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Matthew 25

Wayne Galloway
12/01/24 - Sunday Evening Worship

Notes for Study with Perdomo in Bogotá

Julio César Télléz

November 30, 2024

Matthew 25

 

The Context—

 

In chapter 21 Jesus entered Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He was acknowledged by the people as a prophet and as the king prophesied to sit on the throne of David.

 

He was healing the sick, cleansing the temple and finding Himself opposed by the chief priests and the elders of the people.  See 21:12-17.

 

He was speaking to them in parables that reflected His being the king and yet He was being rejected by the leaders.  He was rejected by both the Sadducees and the Pharisees.  Chapter 23 is the chapter of woes on the Pharisees and scribes.  Chapter 24 speaks about being prepared for His coming.  Chapter 25 continues this theme with the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents.  A section follows about the judgment.

 

All of this takes place in Jerusalem.  It is in the days leading up to the crucifixion in the final week of Jesus’ life.

 

Soon Jesus will be crucified, but He will return in judgment.  Chapter 25 focuses on the necessity of being prepared when He does.

 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (25:1-13)—

 

Sometimes the text of Scripture assumes our understanding of some elements of ancient culture.  Such is the case here.  Jewish wedding tradition is part of the background.  In the traditional Jewish wedding, the bride and the bridegroom made promises of betrothal.  The bridegroom left for an indefinite period to prepare a place in his father’s house for his bride (cf. John 14:1ff).  Then he returned to take his bride into his father’s house.

 

The wedding party did not know when he would return so they had to be prepared (24:42).  So, this parable of the ten virgins is about being prepared when Jesus, the bridegroom returns.

The people of Jesus’ day need to hear the message to be prepared.  The message is the same for us.  There is a need to be on the alert, prepared and ready!

 

The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30)—

 

A talent in the first century was a weight of gold or silver.  There are three individuals who are given different amounts:  one five talents, one two, and on one.

 

The one with the five talents gained five more.  The one with the two gained two more.  Each of them is described as acting faithfully.  And so, was put in charge of many things.

 

The one with the one talent was afraid and hid his talent in the ground.  He is described as “wicked” and “lazy.”  His talent is given to the one who had ten.  He was thrown into outer darkness and described as a “worthless slave.”

 

The parable teaches the necessity of respond to the King of God’s kingdom with faithfulness.  Fear tends to paralyze us.  Faithfulness produces.  It acts for the benefit of the kingdom, and we are benefitted as a result.

 

The two parables teach slightly different lessons.  The talents teaches faithfulness.  The ten virgins teaches us to be prepared.  Both teach us to recognize the coming judgment and call on us to prepare by living faithfully.

 

The Coming Judgment (25:31-46)—

 

This section of chapter 25 is a picture of the coming judgment.

 

The King will separate the sheep from the goats.  In the ancient world, and even among shepherds of the Mediterranean region today, both sheep and goats are part of the same flock.

 

It is the King of God’s kingdom that makes the separation.  The sheep are put on the right, the goats on the left.  The sheep inherit the kingdom, the goats are cursed and go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

 

The reason for the classifications . . . 

    The sheep fed the hungry and gave drink to the thirsty.  The goats did not.

      The sheep clothed the naked.  The goats did not.

      The sheep visited (cared for) the sick, imprisoned, and the strangers.  The goats 

       did not.

 

Jesus said, “To the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of mine, even the least of them you did it to Me” (v. 40, 45).

 

Judgment is coming.  We do not know when.  We need to be prepared.  We need to act faithfully.  We need to respond to our fellowman with gracious kindness.  There is no place in the kingdom of God for ignoring the vulnerable, for allowing fear to paralyze us, nor for our not making the necessary preparations.  Judgment is coming.  Will we be like the scribes, Sadducees and Pharisees and the rulers of the people or will we listen and obey the voice of Jesus, recognizing Him as the King and committing ourselves to Him???

 

Wayne Galloway

wtg9@icloud.com