Matthew 25: End of time dealings & accounting

• v.1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Bridesmaids)
• v.14-30 The Parable of the Bags of Gold
• v.31-46 The Sheep and the Goats

[Preliminary Note: This chapter is all about what Jesus expects to find at the end of time when he returns. First, there is the call to be prepared, Spirit filled and led believers. Second, he expects to find a people who have taken what he has given them and used it, as an expression of their faith, showing they are a ‘faith people’. Third, similarly, he expects their faith to be worked out in practical ‘good’ living, expressing his heart.]

v.1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Bridesmaids)

v.1-4 Differences between the waiting wise and unwise

v.1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

v.2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

v.3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

v.4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

[Note: [continuing from previous chapter] Near the end it will be like waiting for a wedding. [Our equivalent] Ten bridesmaids were waiting for the bridegroom to arrive. Foolish ones carried lamps but without oil, but the wise ones made sure their lamps had oil.]

v.5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

v.6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

v.7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

v.8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

v.9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

[Note: The bridegroom was delayed but eventually he arrived. Each girl got her lamp ready, but the lights of the foolish ones kept going out and the wise couldn’t help them.]

v.10-13 Consequences

v.10 “But 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.

v.11 Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

v.12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

v.13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

[Note: So the foolish ones missed the bridegroom coming when they went to get oil and were shut out from the celebration. Jesus denies knowing such unprepared people. The call is, therefore, to be alert and ready. Oil is always a picture of the Holy Spirit and thus this is a call to be born-again of the Spirit ,and Spirit-led, and Spirit-filled.]

v.14-30 The Parable of the Bags of Gold

v.14-18 Resources provided and used

v.14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

v.15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

v.16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

v.17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

v.18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

[Note: Another parable: Also, nearing the end will be like a man leaving home for a while and to one servant he gave five resources, to another two and another one – according to their ability/need. The one with five made five more, the one with two made two more, but the one with one hid it and did nothing with it.]

v.19-25 A time of accounting

v.19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

v.20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

v.21 “His master replied, ‘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!’

v.22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

v.23 “His master replied, ‘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!’

v.24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

v.25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

[Note: The master returned with expectations. The five-man reported and was praised and rewarded. The two-man similarly reported, and he too was praised and rewarded. The one-man made excuses for doing nothing, blaming the master, so handed back the one resource untouched.]

v.26-28 The one-bag man held to account

v.26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

v.27 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.

v.28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

[Note: The master berated him, you should know me better, you should have earned some interest at least on it, take it away from him!]

v.29,30 Principles laid down

v.29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

v.30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

[Note: He who has, will be given more and more [I expect them to use it] and the self-concerned one will be thrown out. This is all about believers fully entering into their salvation and using the resources they are given by God to be more fruitful, further extending the kingdom.]

v.31-46 The Sheep and the Goats

v.31-33 People separated at the Final Judgment

v.31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

v.32 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.

v.33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

[Note: When I return it will be to reign publicly and everyone will appear before me [to answer to me] and be judged. He will put the sheep on one side, the goats on the other.]

v.34-40 The ‘sheep’ are rewarded

v.34 “Then 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.

v.35,36 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.’

v.37-39 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

v.40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

[Note: The sheep will thus be rewarded with their inheritance, rewarded for blessing Jesus in the way they lived. They may wonder how they did that. Jesus says you did it to me when you did it to the least in the family of God.]

v.41-45 The ‘goats’ are punished

v.41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

v.42,43 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 you did not look after me.’

v.44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

v.45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

[Note: The goats will be consigned to destruction, for you didn’t bless me when I looked for it. How come, they will ask? By the way you ignored those who were needy.]

v.46 The Ultimate Divide

v.46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

[Note: Thus, they will go to total exclusion, the sheep to total blessing, that lasts for ever. The allegory is all about reflecting the goodness and love of Jesus in daily life, showing the reality of the Faith.

Additional Note: The above teaching is not salvation by works, but salvation that works, Jesus expecting to see fruit of our faith, worked out in daily life.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: