Continuing a Bible study of the gospel accounts:
(Matthew 25:1) "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
At the end of the last chapter Jesus had been telling His disciples to be ready for His second coming, but that no one would know the exact day or hour He would return. He now began a parable about ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom who would be coming. This parable He likened to the kingdom of heaven. The ten virgins were bridesmaids who went to meet the groom to take him to his bride. The bridegroom represents the coming Messiah, and the virgins or bridesmaids represent the Christian church. The coming of Christ to receive His people to Himself is often represented as a marriage, the church being represented as His bride.
(2) "And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) They who were foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them. (4) But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps."
Jesus called five of the virgins wise and five of them foolish. The ones He called foolish took their lamps, but they took no extra oil with them. The wise virgins took extra oil in containers along with their lamps. The five foolish virgins probably expected that the bridegroom would come immediately; they therefore made no provision for any delay. The wise virgins knew that the time of His coming was uncertain, and they therefore prepared themselves with extra oil. Of course, this represents how Christians should be vigilant and look for their coming Messiah, but knowing not when He will come, should also be ready at all times.
(5) "While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept."
The bridegroom took longer to arrive than they had expected, and while waiting, all the virgins slept. Just as the bridegroom tarried, so does Christ. Life goes on and all sleep, but some are ready for His coming at any unexpected time, and some are not.
(6) "And at midnight there was a cry made, 'Behold, the bridegroom comes; go out to meet him!'"
At midnight, when least expected, when all were asleep, the bridegroom came "as a thief in the night" (2 Peter 3:10). All were called to go meet him.
(7) "Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps."
Then all the virgins got up and prepared their lamps to go out and meet the bridegroom.
(8) "And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.'"
The foolish virgins who had not been prepared with extra oil found their lamps had completely gone out, and asked for oil from the wise virgins who had prepared.
(9) "But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there not be enough for us and you, but go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves.'"
The wise virgins refused, saying that there would not be enough oil for them all. They suggest that they go quickly to buy their own oil. These virgins represent Christians who would have been companions, and there would have been a time when they would have helped one another. But now the time was past. The bridegroom, Christ, was there, and He was the most important! The wise virgins or Christians are spiritually ready to meet Christ, but the foolish are not. Spiritual faith and readiness are not something that can be shared; one must have his own, so the wise virgins gave the only advice they could, to hurry and get their own, although in reality, it was too late.
(10) "And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they who were ready went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut."
While the foolish virgins went out to buy more oil, to try to fully ready themselves, the bridegroom came and all the ready virgins went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. When all the truly faithful Christians are received into heaven, the door will be closed to all others. It will be too late to prepare once Christ has come and taken His bride.
(11) Afterward the other virgins came, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) But he answered and said, 'Verily, I say to you, I do not know you.'"
The foolish virgins returned then ready, crying desperately to get into the wedding feast. However, the bridegroom answered that he did not know them, as Christ will not acknowledge mere externally professing Christians who actually have no true faith in and love for their Lord.
(13) "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming."
The moral of Jesus's story was, of course, to always watch for and be ready for the day when He would return.
(14) "For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods."
Jesus began another parable to describe what the kingdom of heaven was like. He told of a man who was going to travel to a faraway land, and called his servants to him to put all his goods into their hands while he was away. This represents God who has left His children in charge of His church while He is away.
(15) "And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his abilities; and immediately he took his journey."
Apparently, the man also left his money in the hands of his servants. A talent was the largest unit of measurement of weight, equal to about 75 pounds. A talent measured precious metals, usually gold or silver, so it was a large amount of money he left in the hands of his servants. He left different amounts to each of his three servants, depending upon their abilities. This represents God's people He brought into this world with different talents or spiritual gifts, some born in better places with better opportunities than others. God left us here with His word and the gifts He gave us, as the man left his servants and took his journey to a faraway land.
(16) "Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made five other talents."
The servant who had received the five talents went and traded or invested it and made five more talents, doubling his master's money. This represents the Christian who takes the many gifts he has been given by his Father in heaven and invests them in good works according to the will of God.
(17) "And likewise he who had received two also gained another two."
Likewise, the servant who had received two talents, representing another child of God who may not have had as many gifts or opportunities to do good, but still doubled his master's money.
(18) "But he who had received one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money."
The servant who had received just one talent did nothing with the talent, but just buried it. This represents the person who may have little abilities and little opportunity to do good works, and uses that as an excuse to do nothing. However, any situation in which God has placed us is a place where we may do good according to His will. I love this statement by Albert Barnes in his Notes on the Bible, "A humble Christian, by his life, example, and conversation, may often do much more good than 'is' done by those in more elevated stations and with far greater gifts."
(19) "After a long time, the lord of those servants came and settled with them."
This, of course, represents the return of our Lord or our returning to Him upon death when we give an account for what we have done with the gifts and opportunities He gave us.
(20) "And so he who had received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; behold, I have gained besides them, five talents more.'"
The servant who had been given five talents came before his lord with those and another five talents he had gained for him. It appears this servant came cheerfully and confidently to his master to give his account, just as we may come before our Lord unashamed and with boldness when we are covered with the pure white cloak of Jesus covering our sins (1 John 4:17, 2 John 2:28).
(21) "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things; enter into the joy of your lord.'"
The master of the household commended this servant on a job well done, and proclaimed that since he had been so faithful in a few things, he would make him a ruler over many more things, and invited him to share in the pleasures and enjoyments of his palace with him. This represents the Christian servant who took the gifts and opportunities given to him by the Lord and used them to grow the kingdom of God on earth. That good and faithful servant will be promoted to great honors in heaven, and be a partaker of the joy of his Lord in heaven. However, this is not to be understood as a works based system, that the one with the most good works gets the best prize. More is expected of the person who has received more gifts and opportunities and even understanding and knowledge of the Lord. We are to build on and share our faith where we are planted in the world in whatever capacity we may have been given.
(22) "He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them.'"
The servant who had received two talents also came before his lord to tell him he had taken the two talents his lord had given him and gained two additional talents.
(23) "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; 'You have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things; enter into the joy of your lord.'"
Note that the second servant who had been given less received the same commendation and rewards, for he had taken what he had been given, though less than what was given to the first servant, and multiplied it.
(24) "Then he who had received one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not strewn. (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth; lo, you have what is yours.'"
The third servant in his account for himself blamed his lord for his lack of service. He said he knew him to be a hard man, reaping benefits where he had not sown. This is a perfect example of the person who sees God as angry and vengeful, expecting more from His people than He has given them. He said he was afraid of his lord and went and hid his talent in the ground, and now brought it back to his lord. This represents the sinner who never took the time to really know his Lord, and just gave up his life as it had been given him with nothing of spiritual faith and growth to show for it.
(26) "His lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not strewn, (27) You ought to have therefore put my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received my own with interest.'"
His lord called this last servant wicked and lazy. So he thought his master to be one who reaped where he had not sown and gathered where he had not scattered? Well then, that servant should have, at the very least, put his talent in the bank and at least gained a little interest if he "knew" that his lord expected to gain extra. This is the person who took no pains to know Jesus and neglected the gifts that were in him; he buried his spiritual gifts deep within himself. It is wickedness to throw away God's gifts, and when not filled with the Holy Spirit, evil spirits move in.
(28) "Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (29) For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has shall be taken away."
The lord of the household told his servants to take the talent from the lazy servant and give it to the one who had ten talents. This is just as God will do if one will not do according to His will; He will give the means to someone else to do it, and that person will have more than what he had; he will have abundance said Jesus.
(30) "And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
The unprofitable servant was to be cast out and he would be full of anguish. Just for being unprofitable? He didn't actively do anything wicked. However, he was an unproductive servant, and of no use to his master. Christ's Christian servants on earth are to be productive. As was said before, that doesn't mean that every Christian must be active in missions on the other side of the world, but we can have a ministry right where we are planted. We can share Christ's love and do good whenever it is in our power to do so. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit of God, we will act in love, for God is love.
(31) "When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He shall sit on the throne of His glory."
Jesus now began to describe the time He would come again to judge the world. He would come in glory with His holy angels all about Him, and He would sit on His throne.
(32) "And before Him will be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats."
Imagine all people of all nations of the world gathered before Jesus on His throne! We don't know exactly how this will be done, but you can be sure it will be accomplished! Christ, the judge, will then separate the wheat from the tares, or the sheep from the goats.
(33) "And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left."
Christ's sheep, His true followers, He will place on His right, the place of honor; and the goats, the wicked, will be placed on His left, denoting dishonor and condemnation.
(34) "Then shall the King say to them on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'"
The Lord Jesus, the King of all the universe, will call His followers blessed by His Father and invite them to be received as children of God and receive their inheritance in the kingdom of God, as He had planned for His people since the beginning of the world.
(35) "For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in. (36) Naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."
Jesus will commend His people for all the loving deeds they did in the world, feeding the hungry, taking people in, providing for the poor, and visiting the sick and incarcerated. Every loving act done for another person Jesus considers done for Himself.
(37) "Then the righteous shall answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and fed You, or thirsty, and gave You drink?' (38) 'When did we see You a stranger and took You in, or naked and clothed You?' (39) 'Or when did we see You sick or in prison, and came to You?'"
Those righteous people (righteous through the blood of Jesus Christ) whom Christ brings into His kingdom, will wonder when they did those good deeds to Him, indicating humility and a feeling that their poor acts of kindness come so far short of what they should have been that they have no claim to praise or reward. However, God is love, and He very much views acts of love as worthy of praise.
(40) "And the King shall answer and say to them, 'Verily, I say to you, inasmuch as you have done to one of the least of these My brethren, you have done to Me.'"
Christ will indeed explain to them that whenever they did any act of kindness to even the very least among them, He considered that act done to Him.
(41) "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'"
Jesus will also speak to those on His left hand, calling them cursed for having sinned against God and never showing repentance and making Jesus the Lord of their lives, therefore covering their sins. He will tell them to depart from Him, and condemn them into the everlasting fire that had been long before prepared for Satan and his demons. We can deduce from this that hell was never meant for human souls. However, those who choose to serve Satan rather than God, will be counted as Satan's demons.
(42) "For I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink. (43) I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me."
The reason Jesus will give for telling those on His left to depart from Him into the everlasting fire is because they never did any loving acts for Him; in doing those loving acts for the least of folks, they would have been doing them for His poor brethren. This is not to suggest that just by doing good works may a person get into heaven. Back in Matthew 7:23, Jesus said He would tell some who claimed they had done good works in His name to depart from Him as He never knew them. He did not intimately know them as their Lord and Savior. Jesus knows the heart, and He knows who performs acts of true love and who doesn't.
(44) "Then they also shall answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?'"
Just as the righteous did not recognize their good deeds, it seems the wicked won't recognize their deeds either. Surely, even some of the wicked would have ministered to Jesus if they had known it was Him!
(45) "Then He shall answer them, saying, 'Verily, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do to one of the least of these, you did not do to Me.'"
Jesus will answer those on His left who ask when they failed to minister to Him, that because they never did a loving act for the least of His brethren on earth, they failed to do it for Him.
(46) "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
Jesus stated that those souls on His left would go into everlasting punishment, represented by eternal hellfire. Those righteous souls would have eternal life with Him. We must remember that we are righteous only because Jesus has covered and removed our sins with the atonement that is only found in His precious blood. It is then that we are able to do selfless acts of love for those less fortunate than we are, because He first loved us, and we do those things because of the love of God within us (1 John 4:19-21). For those universalists and others who think that a loving God would never so severely punish His people, I personally don't see it as an action of punishing. We have all sinned and none of us are righteous (Romans 3:10) and able to stand in the presence of God. However, because of the love and mercy He had for us, God took on human form in the body of Jesus and came to earth to provide the ultimate blood sacrifice and atonement for our sins. He lovingly offers this gift of salvation to anyone who will take it. However, He does not force us to accept it. If we refuse, then He simply turns away from us as we have suggested by our actions we want. When God turns away from us and does not take us with Him into everlasting life in heaven, then there is no place else to go but into the pits of hell, and that is a self-inflicted severe punishment.
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