Daily Bible Reading (Friday, February 2nd)

11

Matthew 25 (ESV)

 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[a]and went to meet the bridegroom.[b] Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[c] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,[d] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[e] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked 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, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[f] you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Footnotes:

  1. Matthew 25:1 Or torches
  2. Matthew 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride
  3. Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
  4. Matthew 25:15 talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
  5. Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 232630
  6. Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters

11 Comments

Theme Summary: Continuing with the theme of coming judgment, Jesus instructs the disciples that, in the kingdom of heaven, they will either be vigilant in waiting for the return of Christ and feast with him, or foolish and suffer loss; they they will either invest what has been entrusted to them and reap great reward, or foolishly hide it and lose everything in hell; and that the foolish will go away into eternal punishment , but the righteous into eternal life at the judgment of Christ.

Thank you Elder Newton for that great reminder. God bless you hermano (brother). I can really relate to verse 5.

Well done good and faithful servant. Those are the words we all long to hear from our King when we stand before Him. Moreover, those who are good and faithful servants will enter "into the joy of your master." I pray, by the power of the Spirit, I will remain focused on using whatever God has given me for His purposes and glory. It's also worthy of note that the wicked servant used fear as an excuse. Seems that didn't work out too well for him.

I lingered over the phrase "Well done . . . You have been faithful with LITTLE. . " How curious it is when Jesus said, "you have been faithful with little." The footnotes for a talent says that it is worth 20 year's wages for a laborer. So the guy with 1 talent in todays day wages received about $600,000; 2 talents received $1,200,000; and 5 talents? an enormous $3,000,000. (Maybe this tells us of our wrong concept of wealth) Again I quote Jesus calling these sums of money as, "little". How serious are we living to honor and glorify our Lord concerning the eternal riches of God with the eternally destitute that do not know Christ the eternal King of creation and redeemer of the sinner who believes in him? You may feel that you only have one talent. Do not squander that rich blessing that our Lord has given you and me. Let us invest our talent(s) for the Kingdom of God in proclaiming the gospel to the lost and encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ.

I was thanking the Lord this morning for the Holy and Loving God that He is and not the god of hardness that the servant with 1 talent thought He was. I am called to fear Him but not in the way that the servant with 1 talent did. This type of fear leads to inactivity. I am called to have a sense of reverence and awe, as the servants with 5 and 10 talents did, in which they sought to do all that they could to please their Master.

I feel like the theme of today's passage is being faithful... Being faithful to use the talents God has given us, being faithful to serve God and those around us, and being faithful in obedience to God. I pray that we would be characterized by our faithfulness to God.

I want to make the most of the talents the Lord has provided. Want to hear those words "well done good and faithful servant."

I am thankful to be a part of a local church that looks out for the whole body and strives to serve everyone as if they are “the least of these”. I pray that we will continue to be generous with our time, attention, and money to be faithful in this way.

I can not wait for when Jesus comes and we get to sit with him and reign in heaven. Verse 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Father, I ask that Believers Fellowship would not only be 50% saved. If I could be so bold, I ask that all of our members would know the Bridegroom. Discipline us, Lord, to be diligent and prepared for your return. Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

The reality we live in today is that one day judgement will reign from Heaven. May we be alert to the opportunity to share the gospel with those around us! God I pray for my heart, that it would solely desire you and not the things of this world. Help me love others well and give me the strength today to sacrificially serve my friends and coworkers.

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