MATTHEW CHAPTER 25.
VIEW FOOTNOTES
The Parable of the Ten Virgins.
Matt. 25,1-13.
The delay of the bridegroom: V.
1. Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. V. 2. And five of them were
wise, and five were foolish. V. 3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and
took no oil with them; v. 4. but the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. V. 5. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
This parable is connected very closely with the preceding admonitions of the
Lord, urging watchfulness and faithfulness, faith and love. The nearer the time
of His departure, the more earnestly He strove to impress upon His disciples the
need of the Christian virtues which are necessary for a living, active
Christianity. "Therefore this parable, to summarize, does not indicate
anything else than that we should watch and not be too secure, since we do not
know when the day of the Lord is coming…. For all of it is spoken against our
carelessness, the accusation being that we are far too secure, and always think;
There is no danger, the last day is not coming for a long time. Against this
Christ and the apostles cry out, bidding us take heed for that day, watch, and
be in lasting fear, lest it find us unprepared. Therefore those that watch will
receive the Lord with His grace, those that are secure will find Him a merciless
Judge." 191) Ten virgins are mentioned in the parable, not with any special
significance, but as a round number. The number of virgins of the bride-chamber
varied in Oriental weddings, being largely determined by the wealth of the
parents. The wedding-feast evidently was to be held at the home of the bride,
late in the evening, according to Jewish custom, and the bridegroom was expected
any minute with his friends. So the ten virgins fared forth in festal array to
meet the bridegroom and to accompany him to his destination. All of them took
their lamps, small, saucer-shaped vessels with a cover; in the middle of which
was a small hole for pouring in the oil and for providing air; at one side a
spout protruded and the wick came out through this. Such a lamp would not
contain enough oil to burn all night, so that to carry it to a prolonged
wedding-feast without an extra supply of oil was a strong example of
improvidence.192) The wise virgins, that were thoughtful and used foresight,
took an additional supply of oil with them in vessels provided for that purpose;
the foolish and improvident, that refused to heed the necessity, took their
lamps only. "When the Kingdom is preached, these are the results: Some
receive it with all their heart and are serious about it, believe the Word, make
the most strenuous efforts to practice good works, let their lamps shine before
the world; for they are well provided with lamps and oil, that is, with faith
and love: these are represented by the wise virgins. Then there are some that
also accept the Gospel, but are sleepy, are not serious about it, think they can
succeed with their works, are secure, and believe it can be paid for with works;
those are indicated in the foolish virgins. In Scripture those are called
foolish that do not obey the Word of God, but follow their own mind, will not be
taught, accept no opinion but their own. But it will happen to them at last as
it here happened to the foolish virgins. These two kinds of people are in this
Kingdom, namely, where the Gospel and the Word of God is preached and there
should be exercise of faith: some follow, some do not follow…. Remember, then,
in this Gospel that the lamps without oil signify a mere external thing and a
bodily exercise with
The coming of the bridegroom: V.
6. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye
out to meet him. V. 7. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. V.
8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are
gone out. V. 9. But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there be not enough
for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. V.
10. And. while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut. After an unusually
long delay, after they had almost given up all hopes, some one, having been
aroused by the noise of the approaching company of the bridegroom, gave the
alarm. All of the virgins quickly jumped up and trimmed the wicks of their
lamps, in order that they might be burning with full brightness as they entered
into the wedding-feast. But the improvident virgins were not ready for the
emergency, their lamps, whose oil had been consumed, were at the point of going
out, there was a mere glimmering of a dry wick. But their appeal to the prudent
virgins met with a cold reception. If their request were granted, there was
danger that they all would lack oil and be refused admission to the marriage
festival. This is not selfishness, but sound prudence. In the emergency of
Christ's coming to Judgment, the helpfulness of the Christian life is a thing of
the past, and the bands of friendship and even of the closest relationship are
torn asunder. The time of grace is at an end. The merchants, the dispensers of
God's grace, have definitely closed their shops. Every one must stand on his own
merits. "That is a clap of thunder against those that rely upon the merits
of the saints and other people; since none of them has enough for himself, not
to speak of having something left over to impart to others. Therefore, when they
now want to come and knock, and would also like to go in to the wedding, they
will have to hear, as did the foolish virgins: I know you not; those that were
to come in have come in. That will be a terrible sentence." 194) The
frantic attempts of the imprudent virgins to provide fuel for their lamps were
without avail. And, in the mean time, the festival procession reached the home
of the bride. Those that were fully prepared in every respect went with the
bride
Too late: V. 11. Afterward came
also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. V. 12. But he answered
and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. V. 13. Watch therefore, for ye
know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh. When it was
too late, the other virgins came. It is not stated whether they had any success
in their quest. But they made an attempt to gain admittance to the
wedding-feast. Without success! With solemn emphasis they are told: I know you
not. Their terror, repentance, and despair "have come too late; they have
neglected their opportunity; they have forfeited their happiness.
The Lord adds the solemn warning of chapter 24, 42 once more, urging constant,
ceaseless watchfulness, since the day and the hour of His coming is hidden from
the knowledge of men. To summarize: The bridegroom is Jesus Christ, John 3, 29.
The feast is the blessedness of heaven prepared for all His true followers. The
foolish virgins are such as have indeed received faith, but have kept only its
outward semblance, hoping to find acceptance on the strength of past merits. The
wise virgins are such as are careful about providing and keeping fuel for their
faith, in order that their lamps may not be extinguished at a critical time. The
oil is the grace and salvation of God offered and given in the Word, by the work
of the Holy Ghost. The bridegroom is apparently delaying His coming, 2 Pet. 3,
9. But He will surely make His appearance for the last great judgment at a time
when He is least expected. At that time every one will stand and fall with his
own faith, and those that are lacking in its power must accept the fate which
they have brought upon themselves: exclusion from the bridal feast of the Lamb.
The Parable of the Talents.
Matt. 25, 14-30.
The talents entrusted: V. 14.
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called
his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. V. 15. And unto one he gave
five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his
several ability; and straightway took his journey. V. 16. Then he that had
received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other
five talents. V. 17. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other
two. V. 18. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid
his lord's money. The transition from the previous parable to this one is
very abrupt, indicating a very close connection in thought. It is the question
of faithfulness and its test in the judgment of the last great day. Since the
hour of the Lord's return is unknown to us, and since He will require a
reckoning from us, therefore the lesson of this parable is so important. The
master, in preparing for his journey, called his own servants, his favorite
slaves, of whose faithfulness and willingness to serve he was convinced, and
gave his wealth into their keeping, entrusting to one of them five talents, each
talent of silver being worth about $1,200, to a second two, and to a third only
one. He had carefully observed them, and was convinced that the amount given to
each to do business with corresponded with his business ability. After the
master had left, the first servant lost no time in investing the money he had
received profitably. So well did he succeed in his business ventures that he had
soon doubled his capital. In the same way the second servant gained two talents
by the judicious investment of the two entrusted to him. But the third servant
lacked both energy and enterprise. He dug a hole in the ground, and hid the
talent of silver there.
The accounting of the good
servants; V. 19. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and
reckoneth with them. V. 20. And so he that had received five talents came and
brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents;
behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. V. 21. His lord said unto
him, Well done, thou. good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of
thy lord. V. 22. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside
them. V. 23. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things;
enter thou into the joy of thy lord. When a long time had elapsed, during
which they might easily find or make opportunity to make safe and judicious, but
well-paying investments, the lord came. He at once holds a conference with his
servants and broaches the question of business in his absence. Proudly the first
servant came forward and carried with him not only the original sum of money,
but also the money he had gained by his hard work and careful business
enterprise. He presents the money and holds it out for verification. The master
was highly pleased, not so much at the sum of money gained as at the faithful
work of the servant. He assures him that he has done excellently well; he calls
him a devoted and faithful servant. And his reward would be that he would have a
far greater sphere of activity in the service of his master, since such business
ability, coupled with such energy, enthusiasm, and trustworthiness, was worthy
of a larger field. And he was to share in the returns of his labors by becoming,
in a way, the partner of the master, and enjoying the fruits of wider
usefulness. In exactly the same way the second servant now stepped forward, and
in the same modest, unassuming, but effective way made his report concerning the
investments he had made with the master's money. And he also was praised in the
same way, commended highly for the course he had pursued, and rewarded in the
identical terms as the other man, since his devotion and fidelity in his own
sphere had been just as great as that of his fellow-servant with greater
financial genius.
The accounting of the lazy servant:
V. 24. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew
thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering
where thou hast not strewed; v. 25. and I was afraid, and went and hid thy
talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast that is thine. V. 26. His lord answered
and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap
where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed. V. 27. Thou oughtest,
therefore, to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I
should have received mine own with usury. V. 28. Take therefore the talent from
him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. V. 29. For unto every one that
hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not
shall be taken away even that which he hath. V. 30. And cast ye the unprofitable
servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. The whining, disagreeable wretch of a servant is excellently
portrayed. Slinking forward, he brought his one lonely talent, and then tried to
make a defense of his inexcusable conduct. As usual in such cases, he tried to
put the blame upon the master. He believed the master to be hard, avaricious,
grasping, ungenerous, with no love and reward for his servants, who were forced
to slave and toil unremittingly to increase his gains, without receiving any
share in the harvest which their hands produced — the old cry of labor against
capital. He intimates that he did not want to do a thing more than he was
absolutely obliged to for such a master, since it did not pay; do only and
exactly as much as is demanded, but not a shred more. And so in the fear of his
cowardly heart, he himself did not know what about, he had hidden the talent,
which he now produced. But in these words he pronounced his own sentence. If he
believed that to be the character of his master, he should have acted in
accordance with his judgment. Without in any way hurting himself and straining
his own energy and business ability, he could have carried the money to the
bank, where the money-changers would have been glad to invest the silver for him
and give the master interest into the bargain. The sentence of the master is
therefore quickly passed upon him. He calls him a wicked, mean-spirited servant,
one of those small souls that never rise above the dirt. The real trouble with
him is laziness, together with lack of appreciation of the chances offered him.
And so his one talent is to be taken from him and added to the ten talents of
the one whose energy and ambition shone forth in comparison with this sluggard.
The proverbial saying used once before, chapter 13, 12, again finds its
application. The reward of success is further success, while the penalty of
failure goes to enrich the successful, true in the spiritual as well as in the
temporal field. And the useless servant would have leisure to repent of his
sloth in the dungeon, with weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Christ's meaning is plain. The rich
man is God Himself. The servants are those that profess faith in Him, who are
His followers. To these God delivers spiritual gifts and goods, the means of
grace, His Holy Spirit, all the Christian virtues, ability along the various
lines of work in His kingdom. To every one, to each individual, God has given
spiritual gifts to be used in His service, 1 Cor. 7, 7; 1 Pet. 4, 10. He knows
the intellectual as well as the moral strength of every one, and is sure that He
expects too much from no one. But He wants to see results, in the individual and
in the whole Church. He wants to have each one invest the talents he has
received with all energy, to work unceasingly in His service. It pleases Him to
give a reward of mercy to those that are faithful in these small things, in
their own little sphere. To them He will give a partnership in the joys of the
Kingdom above. But woe unto the small, mean-spirited weakling, the slothful
servant, that refuses to invest his talent, to make use of his gifts and
abilities in that sphere of activity where the Lord has placed him. He thereby
shows that he is not worthy of the Lord's bounty and cares nothing for His
grace. There are few excuses so poor and so miserable in sound as those by which
professing Christians attempt to evade work in the Church. All the more
terrible, then, will be the Lord's sentence: From him that hath not even that
which he hath shall be taken away.
The Last Judgment.
Matt. 25, 31-46.
V. 31. When the Son of Man shall
come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the
throne of His glory; v. 32. and before Him shall be gathered all nations. And He
shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the
goats. V. 33. And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the
left. The reckoning as it will finally be made is here described;
for the day of doom is inevitable. Another impressive passage, awesome in its
very simplicity, in the absence of all seeking for effect. He who was within two
days to celebrate His last Passover on earth and then to be crucified, here
fitly sets forth the glory of His triumph, as Jerome remarks. In glory, the
glory of heaven, the glory of His Father, the glory which was His before the
world began, before He entered into the weakness and lowliness of our sinful
flesh, He will come, accompanied by all the angels, as His messengers,
ministers, and courtiers. Through their services He will cause all the nations
of the world, both Jews and Gentiles, to be assembled before Him. He will then
set each kind of people in a separate place, in the same way as the shepherd
keeps the sheep separated from the goats, the one division being placed on the
right side of the throne of glory, the other on the left. Note: There are only
two divisions on the last day; no social distinctions, no preference by rank and
wealth, no neutral people; in one or the other of the two assemblies every
person in the world will find himself, inevitably, without escape, in the one
case; with no desire to escape, in the other. That is the first act of the
Judgment, the separating, the fixing of an impassable gulf. The sheep are those
that followed the great Shepherd, Jesus, willingly, that heard His voice, the
believers; the goats are those that refused obedience to His gentle rule, that
were disobedient to the Gospel, the unbelievers, the hypocrites among the
Christians, the entire godless world.
The sentence upon the righteous: V.
34. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
V. 35. For I was an hungred, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me
drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in; v. 36. naked, and ye clothed Me; I
was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me. V. 37. Then
shall the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, and
fed Thee? or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? V. 38. When saw we Thee a stranger,
and took Thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? V. 30. Or when saw we Thee sick or
in prison, and came unto Thee? V. 40. And the King shall answer and say unto
them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me. In this picture, the Judge
stands out most strongly: the former lowly and despised Nazarene, now the King
of glory, King of kings, and Lord of lords. This King calls those at His right
hand the blessed of His Father, since they by faith received the benediction of
the Father, by which all good gifts were imparted to them, and by which they
became the children of God. Having continued in this faith, they are now,
spiritually considered, become of age. They are to enter upon the undisputed
possession and enjoyment of their inheritance, of the estate which has been
prepared and ready for them since the foundation of the world, since the eternal
counsel of God for the salvation of mankind was made, Eph. 1, 4. It is a kingdom
which they are about to inherit, for they have been made kings and priests unto
God, His Father, Rev. 1, 6. And the reason for this wonderful gift? A reward for
their faith, as shown in the ordinary, everyday deeds of kindness to the lowly
brethren of Christ: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, showing
hospitality to the stranger, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and
imprisoned; outward expressions of love flowing from the love of Christ, as an
evidence of faith. Christ expects no heroic acts. He demands no miracles, but He
will judge the world in righteousness, making these deeds of kindness and
charity the basis of His judgment; for it is impossible to perform even the
smallest act of kindness in His spirit without faith in Him in the heart. The
humility of the believers may cause them to disclaim any personal knowledge of
Him and therefore of any personal service rendered to Him; but Christ quickly
instructs them on this point, telling them that such works, done without all
ostentation, without any idea of personal gain, are in reality the truest
service they can render to Him.
The sentence upon the unrighteous: V.
41. Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. V. 42. For
I was an hungred, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no
drink; v. 43. I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me
not; sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not. V. 44. Then shall they also
answer Him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee an hungred, or athirst, or a
stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee? V.
45. Then shall He answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did
it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me. V. 46. And these shall
go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. A
fearful arraignment and a just of those on the left hand of the King: Instead of
the "Blessed" which they expected a "Cursed," instead of the
"Come" a "Depart from Me." Several very important points: He
does not say, Cursed of My Father, for they have brought the curse upon
themselves. The everlasting fire was not prepared for them, but "really
only for the devil and his angels. And this fire was not prepared from the
beginning of the world, God had no counsel according to which He willed the
damnation of any man. They have no one to blame but themselves, this just
sentence strikes them by no one's fault but their own. By the same method of
appraisal of values which Christ used in the case of the righteous, they have
been weighed and found wanting. They have not spent their life in the activity
of good works flowing from the love of Christ. They may have gloried in deeds
which are accounted great in the sight of men, and which are wont to receive
headline notices in the daily papers. But in the peculiar works of true charity,
in the little deeds of service from day to day, in that life of kindness which
is the natural outflow of a heart filled with faith and love toward Christ, they
have been altogether deficient. Therefore all their works, even those upon which
they have prided themselves, were evil, since they were not of faith. And who
can picture the terror of the hypocrites among the Christians, "that had
the form of godliness, but denied the power thereof, when on the Last Day their
lack of mercy is reckoned against them! True, if Christ were to appear in person
on earth, with a proper press-agent and manager, undoubtedly the world would be
willing enough to dine Him and fete Him. But that is not the service He is
looking for. What is done to one of the least of these, His brethren, in simple
love, flowing like a pure stream, from a heart filled with faith in Him, that is
recorded as being done to Him. As for the unrighteous, their doom is sealed:
everlasting punishment is their lot, while the righteous, those justified
through their faith in the Redeemer, will go into everlasting life. The former,
by their own fault, have forfeited the happiness of Christ's love and eternal
glory; the latter, through the love and mercy of Jesus, which have become theirs
by faith, will inherit the joys of everlasting blessing.
Summary. In order to
emphasize the need of watchfulness and faithfulness, Jesus tells the parables of
the ten virgins and of the talents, and gives a detailed description of the Last
Judgment.