The Lord now turns to two parables to further expand upon the conditions during His coming.
THE 2ND COMING & THE PARABLE OF THE 10 VIRGINS (Matthew 25:1-13)
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 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.’ 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. Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.
The Lord follows the previous parable with another parable to speak of the significance of readiness for “that day/hour”. This parable introduces another kingdom-style parable with the phrase “The Kingdom of God”.The coming of the Lord will be compared (future tense) to 10 virgins who took their lamps to meet a bridegroom, a representation of the Lord Jesus (Matthew 9:15). These were carrying lamps along with oil for their journey. These girls were part of the procession to a wedding feast, but we are not told what relationship they held with the bridegroom or the party. We are merely told that the travel was by night and that they were to meet him and accompany him to the celebration. Five of these girls were “prudent” and brought oil while the other half were foolish and neglectful. The parable then moves to the moment when the bridegroom arrives. The story indicates that the virgins anticipated to meet the bridegroom at an expected time but suddenly were startled by his coming. This coming is announced with a shout or a loud call to come to meet Him. It is important to note that each of these virgins had fallen asleep and all brought their lamps. The difference between them was the preparedness of the 5 wise girls. They had prepared to go the whole way with him while the others did not. The story tells us that all stood up and made their way to meet him. The 5 wise girls easily lit their lamps with the oil and made their way to him while the 5 unwise girls lit their lamps also but didn’t have enough oil to keep them going. They asked the 5 prudent girls for oil but were refused. They recommended that they purchase their own and they went away to buy more oil for the journey. Carrying the lamps were a part of the procession to accompany the bridegroom to the wedding feast. The bridegroom arrives and without delay, the wedding feast began with those girls who had arrived and without the others. When the 5 foolish girls eventually arrived, it was too late because the door was shut! Their call to be allowed entrance into the feast was met with the words “I don’t know you”. The answer from the bridegroom were meant to disassociate himself from them. They had not taken the proper care to assure that they’d be able to make the full journey and in return he no longer cared to know them. They had dishonoured him with their lack of care for his great day.
The warning then is to be on alert but also to be ready for that day/hour. Being prepared for the coming of the Lord is not something that can be relied upon by others to provide. Christians must be prepared for that day by their own means and should not be taken by surprise when the shout comes of His arrival. The language of a door being shut is used throughout scripture in eschatological contexts of those who are damned. They were people who were probably familiar with the Lord but missed the mark when demonstrating the basis for their faith in Him (Matthew 7:21-23). This is what the 2nd coming of Christ will entail, many will predict and expect Him to return at a specific time, yet He will come suddenly and without warning.
THE 2ND COMING & THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS (Matthew 25:14-30/ Mark 13:34/ Luke 19:11-27)
This next parable takes on a similar outcome as the aforementioned parables but from a different perspective. The emphasis is identifying the means by which we must prepare for the unexpected coming of the Lord Jesus. It speaks of a wealthy master who gives a hefty sum to three of his servants while he goes off on a long journey. The money was distributed in an uneven fashion with one receiving 5 talents, another 3 and finally the third servant received 1 talent. The two first servants utilize the money to grow the wealth of their master while the third digs a hole to hide the money which produces no benefit for the master. When he returns, the two first servants have doubled their portion for him, but the last servant produced no results. The two first servants are rewarded by coming into the joy of their master while the third is thrown out into outer darkness. But why give a different amount to each of these servants? It demonstrates that some are given a much greater obligations and occasions to please their master. It shows that it is not about the amounts given to the servants but what they did with what they were given. The servants who were given more probably had proven themselves to be entrusted with more. They should be working to grow what they have received! The fervour by which the two first servants go out to grow their master’s is expressed in the term “immediately”. They didn’t waste time in accomplishing their duty to him. Instead of siding with safety, as the third servant did, they took a chance and traded to grow the sum.
Notice that the two first servants received the same commendation! The third servant is called lazy. His protectionist mentality and his view of his master as “hard” certainly demonstrate that he didn’t really know his master. If he was willing, even to produce a little, such as interest in the bank, it would have sufficed to please his master.
In the end, those who produced a benefit from what they had received will enter into the joy of the master while the servant who produced nothing, will be thrown out into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. The last servant wasn’t scolded for doing something wrong, but for doing nothing at all.
We should highlight prior to moving on that from v. 19 that the master is not gone for a short period of time, but his return is said to be “after a long time”. It’s important to note that this is referring to the 2nd coming. This parable simply assumed that the “imminent” Parousia will not be immediate[1].
THE 2ND COMING TO BRING SALVATION & JUDGMENT (Matthew 25:31-46)
This last section is crucial to understanding the purpose and results of the 2nd coming. While the previous parables spoke of the demeanour that disciples of Christ should exhibit (producing good fruits and being on alert), the following text focus upon the event itself. He is now describing the crescendo of what “that day/hour” will look like (24:36).
The following passages tell of the great and final judgment when the Lord Jesus returns. The great king will return as the judge. The judgment brought is not in the context of the temple and “this generation” as in 24:30,35, but this time in the context of judging the nations. The setting describes, not necessarily a coming to the earth, as much as a displaying the authority He has as the Son of Man being enthroned and judging the world. He will then divide the nations into two specific groups, the saved and the lost, which He compares to “the sheep and the goats”[2]. How do we relate the “nations” with the division of the “sheep & goats”? The language of “nations’ probably references the collective entirety of humans on the earth, in the same way that the wheat and tares grow together in a field, and they are placed in one area for a purpose while the other in a different area for a different end[3]. The text is largely reiterating previous parables and statements made from the Lord throughout the gospel. It stresses the significance of producing good fruits and demonstrates that there is a basis for which it will be central to the last judgment. Some have argued that it is the works of kindness that are the basis for whether one receives eternal life or eternal damnation. As I examine these texts, I don’t want to minimize the importance of caring for others and the duty of the Christian to love and help the less fortunate in society. However, if we are sticking with the text, we need to admit that the people to whom the clothing, feeding, tending to their illness, granting hospitality, and visiting in prisons, were explicitly the disciples. These explicit acts of kindness towards even one of these brothers of Christ, even to the least of them, was implicitly doing it for the Lord Himself. Those “brothers” were heralds of the gospel and would struggle through their ministry, even to the point of being thrown in prison, were the responsibility of Christians to care for. These were His true family (Matthew 12:46-50) and to welcome the little child who “believe in me”, was to welcome Him (Matthew 18:5-6). It wasn’t necessarily the earning of salvation in these deeds that is in question but the demonstration of the faith and salvation that was received in the love for one another.
The result of the two groupings is found in the words of v.46: These (the goats) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The righteous will be placed at His right hand, the place of honour and will be “blessed” of the Father. They will come into His joy in the inheritance of His kingdom which was prepared before the foundation of the world. But the kingdom that they are entering, seems to denote them also becoming kings themselves and sharing in Christ’s kingdom (Matthew 19:28)[4]. The expressions “go away…into eternal life” and “inherit the kingdom” are both simultaneously a blessing that will finally be achieved at the resurrection of the dead. While the term “come” is used of these sheep, the opposite “depart from me” is used of those who are the goats. The destination of those on the left is poised for eternal fire, which was prepared for the devil and his angels. They were a part of the devil’s kingdom while on the earth and will continue to be located with him in eternity (Daniel 12:2).
While this is technically the final post on the series, we will post one more as a postscript examining other portions in the gospel of Matthew that portray a similar message of His coming.
[1] France P. 954
[2] The motif of an ultimate division between the saved and the lost has recurred in many different contexts in the gospel; see especially 7:13-27; 8:11-12; 10:32-33; 13:40-43, 49-50; 16:25-26, and the whole of 24:36-25:30. (France P.961)
[3] The language of the sheet and goat is similar to Ezekiel 34:17 but in Ezekiel, it seems to refer to a division within Israel (my flock).
[4] Also see 1 Corinthians 4:8; Ephesians 2:6; Revelation 1:6; 5:10; 20:6 and 22:5
The Moncton Herald 