Description
In the parable of the ten virgins, Jesus emphasises the importance of Christians being ready for his coming. In the parable of the talents, he describes his end time judgment of Church leaders. In his judgment of the sheep and the goats, he describes his judgment of ordinary members of the Church.
Commentary
In this chapter, Jesus continues his focus on the condition of the end-time Church at his second coming. On this same theme, he told various parables that are recorded in Matthew 13, the Parable of the Wedding Banquet in Matthew 22, and the Parable of the Wise and Wicked Slaves in chapter 24.
Parable of the Ten Virgins (v1-13)
Having just delivered a parable about church leaders at the end of chapter 24, Jesus now focuses on Christians more generally, here in verses 1 to 13. He reuses the common biblical metaphor of the end-time wedding when God or Jesus comes to claim his bride. In this particular parable, he gives it a slight twist. Christians are represented not as the bride, but as the virgin bridesmaids. Jesus uses the wedding metaphor quite flexibly. In Matthew 9:15 and in Matthew 22, he likens believers to the wedding guests. In Revelation 19:7, the Church is the bride, whereas in Revelation 21:2, New Jerusalem is the bride.
Jesus also reuses the biblical metaphor of olive oil representing the Holy Spirit. Jesus pictures ten virgins, five foolish and five wise. All ten are waiting for the bridegroom to return, implying that all ten represent Christians, or at least people who are part of the Church and appear to be Christians. The bridegroom takes longer than anticipated, so it is midnight by the time that a shout goes out to announce that he has arrived. This shout represents the 'shout of command' and 'voice of the archangel' at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 11:15). All ten virgins are asleep, for which there is no rebuke since it is the middle of the night. But when they wake up, they must be ready to go out immediately and meet him. There is no further time for getting ready. The wise ones still have enough oil in their lamps and are ready to go and meet him. The foolish ones have run out, and need extra time to buy more oil and get ready. By the time they are ready, it is too late and the door to the wedding banquet has been shut. Despite their frantic banging on the door and pleading to be let in, it is useless. Jesus says, "I do not know you". In verse 13, Jesus summarises his main point, "Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour".
But is there any additional point? What does the olive oil really represent? What does it tell us about how Christians can be ready? Olive oil represents the Holy Spirit in many biblical passages (e.g. Exodus 29:7, 40:9, 2 Kings 9:3, Zechariah 4:1-6, Mark 6:13, James 5:14). In John 3:5-8, Jesus said to a religious leader called Nicodemus, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit". In other words, the virgins that have oil in their lamps represent Christians who have been truly born again. To be born again means to enter into a real living relationship with God through his Holy Spirit. It is not enough to be born of flesh into a Christian family, nor even to be born of water through baptism. A person only becomes a true believer when they are born again through the power of the Holy Spirit and enter into a living relationship with God. The parable of the ten virgins is a warning to the Church to make sure that everyone is truly born again. Otherwise, Christians are not ready for the second coming.
Another issue of concern is that many churches teach Christians to expect a 'Pre-Tribulation Rapture'. Their expectation is that Christians will be rescued before the Great Tribulation, and before all the trouble starts. Consequently, many churches think it unimportant to give Christians more than a simplistic and superficial understanding of the second coming. But what if they are wrong? We know that the rapture happens at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52). But what if the last trumpet is the seventh trumpet at the end of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:15)? How well will those Christians handle the delay when it means standing for Jesus through the Great Tribulation? If not taking the mark of the beast means you can't buy or sell (Revelation 13:17), and all your assets are frozen, how many of these Christians will still stand in the face of such financial loss? If the delay means facing persecution and even martyrdom (Revelation 6:11, 12:11, 13:15), how many Christians will stand true to Jesus? Christians will debate the timing of the rapture right up until the second coming, but it is not a trivial point of doctrine without consequences. Churches who get it wrong could leave their congregations dangerously unprepared for what lies ahead.
Given the night-time setting for this parable, the need for lamps, and Jesus' command, "Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour", it is also possible to interpret this parable as a call to 'day and night prayer' in the end times. Even though all of them were sleeping at midnight, the wise virgins were ready for action the moment they woke up. For more on the importance of prayer in the end times, including day and night prayer, see also Isaiah 62:1-7, Revelation 5:8, 8:4, 22:17, Matthew 25:1-13, and Luke 18:7.
The Parable of the Talents (v14-30)
In this parable, a man is going on a journey, and first entrusts his slaves with various amounts of his money, each according to his ability. The man clearly represents Jesus, and the slaves represent Christians. To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one talent.
In the ancient world, the talent was a measure of gold or silver (by weight), and was the largest unit of currency. A common talent weighed about 30 kg, but there was also a royal heavy talent that weighed about 60 kg. According to Wikipedia's 'Biblical and Talmudic units of measurement', 1st century Judea used the heavy talent and followed the Babylonian system of currency. According to that, a talent was equal to 60 minas, a mina equal to 60 shekels, and a shekel equal to 4 denarii, where a denarius was a standard day's pay for a manual labourer. So a talent was equal to 14,400 times a day's pay (60 x 60 x 4 = 14,400). Other sources equate the talent to 6,000 denarii, according to the Roman system of currency.
Today in the UK, an adult on minimum wage earns a little less than £100 per day. That means that in today's money, a talent was about £1 million sterling. So these slaves are given about £5 million, £2 million, and £1 million respectively. Although the Greek word 'doulos' means a slave or servant, sums of money and level of trust involved imply these were trusted managers of the man's estate, as in the parable of the clever steward (Luke 16:1-13). Later in the story, we see that two of these them have astute business skills. They know how to invest the money wisely, and are able to double their master's money. They are not menial servants who scrub floors or wash dishes in the kitchen. Like in the parable of the wise and wicked slaves at the end of the previous chapter, I would suggest these slaves represent Church leaders more than ordinary Christians. But whether they are Church leaders or ordinary Christians, the main point of this parable is the same.
In verses 19 to 23, the master returns after a long time, a clear hint from Jesus that it would be a long time between his first and second comings. He summons each of the slaves to settle accounts with them. The first two have each doubled their master's money and receive their master's praise, "Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master". This is what every Christian wants to hear at the judgment of believers. It is a promise not just of entrance into heaven, but of rewards for faithful service. If we are faithful in this life with the gifts God gives us, be they abilities, financial resources, or roles and responsibilities, we can look forward to multiplications and promotions in the age to come when we reign with Jesus (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6). Because there are rewards in the age to come, Jesus exhorts us not to store up treasures on earth, but instead to build our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
In verse 24, the third servant who received one talent has only one talent to return. He had just buried it in the ground for safe keeping, and now digs it up to return to his master. He explains to his master, "Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours". This is an interesting response. Anyone who has invested money, whether in stocks and shares, property, or their own business venture, knows that growing your money always involves an element of risk. You hope to grow your money, but equally you might lose money. Especially if you start a new business, it might take some time to break even (accounting for startup costs), and even longer to return a profit. The first two slaves were prepared to take that risk. The third one knew his master to be a hard man, and was afraid. What if he lost it? It wasn't that he lacked ability. We are told in verse 15 that each was given an amount appropriate to his ability. In verse 26, the master condemns this slave for being evil and lazy. He could have at least deposited the money in the bank. The bank produces a relatively low return on investment, but at least it is a low-risk investment and the slave could have been pretty confident of being able to return the money to his master, with interest. This slave is condemned. His one talent is given to the slave who already has ten talents, and this wicked slave is thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, an expression Jesus used repeatedly to describe hell.
The account of the wicked slave is like a parable within a parable. What does it mean? Let me draw a number of conclusions:
1) The wicked slave surely represents a Christian who holds a responsible position within the Church. But despite appearances, he isn't actually a real Christian. His unwillingness to take risks is a symptom of his lack of faith. This parable is yet another that presents the end-time Church as a mixed bag that Jesus must sort out at the judgment. Such judgment is Christ's concern, not ours, for he has told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1).
2) Jesus is not concerned with our ability to grow earthly wealth. The investment metaphor represents Christ's desire for us to help grow his kingdom. Jesus has saved us, not just for our own benefit, but that others may also be saved through our testimonies and examples of righteous living.
3) The master is a hard man whom the wicked slave fears. The bible teaches us to fear God, but there is a right kind of fear and a wrong kind. The right kind is a respectful awe of God's majesty that motivates us to faithful service, with a longing to please him. It is the fear of someone who loves God and is grateful for all that God has given them. The wrong kind of fear demotivates. It caused the wicked slave to be lazy.
4) The master confirms the wicked slave's opinion that he harvests where he did not sow, and gathers where he did not scatter seed. This is a fascinating statement! As in the parables in Matthew 13, the seed represents the Gospel. Harvesting represents Christ's judgment of the Church at the end of the age. Gathering probably means the same as harvesting, but might represent the rapture as in Matthew 24:31. Jesus is telling us that at the judgment, he will save some who never heard the Gospel.
Similarly, in Matthew 12:41-42, Jesus talked about how the people of Nineveh, and the Queen of Sheba, will rise up on judgment day and condemn many of the first century Jews who witnessed his miracles. The Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba represent people outside the recognised community of God's people (the Church), who respond to the revelation given them, and receive salvation through Christ. This does not mean that Mohammed, or Buddha, or any other false prophet will ever save anyone. There is no-one other than Jesus who can save a person (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). But at the judgment, Jesus will take into account what revelation people received, and how they responded. In Genesis 15, God revealed himself to Abraham in a vision. God told him, "Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be". Verse 6 then says, "Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty". In Romans 4:3 and James 2:23, Paul and James interpret this as proof that God credited Abraham with righteousness. An implication of this parable is that at the judgment, Jesus will credit some people with his righteousness, even though they never heard the Gospel or became part of the Church. Just as Abraham gazed at the stars and believed God, Paul argues in Romans 1:18-23 that God's invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, are made plain and can be known though his creation. Creation itself presents the Gospel, even if it is an incomplete Gospel. Paul's words in Romans 1 imply he had little confidence for most who receive only such a Gospel through Creation. But scripture implies that some will be saved, even if they are the exception rather than the rule. Paul makes a similar argument in Romans 10:14-21. He says in verse 18, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world". In other words, the Gospel is proclaimed universally to some degree. But in verses 14-17, he still emphasises the importance and necessity of Christians being sent out to preach the Gospel to those who have not heard. As Peter says in 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners?"
There is a fine line between this idea and what is called 'universalism'. Universalism teaches that it is unnecessary to preach the Gospel because people can be saved through all religions and all roads lead ultimately to God. That is not what Romans 1:21-32 teaches.
To conclude this point, the wicked slave in this parable represents a liberal Church leader who does not really have saving faith for his own salvation, and because of his universalist theology he is lazy when it comes to preaching the Gospel and growing Christ's kingdom. He doesn't think it is necessary. This parable is a damning rebuke of the liberal Church.
5) The wicked slave's talent is given to the slave who has ten talents. So the slave who started with five talents and earned five more now has eleven talents. In other words, the first two slaves have to account for their investments, but the master's return is not the end of their commission. The master wants them to carry on investing and growing his estate. This reflects continuity between this age and the next. The end of the age is not time for Christians to retire. Instead, if they have been faithful in this life, it is time for them to be promoted to even greater responsibilities in the age to come. As Isaiah 9:7 says of Christ's kingdom, "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (NIV). Similarly, one of Jesus' Old Testament messianic title is 'The Branch' (Isaiah 4:2, 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Zechariah 3:8, 6:12). This title reflects the continually growing nature of Christ's eternal kingdom.
The Judgment (v31-46)
In verses 31 to 46, Jesus describes the end-time judgment that takes place some time after his coming in glory, when he sits on his glorious throne. Let me first consider the timing of this event, before I look at its description.
Elsewhere in the bible, references to Christ's throne fit within a millennial context (Ezekiel 43:7, Jeremiah 3:17, Matthew 19:28, Revelation 20:4). Revelation 20:4 describes this judgment taking place after Satan has been locked up for a thousand years. According to Ezekiel 43:7, Christ's throne will be located within the millennial temple. Similarly, in Isaiah 6:1 when Isaiah saw God seated on his heavenly throne, it was located within the heavenly temple. So whether we are looking at God's heavenly throne, or his earthly throne, it belongs in the temple. It is likely that the third temple, which Antichrist desecrates (Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:4), will be destroyed in the course of end-time events, including the great earthquake of Revelation 16:18. It may take some time before the Millennial temple is built, and Christ's throne is set up within it. In Matthew 19:28-29, Jesus said to his twelve disciples, "I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life". We don't know how long this 'renewing of all things' will take, but this judgment may not follow immediately after Christ's victory at Armageddon. It is likely that the battle of Armageddon corresponds approximately with day 1,290 of Daniel 12:11-12. In verse 12, Daniel says, "Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days". We are not told exactly what happens on day 1,335, but I generally assume it to mark the end of this age and the beginning of the Millennium. Perhaps this is the point when this judgment takes place before Christ's throne. If so, it is about 45 days after the battle of Armageddon.
Having just said that Christ's throne will be located within the millennial temple, it is possible that in the case of this judgment event, the temple is to be understood metaphorically as in Ephesians 2:19-22. If you argue that the millennial temple only ever be metaphorical, you have to explain why it is described in such detail, as though it is a physical building, in Ezekiel 40-48. But it is possible that in the case of this judgment, Christ sits on his throne in the midst of his metaphorical temple, the Church. In that case, one might argue that this judgment and his coronation are different parts of the same event. Jesus is crowned on the clouds in the midst of believers from all nations who worship him (Daniel 7:13-14). Is this the point at which he then judges?
As Jesus described this judgment, he undoubtedly had Malachi 3:1-5 in mind. This is a second coming passage in which the Messiah comes 'suddenly to his temple' (v1). He comes like a refiner's fire and a launderer's soap to refine and purify Israel (v2-3). And he comes in judgment to testify against those who practice divination, commit adultery, break promises, and exploit the vulnerable (v5). Here in Matthew 25, Jesus picks up on this and focuses especially on how people treated the most vulnerable.
At this judgment, Jesus is the king - there is no metaphor there. He judges between the sheep and the goats. The sheep and goats metaphor goes back to the prophecies of Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 10. Jesus clearly also had these prophecies in mind as he described this judgment. In both prophecies, the sheep and goats are the people of Israel, and their shepherds are Israel's leaders. In both cases, God is angry with the shepherds, and judges them first before he judges between the sheep and the goats. Here in Matthew, the sheep and goats represent those in the Church, and shepherds would represent leaders in the Church. Jesus does not mention shepherds here because he has already just described the judgment of Church leaders in the parable of the tenants.
Relating this judgment to the Church, when in its Old Testament context it related to Israel, it is important to understand that from a New Testament perspective, the Church includes Israel. Christians today often think of the Church as a Gentile movement that has replaced Israel. But when the Church was founded on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), it was entirely a Jewish movement. It was only some years later that it began to welcome Gentiles (Acts 10). In Ephesians 2:11-22, the Apostle Paul pictures the Church as a new movement that joins the Jews and Gentiles into one new group that he calls 'one new man'. By about the 4th century AD, the Church had lost most of its Jewish identity, but in the end times, Israel will be restored to pride of place within the Church. As we look here at the judgment of the Church at the start of the Millennium, think of Church as that inclusive 'one new man'. By the time this judgment takes place, Jesus will have restored not only the Jews, but all twelve tribes of Israel (e.g. Isaiah 11:12-13, Jeremiah 3:17-18, Zechariah 10). It is the time when Jesus will confirm the New Covenant with 'the whole nation of Israel', as in Jeremiah 31:33, "But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people". At that point, 'the whole nation of Israel' will include all twelve tribes of Israel plus Gentiles. It is the 'one new man' which the New Testament calls the Church, in its millennial state.
So the sheep and the goats are individual members within the Church. The sheep represent true believers who will inherit Christ's kingdom (v34), and the goats represent false believers who will be cast into the eternal fire (v41). How will Jesus judge between the two? Today we tend to judge whether someone is a real Christian or not by assessing their theology. But Jesus judges between the two by assessing how much they cared for the weak and vulnerable among 'these brothers and sisters of mine'. As modern western Christians, we tend to place great importance on the 'soundness' of our theology. But we forget how incredibly privileged we are that we can easily buy a bible in our own native language, and can read and study it for ourselves whenever we wish. Most Christians throughout the history of the Church have been dependent for their theology on what they were taught by leaders in the Church, and had no personal direct access to the bible. I am not saying, of course, that theology is unimportant. But when Jesus assesses whether we truly love God, he assesses whether we loved our neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40). As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "You will recognise them by their fruit".
Who are 'these brothers and sisters of mine' in verse 40? Is Jesus talking about his Jewish brothers and sisters, about Christian brothers and sisters, or simply about anyone we come across who is vulnerable and in need of our help? I think that is very similar to the question "Who is my neighbour?" that Jesus was asked by an expert in the law (Luke 10:29). Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which he portrayed the Samaritan as the one who acted like a true neighbour. I think it would be a mistake to try to limit the scope of who qualifies as 'these brothers and sisters of mine'.
In this account, when the sheep helped the vulnerable, they were not aware they were serving Jesus. Neither were the goats aware that when they turned a blind eye to the needy, they were doing so to Jesus. I think a major point here is that Jesus will judge us by how we reacted to situations when we had no idea anyone was watching us.
Taking only Matthew 25, this judgment before Christ's glorious throne appears to be concerned only with whether or not we will enter his kingdom. But also taking into account Jesus' description of it in Matthew 19:28-30, it is clear that Jesus will also confer rewards at this time. He says, "And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first". It will certainly be a day full of surprises!
This judgment also raises an important question about the rapture (Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 24:16-17). It is commonly assumed that only true believers are raptured and that false Christians are left behind. But if the rapture separates the true from the false, then there is no need of this judgment that separates the sheep from the goats. Like the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40) and the Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50), this judgment seems to imply an inclusive rapture of all Christians, both true and false.
Parable of the Ten Virgins (v1-13)
Having just delivered a parable about church leaders at the end of chapter 24, Jesus now focuses on Christians more generally, here in verses 1 to 13. He reuses the common biblical metaphor of the end-time wedding when God or Jesus comes to claim his bride. In this particular parable, he gives it a slight twist. Christians are represented not as the bride, but as the virgin bridesmaids. Jesus uses the wedding metaphor quite flexibly. In Matthew 9:15 and in Matthew 22, he likens believers to the wedding guests. In Revelation 19:7, the Church is the bride, whereas in Revelation 21:2, New Jerusalem is the bride.
Jesus also reuses the biblical metaphor of olive oil representing the Holy Spirit. Jesus pictures ten virgins, five foolish and five wise. All ten are waiting for the bridegroom to return, implying that all ten represent Christians, or at least people who are part of the Church and appear to be Christians. The bridegroom takes longer than anticipated, so it is midnight by the time that a shout goes out to announce that he has arrived. This shout represents the 'shout of command' and 'voice of the archangel' at the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:16 and Revelation 11:15). All ten virgins are asleep, for which there is no rebuke since it is the middle of the night. But when they wake up, they must be ready to go out immediately and meet him. There is no further time for getting ready. The wise ones still have enough oil in their lamps and are ready to go and meet him. The foolish ones have run out, and need extra time to buy more oil and get ready. By the time they are ready, it is too late and the door to the wedding banquet has been shut. Despite their frantic banging on the door and pleading to be let in, it is useless. Jesus says, "I do not know you". In verse 13, Jesus summarises his main point, "Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour".
But is there any additional point? What does the olive oil really represent? What does it tell us about how Christians can be ready? Olive oil represents the Holy Spirit in many biblical passages (e.g. Exodus 29:7, 40:9, 2 Kings 9:3, Zechariah 4:1-6, Mark 6:13, James 5:14). In John 3:5-8, Jesus said to a religious leader called Nicodemus, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit". In other words, the virgins that have oil in their lamps represent Christians who have been truly born again. To be born again means to enter into a real living relationship with God through his Holy Spirit. It is not enough to be born of flesh into a Christian family, nor even to be born of water through baptism. A person only becomes a true believer when they are born again through the power of the Holy Spirit and enter into a living relationship with God. The parable of the ten virgins is a warning to the Church to make sure that everyone is truly born again. Otherwise, Christians are not ready for the second coming.
Another issue of concern is that many churches teach Christians to expect a 'Pre-Tribulation Rapture'. Their expectation is that Christians will be rescued before the Great Tribulation, and before all the trouble starts. Consequently, many churches think it unimportant to give Christians more than a simplistic and superficial understanding of the second coming. But what if they are wrong? We know that the rapture happens at the last trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52). But what if the last trumpet is the seventh trumpet at the end of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 11:15)? How well will those Christians handle the delay when it means standing for Jesus through the Great Tribulation? If not taking the mark of the beast means you can't buy or sell (Revelation 13:17), and all your assets are frozen, how many of these Christians will still stand in the face of such financial loss? If the delay means facing persecution and even martyrdom (Revelation 6:11, 12:11, 13:15), how many Christians will stand true to Jesus? Christians will debate the timing of the rapture right up until the second coming, but it is not a trivial point of doctrine without consequences. Churches who get it wrong could leave their congregations dangerously unprepared for what lies ahead.
Given the night-time setting for this parable, the need for lamps, and Jesus' command, "Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour", it is also possible to interpret this parable as a call to 'day and night prayer' in the end times. Even though all of them were sleeping at midnight, the wise virgins were ready for action the moment they woke up. For more on the importance of prayer in the end times, including day and night prayer, see also Isaiah 62:1-7, Revelation 5:8, 8:4, 22:17, Matthew 25:1-13, and Luke 18:7.
The Parable of the Talents (v14-30)
In this parable, a man is going on a journey, and first entrusts his slaves with various amounts of his money, each according to his ability. The man clearly represents Jesus, and the slaves represent Christians. To one he gives five talents, to another two, and to another one talent.
In the ancient world, the talent was a measure of gold or silver (by weight), and was the largest unit of currency. A common talent weighed about 30 kg, but there was also a royal heavy talent that weighed about 60 kg. According to Wikipedia's 'Biblical and Talmudic units of measurement', 1st century Judea used the heavy talent and followed the Babylonian system of currency. According to that, a talent was equal to 60 minas, a mina equal to 60 shekels, and a shekel equal to 4 denarii, where a denarius was a standard day's pay for a manual labourer. So a talent was equal to 14,400 times a day's pay (60 x 60 x 4 = 14,400). Other sources equate the talent to 6,000 denarii, according to the Roman system of currency.
Today in the UK, an adult on minimum wage earns a little less than £100 per day. That means that in today's money, a talent was about £1 million sterling. So these slaves are given about £5 million, £2 million, and £1 million respectively. Although the Greek word 'doulos' means a slave or servant, sums of money and level of trust involved imply these were trusted managers of the man's estate, as in the parable of the clever steward (Luke 16:1-13). Later in the story, we see that two of these them have astute business skills. They know how to invest the money wisely, and are able to double their master's money. They are not menial servants who scrub floors or wash dishes in the kitchen. Like in the parable of the wise and wicked slaves at the end of the previous chapter, I would suggest these slaves represent Church leaders more than ordinary Christians. But whether they are Church leaders or ordinary Christians, the main point of this parable is the same.
In verses 19 to 23, the master returns after a long time, a clear hint from Jesus that it would be a long time between his first and second comings. He summons each of the slaves to settle accounts with them. The first two have each doubled their master's money and receive their master's praise, "Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master". This is what every Christian wants to hear at the judgment of believers. It is a promise not just of entrance into heaven, but of rewards for faithful service. If we are faithful in this life with the gifts God gives us, be they abilities, financial resources, or roles and responsibilities, we can look forward to multiplications and promotions in the age to come when we reign with Jesus (2 Timothy 2:12, Revelation 20:6). Because there are rewards in the age to come, Jesus exhorts us not to store up treasures on earth, but instead to build our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
In verse 24, the third servant who received one talent has only one talent to return. He had just buried it in the ground for safe keeping, and now digs it up to return to his master. He explains to his master, "Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours". This is an interesting response. Anyone who has invested money, whether in stocks and shares, property, or their own business venture, knows that growing your money always involves an element of risk. You hope to grow your money, but equally you might lose money. Especially if you start a new business, it might take some time to break even (accounting for startup costs), and even longer to return a profit. The first two slaves were prepared to take that risk. The third one knew his master to be a hard man, and was afraid. What if he lost it? It wasn't that he lacked ability. We are told in verse 15 that each was given an amount appropriate to his ability. In verse 26, the master condemns this slave for being evil and lazy. He could have at least deposited the money in the bank. The bank produces a relatively low return on investment, but at least it is a low-risk investment and the slave could have been pretty confident of being able to return the money to his master, with interest. This slave is condemned. His one talent is given to the slave who already has ten talents, and this wicked slave is thrown into outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, an expression Jesus used repeatedly to describe hell.
The account of the wicked slave is like a parable within a parable. What does it mean? Let me draw a number of conclusions:
1) The wicked slave surely represents a Christian who holds a responsible position within the Church. But despite appearances, he isn't actually a real Christian. His unwillingness to take risks is a symptom of his lack of faith. This parable is yet another that presents the end-time Church as a mixed bag that Jesus must sort out at the judgment. Such judgment is Christ's concern, not ours, for he has told us not to judge (Matthew 7:1).
2) Jesus is not concerned with our ability to grow earthly wealth. The investment metaphor represents Christ's desire for us to help grow his kingdom. Jesus has saved us, not just for our own benefit, but that others may also be saved through our testimonies and examples of righteous living.
3) The master is a hard man whom the wicked slave fears. The bible teaches us to fear God, but there is a right kind of fear and a wrong kind. The right kind is a respectful awe of God's majesty that motivates us to faithful service, with a longing to please him. It is the fear of someone who loves God and is grateful for all that God has given them. The wrong kind of fear demotivates. It caused the wicked slave to be lazy.
4) The master confirms the wicked slave's opinion that he harvests where he did not sow, and gathers where he did not scatter seed. This is a fascinating statement! As in the parables in Matthew 13, the seed represents the Gospel. Harvesting represents Christ's judgment of the Church at the end of the age. Gathering probably means the same as harvesting, but might represent the rapture as in Matthew 24:31. Jesus is telling us that at the judgment, he will save some who never heard the Gospel.
Similarly, in Matthew 12:41-42, Jesus talked about how the people of Nineveh, and the Queen of Sheba, will rise up on judgment day and condemn many of the first century Jews who witnessed his miracles. The Ninevites and the Queen of Sheba represent people outside the recognised community of God's people (the Church), who respond to the revelation given them, and receive salvation through Christ. This does not mean that Mohammed, or Buddha, or any other false prophet will ever save anyone. There is no-one other than Jesus who can save a person (John 14:6 and Acts 4:12). But at the judgment, Jesus will take into account what revelation people received, and how they responded. In Genesis 15, God revealed himself to Abraham in a vision. God told him, "Gaze into the sky and count the stars – if you are able to count them!” Then he said to him, “So will your descendants be". Verse 6 then says, "Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD considered his response of faith as proof of genuine loyalty". In Romans 4:3 and James 2:23, Paul and James interpret this as proof that God credited Abraham with righteousness. An implication of this parable is that at the judgment, Jesus will credit some people with his righteousness, even though they never heard the Gospel or became part of the Church. Just as Abraham gazed at the stars and believed God, Paul argues in Romans 1:18-23 that God's invisible attributes, his eternal power and divine nature, are made plain and can be known though his creation. Creation itself presents the Gospel, even if it is an incomplete Gospel. Paul's words in Romans 1 imply he had little confidence for most who receive only such a Gospel through Creation. But scripture implies that some will be saved, even if they are the exception rather than the rule. Paul makes a similar argument in Romans 10:14-21. He says in verse 18, "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world". In other words, the Gospel is proclaimed universally to some degree. But in verses 14-17, he still emphasises the importance and necessity of Christians being sent out to preach the Gospel to those who have not heard. As Peter says in 1 Peter 4:18, "And if the righteous are barely saved, what will become of the ungodly and sinners?"
There is a fine line between this idea and what is called 'universalism'. Universalism teaches that it is unnecessary to preach the Gospel because people can be saved through all religions and all roads lead ultimately to God. That is not what Romans 1:21-32 teaches.
To conclude this point, the wicked slave in this parable represents a liberal Church leader who does not really have saving faith for his own salvation, and because of his universalist theology he is lazy when it comes to preaching the Gospel and growing Christ's kingdom. He doesn't think it is necessary. This parable is a damning rebuke of the liberal Church.
5) The wicked slave's talent is given to the slave who has ten talents. So the slave who started with five talents and earned five more now has eleven talents. In other words, the first two slaves have to account for their investments, but the master's return is not the end of their commission. The master wants them to carry on investing and growing his estate. This reflects continuity between this age and the next. The end of the age is not time for Christians to retire. Instead, if they have been faithful in this life, it is time for them to be promoted to even greater responsibilities in the age to come. As Isaiah 9:7 says of Christ's kingdom, "Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end" (NIV). Similarly, one of Jesus' Old Testament messianic title is 'The Branch' (Isaiah 4:2, 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Zechariah 3:8, 6:12). This title reflects the continually growing nature of Christ's eternal kingdom.
The Judgment (v31-46)
In verses 31 to 46, Jesus describes the end-time judgment that takes place some time after his coming in glory, when he sits on his glorious throne. Let me first consider the timing of this event, before I look at its description.
Elsewhere in the bible, references to Christ's throne fit within a millennial context (Ezekiel 43:7, Jeremiah 3:17, Matthew 19:28, Revelation 20:4). Revelation 20:4 describes this judgment taking place after Satan has been locked up for a thousand years. According to Ezekiel 43:7, Christ's throne will be located within the millennial temple. Similarly, in Isaiah 6:1 when Isaiah saw God seated on his heavenly throne, it was located within the heavenly temple. So whether we are looking at God's heavenly throne, or his earthly throne, it belongs in the temple. It is likely that the third temple, which Antichrist desecrates (Daniel 9:27, 2 Thessalonians 2:4), will be destroyed in the course of end-time events, including the great earthquake of Revelation 16:18. It may take some time before the Millennial temple is built, and Christ's throne is set up within it. In Matthew 19:28-29, Jesus said to his twelve disciples, "I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life". We don't know how long this 'renewing of all things' will take, but this judgment may not follow immediately after Christ's victory at Armageddon. It is likely that the battle of Armageddon corresponds approximately with day 1,290 of Daniel 12:11-12. In verse 12, Daniel says, "Blessed is the one who waits and attains to the 1,335 days". We are not told exactly what happens on day 1,335, but I generally assume it to mark the end of this age and the beginning of the Millennium. Perhaps this is the point when this judgment takes place before Christ's throne. If so, it is about 45 days after the battle of Armageddon.
Having just said that Christ's throne will be located within the millennial temple, it is possible that in the case of this judgment event, the temple is to be understood metaphorically as in Ephesians 2:19-22. If you argue that the millennial temple only ever be metaphorical, you have to explain why it is described in such detail, as though it is a physical building, in Ezekiel 40-48. But it is possible that in the case of this judgment, Christ sits on his throne in the midst of his metaphorical temple, the Church. In that case, one might argue that this judgment and his coronation are different parts of the same event. Jesus is crowned on the clouds in the midst of believers from all nations who worship him (Daniel 7:13-14). Is this the point at which he then judges?
As Jesus described this judgment, he undoubtedly had Malachi 3:1-5 in mind. This is a second coming passage in which the Messiah comes 'suddenly to his temple' (v1). He comes like a refiner's fire and a launderer's soap to refine and purify Israel (v2-3). And he comes in judgment to testify against those who practice divination, commit adultery, break promises, and exploit the vulnerable (v5). Here in Matthew 25, Jesus picks up on this and focuses especially on how people treated the most vulnerable.
At this judgment, Jesus is the king - there is no metaphor there. He judges between the sheep and the goats. The sheep and goats metaphor goes back to the prophecies of Ezekiel 34 and Zechariah 10. Jesus clearly also had these prophecies in mind as he described this judgment. In both prophecies, the sheep and goats are the people of Israel, and their shepherds are Israel's leaders. In both cases, God is angry with the shepherds, and judges them first before he judges between the sheep and the goats. Here in Matthew, the sheep and goats represent those in the Church, and shepherds would represent leaders in the Church. Jesus does not mention shepherds here because he has already just described the judgment of Church leaders in the parable of the tenants.
Relating this judgment to the Church, when in its Old Testament context it related to Israel, it is important to understand that from a New Testament perspective, the Church includes Israel. Christians today often think of the Church as a Gentile movement that has replaced Israel. But when the Church was founded on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), it was entirely a Jewish movement. It was only some years later that it began to welcome Gentiles (Acts 10). In Ephesians 2:11-22, the Apostle Paul pictures the Church as a new movement that joins the Jews and Gentiles into one new group that he calls 'one new man'. By about the 4th century AD, the Church had lost most of its Jewish identity, but in the end times, Israel will be restored to pride of place within the Church. As we look here at the judgment of the Church at the start of the Millennium, think of Church as that inclusive 'one new man'. By the time this judgment takes place, Jesus will have restored not only the Jews, but all twelve tribes of Israel (e.g. Isaiah 11:12-13, Jeremiah 3:17-18, Zechariah 10). It is the time when Jesus will confirm the New Covenant with 'the whole nation of Israel', as in Jeremiah 31:33, "But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God and they will be my people". At that point, 'the whole nation of Israel' will include all twelve tribes of Israel plus Gentiles. It is the 'one new man' which the New Testament calls the Church, in its millennial state.
So the sheep and the goats are individual members within the Church. The sheep represent true believers who will inherit Christ's kingdom (v34), and the goats represent false believers who will be cast into the eternal fire (v41). How will Jesus judge between the two? Today we tend to judge whether someone is a real Christian or not by assessing their theology. But Jesus judges between the two by assessing how much they cared for the weak and vulnerable among 'these brothers and sisters of mine'. As modern western Christians, we tend to place great importance on the 'soundness' of our theology. But we forget how incredibly privileged we are that we can easily buy a bible in our own native language, and can read and study it for ourselves whenever we wish. Most Christians throughout the history of the Church have been dependent for their theology on what they were taught by leaders in the Church, and had no personal direct access to the bible. I am not saying, of course, that theology is unimportant. But when Jesus assesses whether we truly love God, he assesses whether we loved our neighbour (Matthew 22:37-40). As Jesus said in Matthew 7:16, "You will recognise them by their fruit".
Who are 'these brothers and sisters of mine' in verse 40? Is Jesus talking about his Jewish brothers and sisters, about Christian brothers and sisters, or simply about anyone we come across who is vulnerable and in need of our help? I think that is very similar to the question "Who is my neighbour?" that Jesus was asked by an expert in the law (Luke 10:29). Jesus replied with the parable of the Good Samaritan, in which he portrayed the Samaritan as the one who acted like a true neighbour. I think it would be a mistake to try to limit the scope of who qualifies as 'these brothers and sisters of mine'.
In this account, when the sheep helped the vulnerable, they were not aware they were serving Jesus. Neither were the goats aware that when they turned a blind eye to the needy, they were doing so to Jesus. I think a major point here is that Jesus will judge us by how we reacted to situations when we had no idea anyone was watching us.
Taking only Matthew 25, this judgment before Christ's glorious throne appears to be concerned only with whether or not we will enter his kingdom. But also taking into account Jesus' description of it in Matthew 19:28-30, it is clear that Jesus will also confer rewards at this time. He says, "And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first". It will certainly be a day full of surprises!
This judgment also raises an important question about the rapture (Matthew 24:31, 1 Thessalonians 24:16-17). It is commonly assumed that only true believers are raptured and that false Christians are left behind. But if the rapture separates the true from the false, then there is no need of this judgment that separates the sheep from the goats. Like the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-40) and the Parable of the Net (Matthew 13:47-50), this judgment seems to imply an inclusive rapture of all Christians, both true and false.
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Symbols: Ten virgins, Olive oil, Wedding, End-time bride, Bride, Master and slaves, Talents, Investment, Sheep and goats
Tags: End-time bride, Being ready, Delay, End-time Church, The Gospel, Evangelism, Liberal Church, Salvation of the unreached, Judgments and rewards, Life after death, Rapture, All nations gathered before Jesus for judgment, Judgment of believers, Throne of Jesus, Millennial temple, Israel and the Church, Coronation of Jesus, Day and night prayer, Angels at the second coming
Symbols: Ten virgins, Olive oil, Wedding, End-time bride, Bride, Master and slaves, Talents, Investment, Sheep and goats
Tags: End-time bride, Being ready, Delay, End-time Church, The Gospel, Evangelism, Liberal Church, Salvation of the unreached, Judgments and rewards, Life after death, Rapture, All nations gathered before Jesus for judgment, Judgment of believers, Throne of Jesus, Millennial temple, Israel and the Church, Coronation of Jesus, Day and night prayer, Angels at the second coming
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise.
3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them.
4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps.
5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’
7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut.
11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’
12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’
13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more.
17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more.
18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it.
19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.
20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’
23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?
27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!
28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.
29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Judgment
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.
43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’
45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’
46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise.
3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them.
4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps.
5 When the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’
7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was shut.
11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’
12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’
13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Parable of the Talents
14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.
15 To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.
16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work and gained five more.
17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more.
18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it.
19 After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.
20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
22 The one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’
23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’
24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed,
25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter?
27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!
28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.
29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Judgment
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’
37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!
42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.
43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’
45 Then he will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’
46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
(NET)