The Parables of Jesus – Part 2

The Parables of Jesus – Part 2

This week, we would continue from where we stopped last week. We would be looking at other parables of Jesus from the book of Matthew.

  • Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44)

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Explanation of the parable

Jesus speaks in parables to describe the kingdom of heaven. This time, He compares the kingdom of heaven to treasure found hidden in a field. The man who finds the treasure does not simply take it. Instead, he leaves it there, sells everything he has, and buys the field in order to get the treasure it contains.
It was common in this era to hide money or other belongings in the ground. Banks, as we think of them in the modern world, simply did not exist. Poverty and political turmoil made everyone vulnerable to having their possessions stolen or taken by those in power. It would have been more common then, compared to now, for a stash of valuables to be left in the ground because the previous owner died without letting anyone know they were there. Jesus uses this idea to describe the kingdom of heaven.
By rights, such accidentally discovered treasure would belong to the owner of the land. Local laws and customs seem to suggest that so long as that treasure remained buried, it was considered part of the field. If it was removed from the earth, it was the property of whomever owned the land. In other words, the treasure could not simply be taken—that would be theft. However, if the field’s owner sold the land, he would also be selling any buried valuables. The new owner would be legally free to dig up and take such treasure. The point is not detailing of property law, however. Christ’s message is that the kingdom of heaven is worth trading for everything a person owns, in order to come into “possession” of it.

This is a difficult principle for humanity to accept. In Matthew chapter 19, Jesus will famously tell a rich young man to sell all he owns and follow Him (Matthew 19:21). This comment is given specifically to that person, in order to prove that he’s unwilling to follow Jesus if it means losing his wealth (Matthew 19:22). For this reason, Jesus says rich people enter the kingdom of heaven with great difficulty (Matthew 19:23). Worldly wealth makes us feel secure, despite it having no eternal value. It’s easy to become addicted to comforts, and to lose an eternal perspective.

Some commentators read this parable differently, seeing the treasure as the people of Israel and Jesus as the man who sacrificed all He owned—the riches of heaven, His life—to buy the field in order to redeem them. However, this seems to insert meaning into the parable that is not obvious from the text. The man in the parable acts to gain something more valuable than what He sacrifices; Scripture elsewhere makes it clear that God did not choose Israel because of some special worth (Deuteronomy 9:4–6).

The larger idea of the parable is that any sacrifice is worth belonging to the kingdom of heaven. That theme is underscored by the following parable, as Jesus ties the meaning of both together.

  • Pearl of Great Price  (Matthew 13:45-46)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

Explanation of the parable

This begins another short parable. Jesus begins by saying “again,” which directly ties the meaning of this parable to the previous one. In that parable, a man sells everything he owns in order to buy a field. He does this because he has found a treasure in the field that is of enormous value. Jesus’ point was that it is worth any sacrifice to belong to the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 13:44).

This parable likely also fired the imaginations of Jesus’ listeners, because it pictures unexpected good fortune. This one features a merchant in search of fine pearls. In ancient times, divers would hunt pearls in the ocean waters that surrounded the middle east. The best pearls could be sold for enormous sums of money. This is not much different from how large, pure gemstones, such as diamonds, can be worth staggering amounts of money in modern contexts.
Jesus will continue to show how the kingdom of heaven is like such a pearl.

  •  The Net (Matthew 13:47-50)

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Explanation of the parable

Jesus continues His catalogue of parables meant to describe the kingdom of heaven. He is concluding with a few very brief lessons. Recent examples compared seeking the kingdom of heaven to men selling all they had to obtain an even-more-valuable treasure (Matthew 14:44–46).

In this story, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to another scene that would have been familiar to most Israelites. It would have been especially meaningful to those who lived and worked around the Sea of Galilee. This describes a common process of fishing, which is the use of a net. An especially common form of net fishing is sometimes called trawling, which involves sweeping a net through the water. Alternatively, a large net is thrown flat onto the surface of the water, and sinkers pull it down, trapping everything underneath inside the net. Either method gathers up everything it surrounds, including many varieties of fish and animals. Some of these are useful to a fisherman, others are not.
This is the central idea of the parable: the net collects everything, but not everything collected is kept. Jesus will show the fate of the captured creatures in the following verses.

  • The Heart of Man – Matthew 15:10-20

Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.[a] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Explanation of the parable

Does unknowingly eating a bit of something “unclean” cause an Israelite to be defiled? The Pharisees said it did, so they washed their hands in a ritual manner before every meal to avoid it. Jesus said it does not; in fact, Jesus said nothing that goes into a person through the mouth can cause that person to be defiled. It’s the sin in the human heart, revealed by the words that come out of a person’s mouth, that defile a person (Matthew 15:11, 17–19).

Jesus provided a sample list of defiling sins in the previous verse (Matthew 15:19), though there are many more. Every single human carries defiling sin in his or her heart (Romans 3:1–11). Nobody is clean. The point of the Law of Moses was not to keep the people permanently clean from some external source of sin; the Law did not have the power to do that. Sin is something on the inside that our words and actions reveal. Jesus had come to earth to make it possible for the sin in us to be forgiven by God once and for all.

Christ concludes this discussion of the Pharisees by telling His disciples that eating with unwashed hands does not defile anyone. That’s why He does not require them to participate in the ritual washing before meals. No tiny speck on an unclean thing, unknowingly and accidentally eaten, can ever touch their souls, which are already defiled with sin.

It’s important to understand that Jesus is not commanding anyone not to wash their hands before meals. His point is only about what handwashing does not accomplish, spiritually. We know that consuming germs or other contaminants does have the ability to make us physically sick. It’s a good idea for our physical health to wash before eating. It just won’t do anything to make us more or less sinful or “defiled.”

  • The Lost Sheep (Matthew 18:10-14)

“See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

“What do you think? If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish.

Explanation of the parable

Christ seems to be saying, “Don’t give up on any of those who believe in me.” Why? Because God the Father is like a shepherd who never gives up on a single wandering sheep. He always searches for them and rejoices when they are found and brought back to the flock.
Jesus has warned the disciples not to despise or disrespect any of His “little ones,” meaning those who believe in Him. This verse helps explain why. God places enormous value on each one of Jesus’ followers. It is His Father’s will that none of them should perish or die, and the Father is able to accomplish His will.

This verse does not mean that none of those who follow Jesus will die physically. Of course, most of Jesus’ disciples were killed for continuing to preach the gospel in His name. Even those believers who lived long and natural lives died physically. Instead, we understand that Jesus means His Father’s will is for every believer in Jesus to live eternally with Him in heaven, even those who go astray into sin and must be brought back.

  • The Unforgiving Servant  (Matthew 18:23-35)

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger, his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

Explanation of the parable

Jesus told the story in this passage (Matthew 18:23–34) in response to Peter’s noble-sounding question: Should I forgive my brother for sinning against me seven times? Judaism required the forgiveness of the same person for the same offense at least three times. Seven was twice that plus one. Peter was suggesting taking it to the extra mile when it comes to forgiving others (Matthew 18:21–22).
This parable was used to show how limited Peter’s idea of forgiving each other really is. How much should a man, forgiven by the king for thousands of lifetimes worth of debt, be willing to forgive from others? The man in the story refused to forgive a debt of 100 days’ wages, causing every listener to agree with the king that the man was wicked. Perhaps they even cheered when the man was thrown in debtors’ prison.
Now, though, Jesus drives the point of the story home. His Father in heaven, God, will also imprison every person who does not forgive his brother from the heart. God expects those whom He forgives to forgive everyone who sins against them up to the amount they themselves have been forgiven. Since every sin we commit is committed against God, those who are forgiven by Him are forgiven for every sin, every wrong and wicked choice, we ever do over the course of our lifetimes. Nobody will ever sin against us anywhere near to the amount we have sinned against God.
How are we forgiven? Only through faith in Jesus and by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8–9). The one who told this story is about to die on the cross to pay the price for the sins of all who believe in Him (John 3:16–18; Colossians 2:14). Now He tells us that God will not forgive those unwilling to forgive as they have been forgiven. This is not because forgiveness is a pre-condition of salvation (Titus 3:5), but because forgiveness is a symptom of those who have been truly saved.
God’s grace for us is absolute and our only hope of spending eternity with Him. We cannot earn His forgiveness by forgiving others. Instead, we should understand that the God who saves us begins to change our hearts and make us new in the image of Christ (Romans 12:1–2). The ability to forgive those who hurt us is evidence that the Spirit of God in us through faith in Christ is alive and active and at work in us.
Those who absolutely refuse to forgive may be showing that they are not willing to receive God’s forgiveness for their much larger debt of sin. This does not apply to those who want to forgive yet are grappling with it. Even if we’re not perfect, we can demonstrate a willingness to obey. We can live consistently with an understanding that God has forgiven us for far more than we will ever need to forgive in others.

  • Laborers in the Vineyard  (Matthew 20:1-16)

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. “About nine in the morning, he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went. “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

“But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Explanation of the parable

This verse bookends this passage with Matthew 19:30. Jesus had assured the disciples of a rich reward in the kingdom of heaven for all they have given up for His sake, as well as eternal life. He had added, though, that many who are first will be last, and the last first, in the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:27–30). Then He told the parable in this passage (Matthew 20:1) to illustrate what He meant by that.
Now Jesus makes the same statement in reverse order to show that He has explained what it means that the last will be first, and the first last. That may be, but not all commentators agree about what exactly He meant.
Some suggest the parable is about Israel and the Gentiles who will come into the kingdom by faith in Christ, making those who come through Christ first even though they came to be included in the family of God last. Others hear Jesus describing a general reversal in the kingdom of position and status on earth, making the rich poor and the lowly great. Still other teachers believe the meaning of the parable should be restricted to the disciples themselves to quiet their arguing about who was greatest among them.
The bottom line of the parable, however, seems to be that all are received and rewarded by God based on His grace. He gives much to those He wishes to, in Christ, based not on their worthiness but on His own generosity. Some of those who are last, least deserving of reward in the kingdom of heaven, may become first in receiving God’s grace precisely because of their lack of apparent work or effort. Others who gave up much for Jesus and seemingly did great things for God may be last in terms of their apparent relative reward. It is all for God to say.

  • The Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”“The first,” they answered.

Explanation of the parable

Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.

Jesus’ parable (Matthew 21:28–30) contrasted two sons. The first defied his father at first, then obeyed. The second seemed to agree, at first, but never complied. Obviously, it was the first, and not the second, who was truly obedient. With this in mind, Jesus has pointed out that tax collectors and the prostitutes have heeded the message of John the Baptist. They repented from their sin and were baptized by John. They initially said no to the commands of God—evidenced by lives of sin and selfishness—and then turned and began to obey Him (1 Corinthians 6:9–11).
The Jewish religious leaders did exactly the opposite. They publicly and repeatedly said yes to God in every way they could, but this was ultimately all for show (Matthew 23:27). When God sent John the Baptist to them as a prophet and called them to repent from their sinful actions, these religious men refused to do so. Even when those society dismissed as despicable sinners believed and repented, the elders, scribes, and Pharisees refused to do so. They would not believe and obey (John 5:39–40).
Jesus tells them that John came to them in the way of righteousness. This means that, unlike them, John truly lived righteously before God. He did not merely say the right words and look good standing in the temple. He did what God told Him to do, and he kept doing it. From that position of righteous living, John called the Israelites to repent and join Him. Again, the religious leaders refused to do so.

  • The Tenant Farmers (Matthew 21:33-45)

“Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit. “The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

“But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and take his inheritance.’ So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time.” Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

Explanation of the parable

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them. This conversation began when some chief priests and elders approached Jesus with a question about the source of His authority (Matthew 21:23). Now Matthew shows that some Pharisees were present, as well—at least they had arrived by the time Jesus finished these two parables.

Instead of finding ammunition to use against Jesus, though, He had forced them to back down since they were unwilling to publicly say that John the Baptist was not sent from God (Matthew 21:25–27). Jesus launched from this into two parables that thoroughly condemned these Jewish religious leaders. He had indirectly owned His own role as the Son of God, predicting both His own death and God’s coming judgment of these Israelite leaders (Matthew 21:28–41).
Now Matthew adds a note to let his readers know that the chief priests and Pharisees understood that Jesus was talking about them all along. They grasped that He was condemning them and predicting that the kingdom would be taken from them. It’s not surprising that they were looking for a way to arrest Jesus and stop Him from teaching these things.

  • Marriage Feast or Great Banquet  (Matthew 22:1-14)

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

“But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Explanation of the parable

This passage, especially including this verse, contributes to a sense of tension between two ideas. Scripture seems to counterweight two concepts that are not contradictory, but overlap in complex ways. On one side is God’s choice of those who will enter the kingdom of heaven. On the other is the mandate for people to accept the invitation and receive the gift of God’s grace by faith in Christ. Even in Jesus’ parable, some willingly refuse the invitation. Some accept and fully engage. One seems to accept the invitation, but not entirely. Jesus concludes by saying that many are called to come and participate, but few are chosen to stay.
In a later passage, Jesus will refer several times to a chosen group called “the elect” (Matthew 24:22, 24, 31). It is clear from the gospel that everyone included in the elect—all those who are chosen—received the gift of God’s eternal grace after trusting in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8–9). God calls to everyone to come to Him through faith in Christ (Acts 4:12). This demonstrates the limits of human understanding (Isaiah 55:8–9). Mysteriously, and in some interrelated way, only those elected by God will believe, and yet those elected will believe by their own choice. Only those who truly believe (John 3:16–18), those who sincerely and deeply obey the call, are the chosen ones.

  • The Budding Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32-35)

“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a] is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

Explanation of the parable

The Parable of the Budding Fig Tree follows immediately after a significant section of future prophecy given by our Lord Jesus. This teaching was given in response to a question asked by the disciples after Jesus foretold the destruction of the temple and the surrounding buildings (Mark 13:1–4). In the first half of his answer (vv. 5–23), Jesus spoke about the destruction of the temple, which focuses primarily on the future destruction of Jerusalem, which we know took place in their lifetimes. In his answer’s second half, he focused on his Second Advent and the extraterrestrial events that would accompany his return. Thus, Jesus had taught about a time of terrible tribulation that would come; he indicated that sometime after this terrible period he’d return and there’d be amazing cosmic signs accompanying his return. It’s this teaching about the future that led him to present his Parable of the Budding Fig Tree.

  • The Faithful vs. The Wicked Servant – Matthew 24:45-51

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Explanation of the parable

Jesus wants His disciples to remember that He warned them about these unique things which would happen. This forewarning serves several different purposes. First, it makes hardships easier to endure. Simply knowing that there is a plan, an end, and a victory at the end of suffering makes it much easier to “hold fast” under stress (John 16:1–4; Hebrews 10:23).
Another advantage is that as prophesied events come to pass, Jesus’ followers will be confirmed in their faith (Hebrews 12:1). There is great encouragement in being able to read the words of Christ, and to say, “He told us this would happen, and now it has.”
Third, Jesus’ words will help to keep the disciples from falling for ungodly lies and manipulations. Those who listen to Christ’s predictions, and warnings (Matthew 24:4–5, 11, 24) won’t be drawn in by displays of power from false saviors or other impostors. Instead, they will remember Jesus’ words. He is equipping them to defeat the lies of tomorrow with truth in the present.
Jesus echoes Isaiah 48:5, speaking about one purpose of prophecy: “I declared them to you from of old, before they came to pass I announced them to you, lest you should say, ‘My idol did them, my carved image and my metal image commanded them.'”

  • The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Explanation of the parable

Jesus drives home the point of His parable about the ten young, unmarried women, waiting for the bridegroom during a wedding celebration. Those who follow Christ should watch for His return. He says again that they will have no way to accurately predict the moment when He will come back (Matthew 24:36). The fact that Jesus makes this same point repeatedly shows its importance. Rather than becoming complacent or lazy, He wants His followers to live in state of constant readiness. He does not want any of His people to live for themselves and merely hope for the best when He gets here.
Taking His teaching together within the context of the New Testament, being prepared for Christ’s return begins with putting our hope in Christ’s return. The only way to be approved of by the judge and welcomed into the kingdom of heaven is through faith in Christ Himself (John 3:36). Those who trust Him accept the gift of His death for the forgiveness of their sin and His righteousness for their approval before the Father (John 3:16–18).
Those who are trusting Jesus will be at work as they wait for His return, making the most of what He has given to them. They do the work He has given them to do. That’s the point of the following parable (Matthew 25:14).

  • Ten Talents or Gold Coins ( Matthew 25:14-30)

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

Explanation of the parable

The servant described as sinful and lazy by his master (Matthew 25:24–27) now faces consequences. The master has him thrown into the place of outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. This is a language almost always used to describe the eternal torment of judgment in hell (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 22:13; 24:51; Luke 13:28). The servant who refused to serve his master is declared worthless and removed to a place of suffering.
This point should be clear, in context, but it has often been misinterpreted. The person being cast into this outer darkness is not being punished because he did not accomplish enough for the master. He’s not being damned for his disobedience. Rather, his actions prove he’s not a true servant at all: he’s a pretender. When the master gave him a talent, he blatantly refused to use it, and made derogatory excuses (Matthew 25:24–25). In a sense, the lazy man is not losing his servanthood; he’s proving he never really had it in the first place. As a result, he’ll be rejected by the master.
Jesus’ point is clear. Those who refuse to serve Him while waiting for Him to return are demonstrating that they do not truly trust Him (John 14:15). They have not placed their hope in Him, and He is the only way to be welcomed into the kingdom of heaven and a relationship with God the Father. Without Jesus, there is no hope (John 3:36).

Next week by the grace of God, we will be considering all the parables of Jesus in the book of Mark.

God bless you.

 

 

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