Matthew 25

The Least of Them…

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2“Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. ’ 7“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31“But 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 gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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‘And 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 come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

41“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

“Be On The Alert”

MATTHEW 25:1-13

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2“Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. ’ 7“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

MATTHEW 25:1-6

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2“Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5“Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him. ’ 

The Wedding Custom

This reading describes customs that were not just in existence during Christ’s time but they are still an active part of Middle Eastern traditions today. The wedding party would take the longest route through the village to finally arrive at their home. The more houses they visited, the more well-wishes (and gifts) they received. You didn’t want to miss one home because no one wanted ill feelings on a wedding day. That could bring bad fortune. This day was an opportunity to reach out, build new bridges and break down some old barriers, to be generous to the poor or forgotten. Along the way there would be much jovial visiting and exuberant hospitality.


As a result no one ever knew when the wedding party would show up at their own home (where the final festivities occurred). However, you could bet that the couple would make the most of this day staying out until the last possible moment. It would be well after dark before the wedding party returned—every possible invitation would have been extended to even the remotest household.

No street lamps

One thing we need to remember about Christ’s era was that there were no street lamps. Therefore, the role of the bridesmaids was more than a cultural display of symbolism. Their lamps lit the path home for the wedding party and all the attendees. It is also important to revisit that God chose to have his Son to be born in an occupied country. The law of that time allowed no one to be on the street after dark without a lamp. To find yourself in that situation was to risk arrest—particularly for these residents of an occupied territory. The great sadness is that it is still that way in many parts of Palestine. The Bridesmaids would literally provide legitimacy to the homecoming party so they would be safe from the occupying government. Without their lights, the party would look like an insurrection or a mob disguised in wedding attire. Certain religious zealots would have undoubtedly thought of using just such a ploy to attack the Romans.


Having your lamps ready would provide for both the safety and direction of the wedding party. To be ill prepared for the arrival of the wedding party wasn’t just a social faux pas, it meant exposing the entire wedding party to Roman attack.

Whoever is late is locked out

Because of the political climate and the dangers of the time, once the Host’s gates were shut that is how they would remain. Even today anyone in Palestine or for that matter, anyone in an occupied country or crime-ridden neighborhood, would understand that this was not being cruel; it was a necessity. Furthermore, if you truly cared about a family you would not expose them to the risk of a knock on the door in the middle of the night. Think of the holocaust and its impact on families like that of little Anne Frank. A friend would pass by their door rather than draw the occupier’s attention to it and possibly initiate a raid by the Gestapo.


In addition, the host—for the sake of those within—simply would not answer a knock on the door at night. It could be nothing but trouble and would quite possibly expose all the family and guests to certain danger. Once you were locked out, you were out to stay.

The party you wouldn’t want to miss

Missing a wedding party would be a great loss. There was not a whole lot to celebrate for the masses of impoverished workers in Christ’s day. So a wedding was a grandiose affair generally lasting from the close of one Sabbath to the beginning of the next. Even the Pharisees said it was all right to put your studies aside to join a wedding party.


During that week all stops were pulled out and for one short week of their life the bride and groom were called prince & princess. In a life of oppressive drudgery and servitude this was their moment in the sun and everyone shared in their joy.

God comes unawares—but we know he is coming

Like the wedding party, Christ and his bride (the church) are supposed to be going to every house to make sure no one is left uninvited.

Matthew 10:6-10

6but rather go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7“And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8“Heal {the} sick, raise {the} dead, cleanse {the} lepers, cast out demons; freely you received, freely give. 9“Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, 10or a bag for {your} journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support.

Matthew 19:21

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go {and} sell your possessions and give to {the} poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

Matthew 22:9

“Go therefore to the main highways, and as many as you find {there,} invite to the wedding feast.”

Matthew 28:19-20

19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”


We know that Jesus is doing his part but are we doing ours? Are we part of a fellowship focused on seeking out the darkest alleyways and inviting those normally forgotten to the banquet of God’s abundance? This is one of the two primary reasons for the very existence of the Church:

1.      To worship God

2.      To “go and make disciples of all the nations”

In other words, if that is not what my church or fellowship is focused on doing then why do we call ourselves “Christ Ones?” Furthermore, if I am not involved in both worshipping God and serving his people, then what makes me any different than the Pharisees in the study of Matthew 23:1-14? They were proud of their ritualism but condemned for their lack of responsiveness to the children of God.


It requires a huge team effort to be “church” and it exemplifies our dual roles as members of Christ’s body. Either we are:

1.      In the darkness searching for the lost

2.      Sending out rope and holding up a lantern so that those in the dark can find their way home

We are either deep in the cave listening for the cries of the lost or we are in the supply line offering support to those out front. As long as there are lost, the church must be seeking.


The questions I need to constantly ask of myself and my fellowship are;

·       “Who has not heard God’s whisper of love today?”

·       “Where do I (we) need to go to bring God’s hope to the most despairing?”

·       “Is my lamp ready—do the lost or returning know the comfort of my support?”

Hastening Christ’s Arrival

Is your church passionately hungry for Christ’s return? There is nothing that this world holds for me that won’t be abundantly multiplied at his wedding feast. Imagine the imprisoned and oppressed set free. No more disease, homelessness, hunger or deception. Only joy and that joy made available for all of God’s people!

Isaiah 58:6-12

6 “Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? 7 “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. 9 “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, 10 And if you give yourself to the hungry, and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness, and your gloom {will become} like midday. 11 “And the LORD will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire in scorched places, and give strength to your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. 12 “And those from among you will rebuild the ancient ruins; you will raise up the age-old foundations; and you will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.


Yet, like you, I don’t want to see a soul left out and I know that this is what the groom (Jesus, our Christ) wants us to be doing. He has passed the responsibility for extending his invitation on to the church! He wants us knocking on every door. He wants us checking every lock to see if anyone was missed.

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.


The moment that it was revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Messiah was the very moment that the New Testament Church really began. At that moment, Jesus’ earthly mission ended. Realizing the timing, our Lord immediately turned towards Jerusalem in order to complete the sacrifice and allow for the time of the Holy Spirit. At that moment Jesus turned the church over to us! We have now become the hands and feet of the Gospel!


Is it possible that the arrival of the Kingdom of compassion and judgment is delayed by our dallying? The harvest is ripe, the Master is calling us to the field, but we’re sitting in empty grain elevators wondering when the next shipment will arrive.


We need to get off our duffs and shout; “Lord, I want to do my part too. I want everyone to be there! So, where should I go today? Who has not heard their name whispered by the lips of you, the Beholder? Who does not know that they are carved in the palms of your hands? Who has not heard that you have already paid for our sins and broke our chains of bondage?”


“I ain’t much, Lord. But, I am willing. Send me!”

“Be ready; be very, very ready…”

There is a very personal responsibility for each of the Bridesmaids (that’s us) in this story of the Kingdom. We are promised the Bridegroom’s arrival but we cannot know when he will arrive. Literally, Jesus says that we should not ask when—we shouldn’t be wasting our time trying to figure out that question [v 13]. He will come when he is ready and Peter explains that Christ will be ready when the invitation has been extended to everyone. He doesn’t delay; he stays out until the last minute urgently seeking the lost. Let’s quit watching our watches, let’s quit marking the time, we need to be bringing guests to the party.


When he does arrive it will be at the very last possible moment. Everything will seem absolutely dark except for the tiny flame he has given us to bear. Will he find us ready? We are not to be concerned over the brightness of our flame. Our one concern must be, “Is my candle lit?” Is my candle lit and held up for all to see? A small candle is incredibly bright when the surrounding world is completely dark.


What is the light that we must bear to the world?

Matthew 5:16

“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Philippians 2:15-18

15 that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, 16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain. 17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all. 18 And you too, {I urge you,} rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.


Our light is our selfless work in the midst of a selfish generation. Our light is our dedication to the word and the abundant joy (and reckless love) that we have to share.


Within this study, we have learned that this light burns for two reasons:

1.      To give light (praise and legitimacy) to the bridegroom

2.      To give direction to those coming to the feast

What are we waiting for??? Let’s start burning!

MATTHEW 25:7-13

7“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8“The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9“But the prudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and youtoo; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10“And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11“Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ 12“But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

The Prudent and the Impudent

Jesus divides the bridesmaids into two interesting groups. There are the prudent [phronimos], a word that implies a thoughtful character. The word implies someone who is given to cautious planning and thinking ahead. Then, there are the foolish [moros], a word which more closely resembles impudence. The impudent would be someone who chooses to act inconsiderately—even putting others at risk by their behavior. In fact, this word might be used for someone who is criminally negligent. It is an apathetic person who—despite knowing better—chooses to act irresponsibly. These five bridesmaids knew better but acted in such a manner as to put the entire wedding party at risk.


They further revealed their impudence by asking others to cover their recklessness and give them some of their oil. This would have created the possibility of no one having enough oil when the light was truly needed. They would have placed the whole wedding party at risk to cover their own faults. Then, these bridesmaids increased their transgression as they return in the middle of the night and pound on the wedding couple’s door. As we have indicated, this would be bad enough in any neighborhood but drawing attention to this house in the middle of the night in an occupied country was an unthinkable act of irresponsibility.


This is a story about deceitful and unrepentant hearts. These are people who are unconcerned about the weight their sins bring upon others. They just want to cover their own tracks. These folks are literally trying to pull others into their sin of negligence.


Sorrowfully this could represent any one of us. We sin in kind whenever we seek to drag others into our own pity parties. When we choose self-righteousness over repentance, pride over humility or self over service. It can be as simple as justifying my own sin by gossiping about someone else or as complicated as selling out my own family for a last snort of cocaine. As Nathan said to David, “That man is you!” It is me whenever I do not stop the cycle of sin in my life and community by being “alert and on the watch.”


To understand these words wise and impudent better, it might help us to examine other scriptural uses of these words:

The wise man builds his house (his life) upon the foundation—the word of God—not upon the sands of men’s opinions.

Matthew 7:24

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock.”

Jesus uses the word for wise when he differentiates between the person who hears but doesn’t act on the Lord’s words. The fool (impudent), on the other hand, is the one who hears the word but does not act on it.

Matthew 13:19

“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, the evil {one} comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road.” 


In the Hebrew mind, understanding is application. The fool does not seek the application (understanding) of God’s word. Jesus tells us that they might read it but to understand it means to apply it to our lives.

The man who was given the garment of Christ but did not wear it at the wedding feast was a fool. He was struck “moronically dumb [moros]” when questioned by the King.

Matthew 22:12

and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?’ And he was speechless. 


Worrying more about man’s opinions than God’s call. Hearing God’s word, but not doing it. Choosing my pride over the robe of God’s invitation; those are the sins of the impudent and the damnation of the fool.

What is the oil of the lamp?

What is the oil that these bridesmaids treasured so highly? What is the oil that can fill the lamp and make it burn so bright in the darkest night?


The oil that lights the flame is the Holy Spirit. The bible richly illustrates the blessing of living by the power of the Holy Spirit. Tapping into the power of the Holy Spirit helps us live in the realm of life that God intended. No more bound by the “sarx”—the carnal flesh. We are freed to exist in a new power that is far beyond the limitations of the body.


Let me just quote five verses from Psalms and Isaiah that reveal to us the richness of God’s Spirit available to us immediately. Studying the verses related to the blessings of the Spirit would be a multi-volume book by itself! So let us just pray through a few together:

Psalm 51:10-12

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Psalm 104:29

29 You hide Your face, they are dismayed; You take away their spirit, they expire and return to their dust. 30 You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; And You renew the face of the ground. 31 Let the glory of the LORD endure forever; Let the LORD be glad in His works.

Psalm 143:7-10

7 Answer me quickly, O LORD, my spirit fails; Do not hide Your face from me, or I will become like those who go down to the pit. 8 Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning; For I trust in You; Teach me the way in which I should walk; For to You I lift up my soul. 9 Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; I take refuge in You. 10 Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

Isaiah 57:15

For thus says the high and exalted One who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.

Isaiah 61:1-2

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; 2 To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn.


God wants to overwhelm us with love! He wants to wash in upon our lives not like a squirt gun in a child’s hands but a water cannon feeding from Niagara Falls. He wants our joy complete and intense when his party arrives to swoop us up into the celebration. Yet, being ready is our responsibility not his. Nor can anyone else be ready for us! Don’t wait. Be on the alert.

No one can be ready for you

There are clear warnings in this story that cannot be overlooked. The primary messages can be divided into two parts:

1.      Sometimes we need to be gathering the guests and sometimes we need to be receiving them as they are brought in with others. Either way we need to be involved and alert.

2.      No one can be involved for us. Faith boils down to two critical relationships which Christ named for us in our studies of Matthew 23. We need to succumb to God’s love and abandon ourselves to service. We can’t rely on a substitute or proxy to do this work for us. Here is a list of what we cannot borrow as we prepare for the bridal party:

·       You cannot borrow faith. You must have a personal relationship with God—no one can have it for you.

·       You must personally be involved in caring for the least of these. Jesus turns away those who call him, “Lord,” yet do not love the poor.

·       Faith cannot be inherited—that is a significant part of this story. You can be a bridesmaid (a key player in the bridal party) and still not get in to the wedding if you are not personally prepared. In other words, God doesn’t care about heredity or position. He is solely concerned with passionate relationship. Am I in love with God? Does my heart still break for the least likely to be loved? Am I running out with the news of the wedding feast? Do I find your knuckles raw from pounding on the doors that everyone else has walked by? Do I knock anyway, when others say; “Don’t knock on his door, he’s been in jail.” “Don’t knock on her door, she’s divorced and has unruly kids.” “Don’t knock on his door; he’s just a crotchety old man.”

Do you take the chance and knock anyway? Jesus would have us try every door.

The non-professional religion

There is a final issue that particularly affects our culture of “programmatic busy-ness.” The concept that we are too busy to carry out our faith or that we can turn it over to a middleman to practice it for us. No misconception could be more harmful to our salvation!


That is what the Good Samaritan story reveals. The Pharisee doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. The Sadducee has important work and can’t stop for the dirty figure beaten on the road side—and they were both professionals. They could rationalize their nonplus attitudes by stating they were on their way to ritual or that it was getting close to Sabbath. “The man’s probably dead or going to die anyway,” they thought.


The story of the Good Samaritan reveals that there is nothing more important than minding the needs of the man who is broken on the side of the road, neither ritual nor worship. Ritual cleanliness or punctual worship was a distant second compared to binding the wounds of the forgotten immigrant who was left on the roadside to die.


Truthfully, the wounded and the alienated are God’s call to us. At other times in these studies, I have called them today’s prophets. They make us uncomfortable with our distance from God and from each other. They show exactly how unprepared we are for God’s wedding banquet. No one can love the wounded for us. No one can go to God for us—we cannot “outsource” our faith!


In the end, it is our lamp that must be lit. Our flame that must light the way for the travelers coming home. Our knuckles that must be raw with the invitation of Jesus.


“Come, Holy Spirit. Fill our lives with the oil that will keep us burning in the darkest night.”

The Good and Faithful Servant

MATTHEW 25:14-30

14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19“Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. 20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

MATTHEW 25:14-15

14“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15“To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 

He went on His journey…

In a previous study we looked at how God set up his business or vineyard (depending on the parable), then left it in the hands of overseers while he tended to other work. We can see this principle elaborated upon in a number of Jesus’ other parables:

Matthew 21:33

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard and put a wall around it and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey.”  

Mark 13:34

{“It is} like a man, away on a journey, {who} upon leaving his house and putting his slaves in charge, {assigning} to each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay on the alert.”  

Luke 19:12

He said therefore, “A certain nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and {then} return.”  

Luke 20:9

And He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.”  

There are two things that we could draw from these “journey parables”

1.      We have been left with a grave responsibility, all the tools we need and a perfect vineyard/property. God expects results upon his return.

2.      God is not idle. While we tend the vineyard he has “leased to us,” he is preparing other properties as well. For the Jews that would imply the Gentiles (everyone who was not Jewish). Who would it mean today? In the meantime we are to turn our portion of the Master’s property into a model for others to emulate.

To call ourselves Christ-Ones is to accept an awesome duty. To call Jesus, “Lord,” is to be obedient to his teachings. To be obedient is to live out the great commission, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit [Mt 28:19].” Earlier in this study we learned that hearing God’s word and not obeying was the sin of impudence (for which the five bridesmaids were locked out of the wedding banquet).


Yet, the most important reason to be in God’s work is not out of fear of judgment but in the pursuit of joy. When we do God’s will we experience the gift of God’s joy, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

According to his own ability

It is very poignant how Jesus takes extra care to inform us that the Vineyard Owner never expects more from his people than they are able to give. However, he does expect each servant to give to his fullest potential. The words that Jesus uses to describe what God expects of us are translated in the New American Standard Bible as, “according to his own ability.” In King James, it is “according to his severalability.”


The Greek words are according to “his own [idios] ability [dunamis].” Idios is a word that means private and would also be used in a statement like; “that’s none of your business” or, “that’s my business.” Dunamis means power, even miraculous power, as well as strength, ability or abundance. Think of the terms dynamite or dynamic when you think of power, miraculous or ability.


If we combine the two words into a statement, it would be accurate to say that God judges us not “in comparison” to other peoples abilities, but very individually. We are judged according to our own abilities, our own efforts. We are not even judged by our results and certainly not by the results of anyone else. The man with two talents is not judged against the man with five. Neither would the man with one talent be compared to the man with two. However, the castigated man’s reprisal was not relative to the amount he returned but to the effort he expended. God is not numbers-driven; he is compassion-driven. His accounts are not reconciled by what we’re accumulating but by what we’re distributing.

MATTHEW 25:16-18

16“Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17“In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18“But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.”

Went and traded with them

Now we come to the heart of our place in God’s plan. First, we are called to love him without equal and then, to gain (or win) [kerdaino] others by sharing the gift of his unsurpassable love. There is a wealth of scripture dealing with God’s unfathomable invitation to participate in his plan. Rooted in those passages are God’s amazing promises to give us the strength for the journey and joy in the midst of it.

2 Samuel 7:1-3

1 Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the LORD had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3 And Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you.”  

1 Chronicles 4:10

Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from evil that I may not cause pain!” And God granted him what he requested. (NKJV)

2 Chronicles 1:9-12

9 “Now, O LORD God, Thy promise to my father David is fulfilled; for Thou hast made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 “Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can rule this great people of Thine?” 11 And God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth, or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge, that you may rule My people, over whom I have made you king, 12 wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed, nor those who will come after you.”  

2 Chronicles 17:3-5

3 And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the example of his father David’s earlier days and did not seek the Baals, 4 but sought the God of his father, followed His commandments, and did not act as Israel did. 5 So the LORD established the kingdom in his control, and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.  

Isaiah 49:23

“And kings will be your guardians, and their princesses your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the earth, and lick the dust of your feet; and {you} will know that I am the LORD; those who hopefully wait for me will not be put to shame.  

Isaiah 60:5

“Then you will see and be radiant, and your heart will thrill and rejoice; because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you, the wealth of the nations will come to you.  

Romans 15:18-19

18 For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, 19 in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.  

1 Corinthians 9:16-19

16 For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel. 17 or if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me. 18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. 19 For though I am free from all {men,} I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more.  

1 Corinthians 15:10

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.  

1 Timothy 6:17

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.  

2 Timothy 4:5

But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.  

3 John 1:5-8

5 Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially {when they are} strangers; 6 and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth.  


What a list of blessings for those infected with the work of God! Let’s reflect on God’s viewpoint of ROI (Return On Investment) for the talents that he lends to us. Why does he give us these gifts?

·       To give us peace from fighting that we might focus on building and vision

·       To be blessed; to receive God’s strength and to be protected from evil

·       To be given the wisdom to lead and the means to do it

·       To be strengthened in our leadership and receive the workers to pursue it

·       To be above reproach, that those who attack us will be embarrassed by our good works

·       To have a joyful and radiant heart that experiences abundance

·       To experience the power of signs and wonders—the vibrant and living power of the Holy Spirit in our lives

·       To know the joy of our efforts and that our ministry will deepen and touch even more

·       To be blessed as we bless—the harder we labor for him, the greater his blessing upon us

·       To be richly supplied with what we need to accomplish our work for God’s glory

·       To be given the strength to endure and complete (fulfill) the task of evangelism

·       To be faithful and supported in fellowship as we seek to take the Gospel to those beyond our zone of comfort

Dug a hole in the ground

We have seen what God blesses; let us now clearly understand what he curses. The man who received condemnation didn’t lose the talent or even invest it poorly. One has the sense that God would forgive us our poor judgment—and make it right—because that would still be giving our best with what we have received. However, instead of investing God’s richness in Kingdom effort, the condemned man intentionally hides God’s gift to him. The verb [krupto] is to conceal, cover up, keep secret or hide. In other words, he doesn’t even make the effort to share God’s abundance.


Just as there are many scriptures that accent how God will bless us with joy as we abandon ourselves to serve him, there are many other scriptures that warn us about burying his talents. In Hebrew the concept is to be a “sluggard.”

Proverbs 18:9

He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys.  

Proverbs 26:13-16

13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road! A lion is in the open square!”
14 {As} the door turns on its hinges, so {does} the sluggard on his bed.
15 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; He is weary of bringing it to his mouth again.
16 The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can give a discreet answer.  

Haggai 1:2-6

2 “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘This people says, “The time has not come, {even} the time for the house of the LORD to be rebuilt.'"


3 Then the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, 4 “Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house {lies} desolate?”


5 Now therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, “Consider your ways! 6 “You have sown much, but harvest little; {you} eat, but {there is} not {enough} to be satisfied; {you} drink, but {there is} not {enough} to become drunk; {you} put on clothing, but no one is warm {enough} and he who earns, earns wages {to put} into a purse with holes.”  

Malachi 1:10

“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the gates, that you might not uselessly kindle {fire on} My altar! I am not pleased with you,” says the LORD of hosts, “nor will I accept an offering from you.”

Heb 6:11-12

11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end, 12 that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.  

2 Peter 1:5-11

5 Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in {your} moral excellence, knowledge; 6and in {your} knowledge, self-control, and in {your} self-control, perseverance, and in {your} perseverance, godliness; 7 and in {your} godliness, brotherly kindness, and in {your} brotherly kindness, love. 8 For if these {qualities} are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he who lacks these {qualities} is blind {or} short-sighted, having forgotten {his} purification from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; 11 for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.  


What is the result of concealing God’s gift or taking his gifts for granted (being a sluggard)?

1.      To be considered by God the same as a “destroyer” (sin of omission)

2.      To preach doom everywhere like a door swinging back and forth on it’s hinges. To be too lazy to do even menial daily tasks. To be self-important and blind to true wisdom

3.      To focus on self and personal comfort—not on increasing God’s kingdom—all of which results in a hunger that won’t satisfy, a drunk that doesn’t thrill, a coldness in life that is deeper than physical and a need for “more” that can never be satisfied

4.      To be disdained and ignored by God

5.      To lose hope

6.      To be useless, without character, unfruitful, blind and trapped in sin

MATTHEW 25:19

“Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them.  

Came and settled

The settling of accounts is an interesting business term. It means to add together or compute [sunairo], the final word [logos]. John uses the word “logos” whenever he speaks about Jesus Christ as the divine expression [logos] of God. Jesus is the fulfilled promise (the final settling of accounts) of God. Our final word will be the revealing of our obedience to the divine expression of God. Have we been faithful to Jesus? Did we fully give what had been freely given to us?

Matthew 10:7-8

7 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”


These verses about the “final settling of accounts” truly illustrate what the Lord expects of our diligent response to the “leased vineyard” he has granted us. We must be faithful in deed—not just in word.

1 Corinthians 3:12-13

12 Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is {to be} revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.  

2 Corinthians 5:10

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.  


Perhaps the penultimate story of “the divine settling” is told in the parable of Lazarus and Dives (the rich man). In that parable, Dives is condemned with the piercing statement; “Child, remember that during your life you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus bad things; but now he is being comforted here, and you are in agony.”


Dives did not really do anything to Lazarus, except for walk past him until eventually he did not even see Lazarus anymore. The poor beggar was just part of the unpleasant scenery. That is the meaning behind a “sin of omission.” In the end, Dives took the talents that God had given him for accumulating wealth and used that gift selfishly. Not to build God’s people but to feather his own lining.


It doesn’t matter whether our gift is finance, music, carpentry or ditch digging. It doesn’t matter whether I have five talents, two or one. What matters is whether my gifts are being invested in the growth of God’s kingdom. In our outreaches we say that our ultimate goal would be to help people self-initiate compassionate communities wherever they find themselves. Another way we put that to the incarcerated youth in our program is: “You will never be unwanted if you spend your life trying to release the potential of others.” That is what Jesus did for his disciples, for the crippled, the poor, the lepers, the prostitutes, even the tax collector who wrote this book. Each one of them was commissioned to go out and love others like they had been loved.


If I can love like that—regardless of my position, wealth or circumstances—I am a Good and Faithful Servant.

MATTHEW 25:20-23

20“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

22“Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’”

Well done good and faithful servant

Many men die within a year or two of retirement. I have also noticed a number of men who die long before they retire. They keep showing up to work, but they are dead emotionally and spiritually.


The greatest sorrow is to spend an entire life working for the wrong reasons. That is perhaps the greatest waste of human resources in our “land of plenty.” Many people work for bosses or nameless corporations that they hate. A high percentage of people not only work in this type of situation but also work towards a singular goal; to quit working. How then does this reading mesh with these issues of a meaningless life of drudgery?


In this parable the one’s who work hardest are rewarded by receiving even more work—even greater responsibilities.


The Master tells them, “You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.”
The words are intriguing. “Faithful over a few things [oligos];” the term would be used to refer to either “puny things” or “for a brief season.” It doesn’t hurt to remember that the work I do in this life is puny—no matter how grandiose I think it may be.

Isaiah 64:6

For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment; and all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.


The works I do are not for God’s sake. He gives me the opportunity to do them for my sake. He is not using me to achieve his ends (what kind of God would that be)? He is giving me the opportunity to grow and stretch that I might receive joy in the true salvation. I will be able to witness the freeing of all his children from the oppressive fetters of this earth.


If I can be faithful in the “puny things” or for this “short duration,” he doesn’t promise me retirement or rest, but instead deeper involvement! To be more enraptured by serving him. To be in charge of many things [polus] translates best as “abundance in a great age.”


A luxurious motor home or a retirement condo on the beach lose their luster in the face of the concept; “Abundance in a great age!” That’s the kind of retirement plan God has in store for his faithful! Yet God has more in mind than just our happiness tomorrow. He still seeks our joy now. He has given each of us a full vineyard—complete with everything we need—to work on today. If we do not see the fullness of our vineyard it is our fault, not God’s. The ultimate question of this story is, “What did you do with what I gave you?” It is not, “What did you think about what I gave to someone else.” Or, “What would you have done if I had given you more?”


What is my “leased vineyard” today? What is my “one talent” today? How does the vineyard I tend look today? How am I investing God’s talent today? What am I doing with what I have NOW?

I put you in charge of many things

Work for the right reason! If you have read many of these studies then you know that I am always asking inmates to decide whether they are going to be a Prisoner of the County or a Prisoner for the Lord. In like manner I must ask myself, “For whom do I toil?” For whose purposes do I labor?


We can even be religious leaders and work for the wrong purposes! When Jesus questions the religious leaders of the temple about the source of John the Baptist’s authority [Matthew 21:25], they whisper to each other, “We fear the multitude.” They know Jesus will unmask them if they say John’s authority came from God and they know the public will turn on them if they say he had no authority from God. They are the blind leading the blind because they have no moral compass for leadership. They are more concerned about their wealth and position than the compassion of God. Look what Elijah says to the people when they act in such a manner:

1 Kings 18:21

Elijah came near to all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.


Sometimes, my day involves sitting for long periods in jail lobbies. Sometimes, I will sit there for more than an hour only to have a guard tell me; “Visiting time is over, try again next week.”


I would be lying if I said that this type of behavior doesn’t irk me. Yet, over time I am learning to turn it over to my Lord. Am I waiting on a mean-spirited guard (who is working for an angry officer who is working in an under-funded county prison system)? Or, have I been given the opportunity to wait upon my Lord. There are people around me whose lives are in crisis, guards and inmates families. That is the “leased vineyard” God picked for me today.  Am I waiting for the guard or waiting on the Lord? Which choice do I make? Which one has the greatest potential of joy?


Am I faithful in puny things?

Luke 12:44

 “Truly I say to you, that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.”  

Luke 22:28-30

28 “And you are those who have stood by Me in My trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  

Rev 2:10

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” 

Rev 2:26-28

26 ‘And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received {authority} from My Father; 28 and I will give him the morning star.’   

Rev 21:7

“He who overcomes shall inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.”  

Enter into the joy of your Master

The second reward Christ promises is joy [chara], exceeding joy! This is not the emotional high that comes with a party hat and a cocktail umbrella. This is the kind of deep-seated, gut level joy that comes from knowing you are doing exactly what you were created to do. In fact, the word is a derivative of “Rejoice” [chairo]. It was a word used for a final greeting or send-off.


I have known many people (even non-Christians) who have wanted these words on their tombstones, “Well done good and faithful servant.” What a final greeting or send-off that would be, especially when said by our Lord! Quite literally, they mean; “You have proven to be a faithful and trustworthy bond-slave.” This is an interesting term because a bond-slave was a slave that was sold into slavery because of his debts or his husband/father’s debts. They were viewed with even more disdain than servants. Yet, this is the term Paul chooses. He is a bond-slave; he was “trustworthy in bankruptcy.”


This is where faith leads us to humility. We have no merits worthy of God’s heaven. Our lives have been sold because of our sin. We are bankrupt before the Lord of Lords. But are we faithful? Are we trustworthy? Do we realize our only true worth is that we were purchased by Jesus Christ and therefore our every breath should be in his service? And yet, how incredible it is that the one who purchased us from our bankruptcy seeks only one thing—our greatest joy!


Joyful is the person who places himself at the service of our Lord. Lovingly, we place our lives at his disposal, not to gain retirement but simply to serve incessantly. To serve so recklessly that one day we too will hear the words, “Well done good and faithful servant.”


Let us look at some readings that illustrate the biblical concept of joy:

Ps 16:10-11

10 For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to Sheol; neither wilt Thou allow Thy Holy One to undergo decay.
11 Thou wilt make known to me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy; in Thy right hand there are pleasures forever.  

John 12:26

“If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”  

John 14:3

“And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you to Myself; that where I am, {there} you may be also.”  

Phil 1:23-24

23 But I am hard-pressed from both {directions,} having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for {that} is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.  

2 Tim 2:12

If we endure, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us.  

Heb 12:1-2

1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  

1 Pet 1:8-9

8 “Though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.  

Rev 7:17

“For the Lamb in the center of the throne shall be their shepherd, and shall guide them to springs of the water of life; and God shall wipe every tear from their eyes.”  

MATTHEW 25:24-30

24“And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

26“But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27‘Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.28‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

I was afraid

Once, when my brother and I were young, we found a big chunk of iron pyrite about five miles above our house in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. Convinced we had stumbled on a chunk of gold ore we thought we had just purchased a free pass to the Christmas toy catalog. Lugging that chunk of rock down the rough mountain terrain was a day’s labor. Lest we chip it or break it, we refused to either roll it down hills or drop it over cliffs. Our dad’s only comment upon arriving home was, “Now you know why they call it Fool’s Gold.”


As the parable draws to a close we learn how a “wicked, lazy slave” views God. A fool’s god is feared—not revered. The difference is subtle but critical. Reverence draws us closer to God creating in us a desire to serve him. Fear makes us hide from God (as Adam and Eve hid in the garden of Eden). The Greek word that the servant uses when he calls his master a “hard” man could also be used as fierce or severe. The term can also be used for a parched and cracked desert landscape. That was his view of God! Look at how it affected the labors of his life.
The Master agrees that he expects his servants to reap where he did not sow and gather where he scattered no seed. In other words;

God has expectations of the vineyard he leases to us.

·       God expects us to go beyond the boundaries of the vineyard we are given or the talents we have received: “Reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed.” We are expected to plant and reap beyond our own comfort zone.

·       This was an indictment of the Chief Priests and Pharisee’s who saw their goal as building a fence around the system. It is also a personal indictment when we limit our love to those whom we find most comfortable or when we act like church is supposed to entertain us. The greatest deception of our culture may well be that church is some place we are supposed to work out “our own” salvation; where we are supposed to “get comfortable” or “be entertained.” The Gospel is about communal salvation. About a God who loved the “world” and a church that goes out to the “ends of the earth.”

A church is a fuel station or M*A*S*H unit to get people out to the harvest. God will not judge pastors by how many people they had in the congregation on Sunday but how many people were on the streets the other six days. It’s not how much fruit we keep in our vineyard or how many talents we bury. Its how much fruit we offer the hungry or how many talents are in the marketplace. The richness of a church is not how much it has in savings or in it’s building. It’s how much it has invested in the community—how much is in circulation.

Take away the talent from him

There are dreadful consequences for this servant’s worship of a fool’s god. Upon the return of the master he takes three actions:

1.      He takes away the fool’s resources. What little resources that man had were stripped from him and given to someone who used his talents wisely.

2.      He takes away the fool’s place as part of the mission. He has done nothing but occupy space and live off the work of the rest of the company while the Master was gone. His place was taken away and the rest of the people would no longer have to carry his weight.

3.      He throws the fool out where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. Christ uses this cultural term quite often. It implies a place of complete despair. It is a place where people are filled with unrequited grief and self-righteous bitterness. The greatest sorrow is that some people will not have “far to go” to get to this place. The lazy servant seemed only a breath away from this type of life already.

This morning as I was entering the homeless shelter I talked to a man about the weather. He off-handedly said, “Now its light, but it’ll be rain tonight.” I teased him and said; “Sounds like a Country-Western song.”
His response stuck with me all day; “Do you suppose if you sing a Country-Western tune backwards you get back everything you lost?”


The reality of that statement, my immediate work on this study, and the circumstances in which I found myself seemed to meld into a sad commentary on so many of the lives I see daily. God can provide us with such joy as we cannot possibly contain it. The same verb for “to take away [airo]” is used in another important incident in our Lord’s life. It is interesting because this incident illustrates what our Lord treasures most and how he gently, but very firmly, deals with a different teeth-gnasher.

Luke 10:40-42

40 But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up {to Him,} and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41 But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42 but {only} a few things are necessary, really {only} one, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Is my life fully focused on “the one thing” that is necessary? Or, am I still gnashing my teeth over the many things that do not lead to truly attending my Lord?


If Martha had just left Mary alone it is doubtful that she would not have been reproved by Jesus. If her work had truly been a reckless act of joyful service and her desire had been for Mary to have this one last opportunity to sit at Christ’s feet, there would have been no reprimand.


If I sit and gnash my teeth at others—that is more a statement of my lack of character than their incapacity. I heard a man tell a friend of mine; “I went to that church for three weeks and no one ever said ‘hi’ to me.”


While that should never happen in a church, the fact that this man never said “Hi” to someone else while counting the week’s that passed was as much a comment about his shallowness as the church’s self-focus. I hear people who complain about their pastors and I say; “At least they are up there! Shame on you for not spending your time in worship praying for him or her.”


Jesus said that we are all too often like “Children in the marketplace:”

Luke 7:31-35

31 “To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? 32 “They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’ 33 “For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, ‘He has a demon!’ 34 “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax-gatherers and sinners!’ 35 “Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children.”


God keep me from being a teeth-gnasher both in this moment and in the eternal moment of your salvation!

MATTHEW 25:29-30

29“For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30“Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

More shall be given

I remember when I was first teaching my son geometry and we were moving beyond lines to two-dimensional planes. One of the questions that was asked in his math book was, “Two people are five miles from each other, draw two points where they could meet that would be exactly three miles from both of them.”


Of course, the response to this question is impossible in linear thought. However, on a plane it is possible. Using a protractor, the two points can easily be drawn above or below the line.


When he grasped this concept, it gave us the opportunity to talk about God meeting us in multi-dimensions. In linear thinking, what seems impossible is conquered by thinking on a geometric plane where it is possible for the two subjects to meet in two places. However, add a third dimension to that and you could draw a circle of lines from two intersecting cones that would provide an infinite number of meeting places. Yet, imagine adding still another dimension; the spiritual dimension where God is willing to meet us daily! God is willing to meet us beyond abundance, indeed, in super-abundance. The possibilities of his endless bounty are beyond our ability to fathom!
The laws of physics and science do not undermine true spiritual laws, rather they point to God. The more physicists understand (providing they view the universe without a pre-ordained bias towards atheism)—the more we hear that there must have been a guiding hand in the creation of the universe. Physicists call this a “benevolent presence with an anthropomorphic bias.” I find that term slightly bulky to use in daily prayer and choose instead; “Abba.” We might even call it the God who “so loved the world that He sent His only Son.”


We know that just as a letter tells you something about the writer so creation tells us about the Creator! Jesus illustrates a basic physical law in this parable. Let’s call it the law of degeneration. If you don’t use what you have you will lose it. Muscles don’t remain tone with lack of use; they degenerate. Willpower doesn’t increase with a lack of application; it diminishes. Faith unpracticed doesn’t become greater faith; but instead degenerates into sin when it is buried.


Here is the great news behind Jesus’ illustration of this God-given principle; “for to everyone who has, more shall be given.”


Just like the first illustration about geometry, God is not willing to just meet us in a couple of points of our lives, but he is willing to meet us in infinite dimensions; so also God is willing to infinitely increase our faith when it is practiced!


“More will be given,” employs two verbs that are frequently used when Jesus talks about abundance in his stories. “Given” [didomi], is used alternatively for “to give,” but also for an adventure, to minister, to receive power, even to be “struck with a hand of authority” as when one is confirmed by the power of the Holy Spirit.


“More” [perisseuo] is a word of superabundance; excess, overflow, enough and to spare, over and above. This is the infinite amount that God seeks to rain down upon us. His desire to bless us is even greater than our ability to comprehend what we ask of him. In previous writings, I have stated we are like children standing before a waterfall with a thimble and asking for a drink!


It is Christ’s desire that our lives should overflow with blessing upon blessing;

John 15:2

“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every {branch} that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.”

John 15:8-16

8 “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and {so} prove to be My disciples. 9 “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and {that} your joy may be made full.


12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 “You are My friends, if you do what I command you. 15 “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.


16 “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and {that} your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.”

Gal 5:22-23

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

Even what he does have shall be taken away

Yet, Christ’s warnings to those who do not apply their faith are just as numerous:

Matt 21:41-43

41 They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the proceeds at the {proper} seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner {stone;} this came about from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and be given to a nation producing the fruit of it.”  

Luke 12:19-23

19 ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years {to come;} take your ease, eat, drink {and} be merry.”‘ 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! This {very} night your soul is required of you; and {now} who will own what you have prepared?’ 21 “So is the man who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”


22 And He said to His disciples, “For this reason I say to you, do not be anxious for {your} life, {as to} what you shall eat; nor for your body, {as to} what you shall put on. 23 “For life is more than food, and the body than clothing.  

Rev 2:5

“Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.”


Faith is not faith unless it is applied. Faith that is not applied is at best, hypocrisy. It is the most attacked sin by Jesus Christ in all of his confrontations with the religious authorities.


Yet as we have said earlier, the reason we should apply our faith and not bury it is not because of a fear that we will “go to hell.” It is because everyday that our faith remains unused we create our own hell in our existing lives. God’s richness is not for someday; it is for today. The sorrow of hell doesn’t hurt us someday; it hurts us everyday that we do not exercise the muscle of faith in our lives.


Let’s make this day our someday so that today is the beginning of our eternity of days with Jesus!

“Come, You Who are Blessed”

MATTHEW 25:31-46

31“But 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 gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to 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‘And 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 come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

41“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

MATTHEW 25:31

“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.” 

“When the Son of Man comes…”

This parable brings forth three Gospel truths that act as a filter with which to view the entire bible:

1.      Jesus is returning in glory

2.      He will judge all nations according to their compassion

3.      Calling Jesus “Lord” is not enough to receive the “wage of a worker” (Matthew 20:1-15). Our attitudes and actions must match our words. Throughout scripture personal salvation is married to communal restoration.

According to prophecy, both in the New Testament and Old, the Lord will occupy his rightful seat [thronos] of glory [doxa]. The complete phrase could also be stated as: “He will be given his due authority,” or; “He will be placed upon his rightful seat of honor.” The term for glory is frequently used as dignity, honor, praise and worship. It always implies the concept of being “made apparent.” In other words, there will be no doubt about Christ’s coming to power and his throne of glory.

“He will sit on His glorious throne…”

The day is destined to come, a heralded day of revealed glory and righteous judgment (making unjust ways “right”). This is the reading that leaves no room for doubt as to Christ’s “Guidelines for the final test.” Jesus is the ultimate teacher who does not want to leave his students with any doubts—any unclear expectations. He wants us to know there is a “point” to life and that point is to draw close to God: A God who is love and is revealed through our love.


In this story Jesus is as clear about who is accepted as he about who is unwelcome. This was not simply a warning for “someday”; it is (even more) an invitation for “today.” Jesus reveals the target at which we need to aim. He unveils the only goal worth striving for with “all of our talents.”


Over time, people have tried to avoid these words of justice and judgment. We often try to ignore these statements or water them down. Yet they are unmistakably clear. It is not whether we called Jesus, “Lord,” that will be an indication of our belief; it is whether we acted as if Jesus was Lord!


If our actions do not match our words then we do not really believe. It was Jesus’ intent that his apostles clearly understood this instruction. Our Christ did not want people to stumble around and “miss the mark.”


Judgment is unavoidable and the standards by which we will be judged are unmistakable.

Prophesies of the Coming Judgment

Ps 9:7-11

7 But the LORD abides forever; He has established His throne for judgment, 8 And He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity.


9 The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble, 10 And those who know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, O LORD, hast not forsaken those who seek Thee.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; declare among the peoples His deeds.

Dan 7:13-14

13 “I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14 “And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and {men of every} language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

Zechariah 14:5-9

5 And you will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, {and} all the holy ones with Him! 6 And it will come about in that day that there will be no light; the luminaries will dwindle. 7 For it will be a unique day which is known to the LORD, neither day nor night, but it will come about that at evening time there will be light. 8 And it will come about in that day that living waters will flow out of Jerusalem, half of them toward the eastern sea and the other half toward the western sea; it will be in summer as well as in winter. 9 And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be {the only} one, and His name {the only} one.

Matthew 19:28-30

28 And Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, shall receive many times as much, and shall inherit eternal life. 30 “But many {who are} first will be last; and {the} last, first.”

Acts 1:11

And they also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of {the} archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Hebrews 1:8-9

8 But of the Son {He says} “Thy throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom. 9 “Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy companions.”

Revelation 1:7-8

7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. Even so. Amen. 8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 20:11-15

11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

MATTHEW 25:32-33

32“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.

 “All the nations…”

We know from Scripture that Christ already rules from God’s right hand:

Acts 2:33-36

33 “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.” 36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”
 Yet, Paul tells us that we live in a period where God is conquering all of his enemies:

1 Corinthians 15:25-28

25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. 27 For He has put all things in subjection under His feet. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is evident that He is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him. 28 And when all things are subjected to Him, then the Son Himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to Him, that God may be all in all.


 The enemies of God will become his footstool:

Psalm 110:1

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.”
 

The Age To Come

There are three views that surface when talking about “this age” as Christ’s enemies are brought into subjugation:

1.      Amiliennial

This view holds that Christ’s rule is a) symbolic, b) exists today and c) that it is a spiritual not a physical rule.

2.      Postmillennial

This view holds that Christ’s rule is a) spiritual, b) exists today and c) that the world is being gradually brought under his rule.

3.      Premillennial

This view maintains that there will actually be a period of one thousand years in the future where people will witness an earthly fulfillment of Christ’s reign fulfilling the promise of Israel. This view is based upon Revelation, Chapter 20.

Revelation 20:1-15

1 And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the abyss, and shut {it} and sealed {it} over him, so that he should not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given to them. And I {saw} the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection.


6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.


9 And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.


11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is {the book} of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one {of them} according to their deeds. 14 And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

It is important to note that, while there are differences between each of the schools of thoughts, each school of thought is attached to the idea that Christ will reign eternally and there is nothing that any force can do to prevent it.

Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Will be gathered before Him…”

In this reading, the Lord lays out the circumstances of the final gathering: All the nations will be gathered [sunago]—but with the intention of being separated [aphorize]. Why gather to separate? Why not just cast the uncharitable ones into judgment?


This is a public event, an event for all to witness; God, the heavenly beings, spiritual forces (evil and good) and all people will be present. As you see in this reading, no one will be left saying; “I didn’t know…”


The word used for divide is to “declare a limit” or to “sever.” It is a public act, a declaration. It is like having a public certificate of marriage, a final will or public deed to property recorded in your County. It is written and available for the public so that no one will be confused about the parameters or the binding nature of the judgment.


When the decree is read one group (the goats) will no longer have access to another (the sheep). It is the reason for the separation that we should emphasize. Understanding God's reason for the separation will help us understand how to be ready for the judgment.

“He will separate them from one another…”

Why would a shepherd divide sheep from goats? Sheep were the gentle and helpless cousins of the goat. Goats were wild, independent creatures considered to be willful and stubborn. Throughout the bible, goats are used by writers as symbols of poor leadership. They would often wander from the shepherd and lead the sheep with them. Then, when trouble arrived, goats would flee and leave the sheep behind. God separates the goats and the sheep to prevent the weak from being manipulated by the strong.

Jeremiah 50:6-9

6 “My people have become lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray. They have made them turn aside {on} the mountains; they have gone along from mountain to hill and have forgotten their resting place. 7 “All who came upon them have devoured them; and their adversaries have said, ‘We are not guilty, Inasmuch as they have sinned against the LORD {who is} the habitation of righteousness, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.’”


8 “Wander away from the midst of Babylon, and go forth from the land of the Chaldeans; be also like male goats at the head of the flock. 9“For behold, I am going to arouse and bring up against Babylon a horde of great nations from the land of the north, and they will draw up {their} battle lines against her; from there she will be taken captive. Their arrows will be like an expert warrior who does not return empty-handed.

Zechariah 10:3-6

3 “My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the male goats; for the LORD of hosts has visited His flock, the house of Judah, and will make them like His majestic horse in battle. 4 “From them will come the cornerstone, from them the tent peg, from them the bow of battle, from them every ruler, {all} of them together. 5 “And they will be as mighty men, treading down {the enemy} in the mire of the streets in battle; and they will fight, for the LORD {will be} with them; and the riders on horses will be put to shame. 6 “And I shall strengthen the house of Judah, and I shall save the house of Joseph, and I shall bring them back, because I have had compassion on them; and they will be as though I had not rejected them, for I am the LORD their God, and I will answer them.

The manipulation issue

There are two ways to manipulate a person:

1.      To use them for my ends (even if they act with complicity). We are supposed to love others as Christ loved us—not to fulfill our desires.

2.      To allow someone to be used by another. We cannot excuse ourselves from the sin of manipulation just because it doesn’t involve us. To allow injustice is to be unjust!

“Making things right” (the biblical concept of righteousness) means applying all of my resources (“talents” in Mt 25:14-30) to end injustice. This was at the very heart (and power) of the early church.

“He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.”

Jesus is seated at the “Right Hand of God.” Prophesy proclaims it, Jesus explained it and Stephen even witnessed it. Yet, why is it always God’s “Right hand?” Why not his left? Why “righteousness” and not “left-eousness?”
The left hand (for the Middle Easterner) is the unclean hand. You would never offer it to someone nor would you even be allowed to strike someone with it. Such actions would be considered horrible insults. If you were caught stealing in the marketplace it was your right hand that would be chopped off. That was considered the ultimate humiliation.


What is with this biblical bias against left-handers like me? Let’s look at a number of spiritual references to the concept of “the Right Hand Man.”

·       
First of all (as stated above) to a person raised in the Middle East, your right hand was your “clean hand” and your left hand was your “cleaning hand.” Because of sanitary conditions in many areas of the least developed nations it would be very unhealthy to confuse your right and left hands.

·       
Furthermore, in Hebrew tradition, the right hand [“dexios” in Greek], is actually considered the feminine hand of God. Renoir understood this in his renowned painting of the Prodigal Son. If you look at it closely you can see that the father’s right hand is different than his left. Indeed, the right hand is a woman’s hand. It is the hand of compassion.

·       
The common belief in the Hebrew culture was that it was our hands that allowed humans to be able to use tools—thus (according to the ancients)—the hand symbolized our stewardship role in the earth. Our hands symbolized how God made us distinct from other creatures. Because of this the right hand was frequently decorated with jewelry. [Gen. 24:22; Ezek. 23:42]

The word for hand was often used to represent someone’s power and authority. [Exodus 3:8; 1 Samuel 23:17; Psalm 31:15]. It was also used as an indicator of what someone really believed or their “whole belief.” It was the hands that disclosed the soul because the hands only did what the soul instructed them. [Psalm 24:4; Acts 2:23]

The position of a person’s hands is symbolic of their relationship with God.

·       Dropped hands were symbol of deep, spiritual weariness.

Isaiah 35:3


Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. (KJV)

·       Raised hands were a symbol of praise or violence towards an “enemy of God’s people;”

I King 11:27

And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the city of David his father. (KJV)

Psalm 63:4


So I will bless Thee as long as I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

·       
Laying hands on another person conveyed a blessing of that person [Gen. 48:17] or the ordination to Christian office. [1 Timothy 5:22]

Genesis 48:17-19

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head unto Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; put thy right hand upon his head. 19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. (KJV)

1 Timothy 5:22

Do not lay hands upon anyone {too} hastily and thus share {responsibility for} the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.

 Opening his hand

Let’s end this section by looking at the origin of the word “righteousness” and how it became tied into “the right hand.” As we have seen, there are multiple scripture references to the power of God being manifested by his “Right-Hand Man,” the Messiah.

Mark 14:62

And Jesus said, “I am; and you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

Acts 7:56

and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Rom 8:34-39

34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?


36 Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary has a great explanation on the nature of God’s Right Hand and its tie to righteousness.

The right hand

ALMS 
Money given out of mercy for the poor. The Israelite was commanded to be generous in opening his hand wide to the poor and needy [Deut. 15:11]. Left over fruit or vegetables from vineyards, orchards, olive groves, and fields should be made available to the poor [Lev. 19:9-10; Ruth 2:2,7-8]. Blessings were promised to those who were generous in aiding the poor [Prov. 14:21; 19:17]. Eventually, the notion developed that almsgiving had power to atone for the giver’s sins.


By Jesus’ time, the word righteousness was tied closely to the word alms. Thus, when Jesus taught about “charitable deeds” or almsgiving [Matt. 6:2-4]), prayer [Matt. 6:5-15] and fasting [Matt. 6:16-18], he prefaced his teachings by saying, “Beware of practicing your piety [literally, righteousness] before men in order to be seen by them [Matt. 6:1].” In this way he taught that the giving of alms to the poor must not become a theatrical display to win people’s applause. The praise that comes from God is more important.


The Book of Acts comments favorably on several instances of almsgiving. A certain disciple at Joppa—a woman named Tabitha or Dorcas—was full of good works and charitable deeds [Acts 9:36]. A God-fearing man named Cornelius “gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always” [Acts 10:2]. Then, as now, God acknowledges those who give gifts of bread to the hungry and in other ways show compassion to the needy [Is. 58:6-8; 1 John 3:17].

—Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright © 1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Hope for left-handers (like me)

Before we leave the topic of left and right-handedness I just want to give hope to other left-handers out there. We do have a hero in the bible that confirms we aren’t entirely evil. His name is Ehud and he can be found in the book of Judges:

Judges 3:15

But when the sons of Israel cried to the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer for them, Ehud the son of Gera, the Benjamite, a left-handed man. And the sons of Israel sent tribute by him to Eglon the king of Moab.

Ehud remains the only left-handed hero in the entire Bible.

MATTHEW 25:34-36

34“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

“Come ye blest of my Father…”

Earlier in this study, we heard a sentence many of us would long to hear from our Lord; “Well done good and faithful servant.” This week we hear another sentence we should use as a benchmark for our lives; “Come, you who are blessed of My Father…”


I can think of no two sentences to strive our entire lives to hear from Jesus. The statements sum up a well-lived life. We call the final summary of a person’s life a eulogy. That word originates from the Greek, “Eulogeo”; which is used in this very text for “blessed.” In literal terms to say, “Come you are blessed,” is the greatest eulogy one could receive for the focus of their life.

What is blessed?

In our last reading, the servants who invested all their being were commended by the Lord. The Lord blessed—not the amount returned—but the effort invested. Christ shows us quite clearly in this lesson that to be blessed is to feed the hungry, give drink to the parched, invite the stranger into your life, clothe the naked, visit the sick and go to the imprisoned. To be blessed is to have the privilege to invite the hungry orphan, widow or immigrant into the King’s banquet and to clothe that person with the King’s glory.


Many times I have heard these words dummied down by teachers and preachers who would state; “By hungry, Jesus meant the ‘spiritually hungry’—he didn’t actually mean the physically hungry. Thirsty means longing for religion,” and so on.


Let’s look at the actual Greek translations of the words that Jesus used:

·       Hungry [peinao]

This word means to be famished or to have a distended belly from hunger. Literally it describes the pinching pain of hunger that stabs at the stomach of the starving. The term for spiritual hunger (or longing) is epipothesis, which would also be used as vehement desire. The two words are obviously different. By using the term “feed the hungry [peinao],” Jesus meant that we must help feed the physically hungry.

·       Thirsty [dipsao]

This word can be used in either a literal or figurative sense of thirsting.

·       A stranger [xenos]

A stranger was an alien (an immigrant from a different country—not a different world). To the Jew of Christ’s day, a stranger was anyone who was not Jewish. So what was blessed? You were blessed when you were a thoughtful and caring host to those who were outside of my culture and unaccustomed to my beliefs. This command is especially pertinent in our “xenophobic” society.

·       Nude [gumnos]

This could be literal or figurative, it means to be exposed or without protection. Clothing the naked not only means providing garments; it also means, “covering their shame” or “being their protector.”

·       Sick [astheneo]

Being sick meant feeble in any sense. It also meant weak or impotent, even feeling powerless. There is no greater gift to the “powerless and feeble” than the gift of relationship or time. Standing by someone when they are ill, weak or powerless tells them that our love of them transcends their position or possessions. In our culture, we tend to only visit those who can offer us something in return.

Part of my work with the incarcerated is to tell them that—to make it “on the outs”—they must find a way to love someone who cannot love them back. It is precisely when we take these type of actions that we experience the incomparable joy of God move through us.

A group of ninth grade alternative kids in my workshop the other day said it like this; “You’ll never be alone if you can give.”

Matthew 5:43-48

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ 44 “But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you 45 in order that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous. 46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax-gatherers do the same? 47 “And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more {than others}. Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus tells us we must be advocates of the powerless. We are to seek ways to amplify their voice and raise awareness of their socio-political position. Over time, I have become convinced that you cannot raise the power of the weak externally—from an outside source—the powerbase must be built internally. A Christ-centered leader who takes this statement seriously will seek ways to create microenterprises and a common voice among the disempowered.

When we see the disempowered, pity is an indignant response. Compassion is the only Christ-centered response. As Jesus said to his Disciples in Matthew 14:16, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

·       Imprisoned [phulake]

This word was used to depict a cage or a prison. It also meant someone who is guarded or literally “kept separate.” We are told to “go to” those who are separated, guarded or even “caged.” Literally, the command we are given to respond to the “imprisoned” is “erchomai,” which means; “You brought light to me,” or, even more; “You were light to me.”


How can we misinterpret these sayings to mean anything but to literally “love those who are outcast?” We are blest when we seek the forgotten and become light to them. Where today, in your community, might you find the forgotten? That is where our Lord literally resides.


Let us examine a number of scriptures, beginning with the Old Testament, which will remind us that compassion is a biblical mandate for the faithful, not an option:

Deuteronomy 15:7-8

7 “If there is a poor man with you, one of your brothers, in any of your towns in your land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand from your poor brother; 8 but you shall freely open your hand to him, and shall generously lend him sufficient for his need {in} whatever he lacks.

Job 31:16-23

16 “If I have kept the poor from {their} desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, 17 Or have eaten my morsel alone, and the orphan has not shared it 18 (But from my youth he grew up with me as with a father, and from infancy I guided her), 19 If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or that the needy had no covering, 20 If his loins have not thanked me, and if he has not been warmed with the fleece of my sheep, 21 If I have lifted up my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had support in the gate, 22 Let my shoulder fall from the socket, and my arm be broken off at the elbow. 23 “For calamity from God is a terror to me, and because of His majesty I can do nothing.

Psalm 112:5-9

5 It is well with the man who is gracious and lends; He will maintain his cause in judgment. 6 For he will never be shaken; the righteous will be remembered forever. 7 He will not fear evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is upheld, he will not fear, until he looks {with satisfaction} on his adversaries. 9 He has given freely to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted in honor.

Proverbs 14:31

He who oppresses the poor reproaches his maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors Him.

Proverbs 19:17

He who is gracious to a poor man lends to the LORD, and He will repay him for his good deed.

Isaiah 58:7-8

7 “Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him; and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? 8 “Then your light will break out like the dawn, and your recovery will speedily spring forth; and your righteousness will go before you; the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Ezekiel 18:7-9

7 if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, {but} gives his bread to the hungry, and covers the naked with clothing, 8 if he does not lend {money} on interest or take increase, {if} he keeps his hand from iniquity, {and} executes true justice between man and man, 9 {if} he walks in My statutes and My ordinances so as to deal faithfully-- he is righteous {and} will surely live,” declares the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 34:4-11

4 “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. 5 “And they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. 6 “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill, and My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth; and there was no one to search or seek {for them.}”


7 Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 “As I live,” declares the Lord GOD, “surely because My flock has become a prey, My flock has even become food for all the beasts of the field for lack of a shepherd, and My shepherds did not search for My flock, but {rather} the shepherds fed themselves and did not feed My flock; 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 10 ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I shall demand My sheep from them and make them cease from feeding sheep. So the shepherds will not feed themselves anymore, but I shall deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be food for them.’”
11 For thus says the Lord GOD, “Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out.

Micah 6:8

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Luke 14:13-14

13 “But when you give a reception, invite {the} poor, {the} crippled, {the} lame, {the} blind, 14 and you will be blessed, since they do not have {the means} to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Acts 4:32

And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one {of them} claimed that anything belonging to him was his own; but all things were common property to them.

2 Corinthians 9:7

Let each one {do} just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

Hebrews 13:3

Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.

James 1:27

This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of {our} God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, {and} to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 5:14-16

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; 15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

I John 3:16-18

16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and beholds his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.

MATTHEW 25:37-40

’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‘And 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 come to You?’ 40“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

“Lord, when?”

Here is perhaps one of the most unassuming, beautiful statements in the whole bible; “When did we see you in such circumstances?” These believers simply had no clue they were ministering to the Lord when they ministered to the least of these.


It tells us two things about their unabashed love:

1.      It was done simply for the sake of love. There was no desire for reward or thought of salvation in these people’s minds, nor was their any fear of judgment. It was simply love for the sake of love.

2.      It was given from the fullness of the heart. These people loved boundlessly and recklessly. They loved everyone without expectation of “return on investment.” They sought out the least loved and gave their attention to them. This was a continuous, overflowing love. It wasn’t for a day of service or a corporate fund-drive. This was an excessive, reckless and passionate love that could only flow out of the abundance of gratitude.

This is the kind of love the world cannot understand. It is the kind of love a person gives when they realize they have been loved exorbitantly; above anything that they deserved. It is the kind of love that begins and ends with the statement; “I just want to love like I've been loved.”


Here is the question that every Christ-One, who recognizes the gift our Lord has offered, should ask every moment of every day. “How can I love even more?” This is not a love for fear of what Christ will do if we don’t live as he told us—it is a love for what Jesus has already done.

MATTHEW 25:41-46

41“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’ 44“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’ 45“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

They called him, “Lord.”

As a person who desires to call Jesus “my Lord,” this parable is sobering. For, it is not what I call myself that matters in the end. What matters is will my actions lead Jesus to recognize me? The context of this reading goes as far as to suggest that the poor will be our advocates in heaven. It is the outcasts who will say, “It’s all right, Lord. I recognize that person.”


By many contemporary definitions, these people—who are ultimately rejected—would be called “born again.” After all they call Jesus, “Lord.” Yet, they were cast into eternal punishment. Christ’s choice of words here is fascinating. Punishment [kolasis] means torment and affliction. Its root word (kolos) is used for “dwarf” and “to chastise.” It means to be rebuked and reduced. In other words, to be humiliated.


Why were they belittled even though they called Jesus, “Lord?” It is not only that they did not lift a finger to help the poor and suffering around them, it is their attitude in comparison to those who were “blessed” by the Lord. They wouldn’t help anyone unless there was some payback. Sure, they would have helped the poor if they knew they could avoid suffering by doing so—or if they knew there was a reward attached to it. “If only we’d known.”
Herein is life’s saddest statement. “If I only I knew.”


I hear this often in prisons. “If only I knew I would have been caught—I wouldn’t have done it.” Yet, this is not repentance. Sure, it is feeling sorrow, but it is feeling sorrow about being caught, not about wounding the fabric of God’s creation through sin.


However, one does not have to go to a prison to hear those kinds of statements. One simply has to look internally for the part of us that is held back from Christ, the part more comfortable with sin than with compassion. That is “the Goat” instead of the sheep inside of me.


There is a story of Martin of Tours, a Roman soldier and a follower of Christ. On a frigid winter day a beggar asking for alms approached the Roman. Martin could see the man before him shivering with no cloak. So he took off his soldiers cloak, cut it in half and gave it to the man. That night, Martin dreamt he saw the Lord standing in the midst of angels and he was wearing half his cloak.


That is the free gift of love that thrills our Lord and makes the angels sing with joy. It is a gift of selflessness brought forth from love without thought of reward or punishment. Once we are separated from the goats—responding like lambs to the Master’s call—joy flows from our hearts and love pours out of our fingertips onto the hungry, thirsty, stranger, naked, sick and imprisoned. Then, like Martin of Tours, we see the face of Jesus in those we love.

 

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Matthew 26