intrusted with “two talents” used them and gained two other talents. The first and second servants doubled their capital. The third servant who received only one talent did not use his talent; he did not exercise the ability that he had, did not take advantage of his opportunity, and failed to gain anything. He “digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.” He was honest in that he did not squander his master’s goods and desired to restore to his master that which was committed to him.
Now after a long time the lord of these servants cometh.— The master returned and the day of reckoning was at hand “after a long time” indicates the uncertainty of the time of our Lord’s coming; the master had been away for a long time and the servants had ceased to think of his coming as they did at first, and had settled down into their usual habits. The disposition that we made of the talents by each servant reveals the kind of character each was. The one with the greatest ability came first and rendered an account of his stewardship. He reminded his lord that he had been intrusted with five talents and that he had “gained other five talents.” His lord pronounced a blessing upon him, called him “good and faithful servant,” and promised to appoint him over many things; he had showed a disposition to work for the interest of his master; he had displayed good judgment and had brought great gain to his master, and henceforth he could occupy a higher position with larger opportunities for service, and at the same time he could come into fuller joys with his master. It was customary with eastern monarchies to have some of their satraps and other officers of provinces to reside at the courts of the kings it was a great honor to be invited to live with the king. David bestowed such honor upon Jonathan’s son.
The servant to whom had been intrusted two talents came and rendered an account of his stewardship; he had used the two talents and had doubled his capital. He reported the gain that he had made. The master was pleased with his services and pronounced upon him the same blessing that he had upon the first, and extended to him the same privileges that he had to the first one. Each servant was intrusted ‘with that which he had ability to use, and each had used to his full ability the talents for the gain of the master; each had done his best, and the master made no distinction between the honors bestowed upon them. The third servant came to render an account of his stewardship. It seems that he had lingered until the last; the one who had gained so much was ready to give an account with joy; the one with less ability who had been faithful also came with joy and rendered his account; but the one who had done nothing for his master waited until the last.
He had despised the small trust committed to him, and now comes the answer for his neglect. He began to make excuse, but his excuses were in vain. The master had a right to look for as much faithfulness in this servant with one talent as he did in the one who had five. God looks for as much fidelity in his children today who have but little talent as he does in those who have much.
The third servant, in rendering his account, began to accuse and abuse his master. He said, “I know thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter.” He knew his master to be severe and a man who rigidly exacted all that was his own. He uses the figure of a threshing floor; the grain and chaff, after the oxen had trodden them into a confused mass, were winnowed by a wooden shovel called a fan. This servant said that his master was one who expected the grain where he had not taken the trouble of the harvesting and the threshing floor. He further stated that he was afraid “and went away and hid” the talent in the earth; he then presented to his master that which had been committed to his trust. We note here the selfflattering excuse which this servant made; he appears to be overhonest in his effort to appear honest.
He was selfish; he would do no labor except on conditions; again his faults insulting reflection on the character of his master, did not justify his failure to work to the interest of his master. This type of humanity is all too common;the churl thinks his master is churlish. We attribute to others what we find in ourselves. Very few people excuse their own sin without blaming God or someone else for it. He gave back all that he had received; he had done no harm, but he had done no good with that which was intrusted to him. He had been in possession of his master’s money for “a long time” if he had been a free man, he would have owed interest on it; but he had been to slothful to use the talent to any gain for his master.
His master had really lost by the indolence of this servant.
After the account rendered by this slothful servant, his master began to reckon with him. The reckoning day always comes. He calls him a “wicked and slothful servant”; he was wicked as the insult and churlishness of his excuse showed; he was slothful and stupid with respect to the use of that which belongs to others. “Wicked and of the servant in order to condemn him on his own grounds; he did not admit that he was the kind of a master that the servant accused him of being; but since the servant accused him of being such a master, he would deal with him as he had accused him of being. He then tells the servant what he should have done with the talent, even if he believed his master to be what he had accused him of being; that he should have put the money to the bankers so that he would have received some interest. It was not lawful to loan money to a fellow Israelite on interest, but could be done to Gentiles. There was a way in which he could have used his master’s money to an advantage. (Exodus 22:25; Lev. 15:36; Deuteronomy 23:19-20.) After reprimanding the “wicked and slothful servant,” the master pronounced the sentence upon him. .
As he had pronounced blessings upon the other two and had bestowed honor upon them for their faithfulness, so now he pronounces a curse upon this servant and assigns him to a place of dishonor. He said, “Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents.” The master then teaches that “unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away.” The meaning is that to those who have for their labor and fidelity a profit shall have an increase of gifts; more shall be given; but from such as have not, because they have not used what they had, shall be taken away. The opportunity of using the talent and even the talent itself shall be taken from him. This is a general truth; the more one has and uses faithfully, the more that one will receive; and that which one has, if not used faithfully, shall be taken from him. This is illustrated with the men of five talents and two talents and also the man with the one buried talent. The unprofitable servant was cast out “into the outer darkness”; Jesus then adds again the statement, “there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” “The outer darkness” into which this unprofitable servant was cast is put in contrast with “the joy of thy lord” into which the faithful servants entered.
The meaning of the parable is clear and emphatic; the lord of the servants is Christ whose coming is the subject under consideration. The servants are his own disciples to whom he has intrusted his gospel, his church, and the worship of the church. The conduct of the two faithful servants emphasizes the way in which we are to “watch” as commanded in verse thirteen; the conduct of the slothful servant points out the way that many do in failing to watch. The reckoning with the servants is like the final judgment which takes place when Christ comes again.
[The talents bestowed on the servant by God are his mental ability, his money, his bodily strength, his time, and any opportunity he possesses. The demand is any or all of these shall be used in the service of God. The servants with the five and two talents are those who with differing ability faithfully used their means, time, and opportunities in the service of God. The slothful servant is he who devotes his time, talent, and opportunities to forwarding his own selfish ends and purposes, and fails to work to serve God. All these classes are of those claiming to be servants of God. The rewards of the faithful servants and the punishment of the wicked servant foretoken the fate of those different classes of the professed servants of God.
Now with these plain statements of God’s dealing with the different classes of his servants, how can any man who spends his time, his talent, his capabilities, and his means for the advancement of his own ends and purposes, and does almost nothing for the service of God, hope for his blessing? He who does not honor God with his time, his ability, and means must be cast “into the outer darkness” where there is “weeping and the gnashing of teeth.” It must be thus, or Jesus bore false testimony. Jesus delivers his truths to men according to their several abilities. All men do not have the same capacity to understand and use the truths God has revealed to men. According to their capacity to understand and use, he holds them accountable for returns to them. In appropriating these truths to our own hearts we fit ourselves to use them for the good of others.]
31-33 But when the Son of man shall come in his glory.— Here we have a picture of the final judgment. In Matthew 24:19-31, an introduction is given of the judgment day; other teachings have intervened and now Jesus continued the description which had already been introduced. We do not call this description “a parable”; in the preceding parables the likeness or parabolic similarity is expressly declared, but here the context shows that Jesus is simply giving a vivid description of the final judgment. This judgment is to take place “when the Son of man shall come in his glory.” The Judge of all is “the Son of man”; this Son of man is also the Son of God. “The Judge of all the earth” is Jehovah. (Genesis 18:25; Acts 10:42; 2 Timothy 4:1.) “In his glory” means in all the majesty of his nature as the Son of God. He laid aside the glory of heaven when he came to earth and took upon himself the form of man. (Philippians 2:6-7.) He delivered the law of God to man and established his kingdom and will come with that glory which befits his regal authority and splendor. “The angels with him”; that is, the angels that belong to him and which attended him while on earth. “The throne of his glory” simply means “his glorious throne.” The scenery of the judgment will be of such a kind as to fill the minds of men with an awful sense of divine power. A great white throne will be in the midst of the assembled nations and the Judge will sit upon this throne. (2 Peter 3:10-12; Revelation 20:11-15.) Jesus will be clothed with both judicial and regal authorities.
The throne is the seat and source of sovereign power. It is called “white throne” as it is immaculately pure in its government and decision. So terrible will that day be that from the Judge’s face the earth and the heavens will flee away. (Revelation 20:11.)
And before him shall be gathered all the nations. “All the nations” is equivalent to “the whole human race”; not only those who shall be alive at his coming, but all who have ever lived are embraced within the scope of the term “all the nations.” No one will escape the judgment of God.
He shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats.—The figure of the shepherd is introduced here to make the scene impressive and clear; in the language of the East, sheep were emblems of good men, because of their gentle and innocent ways; the goats of bad men, from their wildness and repulsive habits. (Psalms 100:3; Zechariah 10:3.) “On his right hand, on the left hand,” means places of honor and condemnation. It was the custom of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court, to place the guilty person on the left hand of the judges, and the innocent on the right. The right hand was considered the place of honor. (Psalms 45:9.) The two classes are represented here by sheep and goats; it is the same classification as that of the just and of the unjust (Acts 24:15), and the same as those that enter into life and into damnation (John 5:29). The only point emphasized here is the similarity of the separation of the sheep and goats by the shepherd and the separation of the righteous and wicked by the great Judge.
34-40 Then shall the King say.—The Christ is the King, and he will say to those who are on “his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father.” Heaven is a free gift, bestowed by the Father on those who have been faithful to his Son. They are to “inherit the kingdom prepared” for them “from the foundation of the world.” There is running through the entire Bible the thought that God will save his faithful people, those who have obeyed him; they are promised remission of sins, salvation, and if faithful unto death, a crown of righteousness, or eternal salvation. (Revelation 2:10.) At the judgment Jesus will show his triumph and royal power by rewarding to his faithful disciples the eternal blessings of his kingdom, which may be summed up in the term, “heaven.” This kingdom was “prepared” “from the foundation of the world.” It had been prepared for just such faithful servants of God as are represented here by the sheep. It was no new plan, no secret decree, no arbitrary election, but the one constant covenant condition of mercy that had extended from the creation of man to the judgment of God at the last day.
Next Jesus assigns the reason for extending these eternal blessings. He says that he had been hungry, thirsty, a stranger, naked, sick, and a prisoner, and that they had fed him, given him drink, taken him in, clothed him, visited him, and came unto him in prison. These six conditions represent all of the conditions in which God’s people may be today, that is, the total number of physical conditions. Ministering to them are acts of mercy; they do not represent single acts, but the habits or customary life of those who ministered and who continued such lives unto death; they imply a life of charity, the “faith working through love.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Galatians 5:6.) They had lived by a faith that worked. (James 2:14.) These acts were done in the name of Christ. “A stranger” was one who was a foreigner and needed hospitality; “naked” was to be destitute of raiment. (Luke 10:30.) Those who had lived such lives asked the question when they had seen Christ in such conditions and had ministered unto him. They did not ask the question because they distrusted Christ’s words, but they were in amazement at so great exultation at the greatness of their own glory for what little they had done while on earth. “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to he compared with the glory which shall be revealed to usward.” (Romans 8:18.) The great Judge and King then will answer by saying, “Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, even these least, ye did it unto me.” Christ is identified with the church; members of the church are members of the body of Christ; hence to minister unto a member of the church is to minister unto a member of his body, to minister unto him. He is the head of the body (Ephesians 5:32) and controls the members of the body.
Christians sustain a vital union with Christ. (John 15:4-5; 1 Corinthians 10:17; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:15-16; Colossians 1:18-28.) Jesus here assigns their ministration to his disciples as the reason for their inheriting the kingdom and the blessings of heaven. There seems to be a climax in the enumeration of the ministrations mentioned here; they are food, drink, shelter, and then clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and comforting the prisoner. These are voluntary acts of self-forgetting love and reveal the type of character that may enjoy the bliss of heaven.
41-46 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand.— There is a wide contrast between that which was said and done to those on the right hand and those on the left hand; first there was a separation of the two, and as the judgment proceeds the separation widens until they are as far apart as heaven and hell. “Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.” The curse is only the announcement and sealing of the woes which are the due returns of their sins. There is no middle ground between it and the reward of the holy life. “Eternal fire” is the term used to express the fearful doom of the wicked. As the wicked will be raised from the dead, they must suffer the horrors of mind and soul; they shall suffer an increase of punishment from that which they suffered on earth. Fire now gives the severest possible pain; it is used to express the greatest degree of anguish of soul; this anguish continues through eternity. Hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels,” not for man. Heaven was prepared for man, and hell prepared for the devil and his angels; but some men fit themselves for the companionship of “the devil and his angels,” and must he assigned to their destiny.
Eternal punishment is one of the subjects of which the mind can form but feeble conceptions; the language of man cannot describe accurately such punishment. The punishment of the wicked as given by Jesus in this scene was because they had neglected to do the righteous deeds that the other class had done.
Nothing is said about their wickedness otherwise; they are not accused of being notorious murderers and outlaws, but simply had neglected to do that which they had opportunity to do. They had failed to feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty and lodge strangers, clothe the naked and minister to the sick and encourage those in prison in the name of Christ. They are represented as asking when they failed to do this, and received the same reply, “Inasmuch as ye did it not unto one of these least, ye did it not unto me.” A failure to meet the needs and distresses of the Lord’s people was a failure to minister unto him. Their primal and all-comprehensive sin is the rejection of Christ through the ministration to his disciples. From this cause, whatever sins they have committed stand unforgiven; they stand without a cover in all their life’s guilt, in complete exposure to the full unrestrained measure of justice without mercy. It is not probable that such a conversation will take place at the judgment, but Jesus represents this teaching in the form of a conversation to impress it upon all.
And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.—Verse forty-six is a repetition of the final award of the righteous as in verse thirty-four, and of the wicked as in verse forty-one. They are brought together here side by side and repeated for the purpose of showing the contrast in the strongest light. Nothing is added here to the reward of the righteous as given in verse thirty-four, and nothing is added to the doom of the wicked as given in verse forty-one; but these opposite destinies are set here, the one over against the other in order to heighten the moral impression of each by the force of contrast. It is worthy of note to observe that “eternal” is from the Greek “aionios” and belongs with equal force to the punishment and to life. Both the punishment for the wicked and life for the righteous are “eternal.” One state is coequal with the other and both are endless. God has interwoven the two, so that the man who will attempt to deny the flames of hell must deny the joys of heaven.
The pains of hell are repeatedly declared as ceaseless. “Everlasting burnings” (Isaiah 33:14); “shame and everlasting contempt” (Daniel 12:2); “eternal fire” (Matthew 18:8); “eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:2); “eternal sin” (Mark 3:29); “the blackness of darkness hath been reserved for ever” (Jude 1:13). We are assured here that the state and condition of all men will be eternal.
There are some who hold that the righteous are raised from the dead at a first resurrection one thousand years before the resurrection of the wicked at a second resurrection; such a position is out of harmony with the entire scene of the judgment as described here by Jesus. At the second coming of Christ, at an unknown time, stand the righteous and the wicked at once before the judgment bar of God, and listen in common to each other’s trial and sentence before either passes to his final doom. The punishment of the wicked is without end and without remedy there is no desire on the part of God to injure in the divine punishment; all is done that can be done in righteousness to reform the sinner before that great day; and when there is no hope of his becoming righteous, there is nothing left but punishment and exclusion from heaven. This is the best that can be done for him; it is the necessary result of his character; it is necessary for the protection of righteousness; it is necessary as a warning, and means of persuading others to become righteous, hence it should be preached as Jesus taught it.
[This shows that Jesus was better pleased when they helped the needy, not knowing they were doing it to Jesus and expecting no reward, than if they had done it to him, and so expecting a reward. Then those who failed to do it to the humble brethren of Jesus because they did not know they were doing it to Jesus and thought they would receive no reward, were turned aside to the place prepared for the devil and his angels. This shows that the spirit that does things only as one understands good will come to him for it is not the spirit most pleasing to God. He makes known to man the blessings that will come through obedience, because man in his weakness and perversity needs the spur that fear gives to lead him to obedience; but God prefers the obedience that comes from the love that casts out fear. This was the obedience that Jesus rendered.]