Jesus taught his disciples about faithfulness in daily living and our hope of eternal life with him. Matthew 25 has three parables [1-13; 14-30; 31-46] we should examine and understand. They show that we should get born again of God’s spirit, use all our spiritual abilities given by God for good, and treat others as if they were our Lord and Savior.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins—FAITHFUL to get born again of God’s spirit
K. C. Pillai, in Light Through an Eastern Window, shares about the first parable.
In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew, another interesting Eastern custom is described; I refer to the parable of the ten virgins:
“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
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.
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.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.”
In many parts of the East today, the custom of the ten bridesmaids going out to meet the bridegroom’s party is still practiced. You see, many of the towns are surrounded by walls, and at the gates of the town, there is an inn for travelers. In this inn there is also a special apartment for bridesmaids to use while waiting at the gates for the bridegroom’s party. The torches which they carry (not lamps!) are very special ones, made especially for the purpose and carefully handed down in the family from one generation to the next
So here are these ten bridesmaids waiting at the inn by the gate for the bridegroom and his party to arrive. Tradition says they must arrive just at midnight, and this is exactly what the scripture reports. One of the groomsmen goes on ahead a little to announce their coming by blowing a horn at the gates of the town. The foolish virgins now wake up and realize that they have no oil for their lamps. They even make up a good excuse to tell the other virgins: “Our lamps have gone out,” they said, even though it says a few verses before this that they brought no oil with them at all!
We must realize that Jesus is telling a parable when he says five of the virgins were foolish and failed to bring oil for their torches. I was raised in the midst of a culture which still practices this tradition and I never heard of a girl failing to have oil for her torch; it would be unthinkable of her to do so. But Jesus tells the story in this way to illustrate that the oil represents the spirit and the light which we have within us when we accept Christ as our personal Savior; we must have that spirit within us if we expect to be admitted into the Master’s gates with the rest of the wedding party. If we have not experienced salvation then we shall be like the foolish virgins of the parable who were told by the Lord: “Verily I say unto you, I know you not!”
We can be FAITHFUL to accept God’s plan of salvation through Jesus Christ [Romans 10:9,10].
The Parable of the Talents—FAITHFUL to use all our spiritual abilities given by God for good
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
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.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and madethem other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that isthine.
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 strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
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.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Once we are born again, we are filled with the Father’s spirit. That gives us the spiritual ability to walk in love, light, and power—which includes manifesting the spirit in nine ways [1 Corinthians 12:7-11]. We will also see spiritual fruit in our lives [Galatians 5:22,23]. We all have different abilities and “Christ in” us can work with all we have to help build up the body of Christ in love. God will faithfully reward us in this life and after Christ returns for us. He knows what abilities we have, and how much we use them to bring His will to pass. Let’s be “good and FAITHFUL” to our Father and see His blessings abound.
The Parable of the Shepherd and the Flocks—FAITHFUL to treat others as if they were our Lord and Savior
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:
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:
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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:
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:
Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
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.
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:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
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.
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?
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.
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Jesus is very straightforward about how we are to live. Each person is worthy of our love and respect. We care for them as if they were our Lord and Savior himself. This is the opposite of “religion” and man-made doctrines of worship or service. True service is walking in love and doing all we can to bring Christ’s love and deliverance to others. We can be FAITHFUL to care for others, as Christ cares for us.
Let’s follow Jesus’ teaching and example by FAITHFULLY accepting the Father’s grace and salvation, using all of our spiritual abilities to bless and care for others, and see each person as worthy of our service as if they were Christ themselves. Amen.
