Matthew 26.17-25

The passage today can be divided into two sections: The stage of Jesus' rejection and the character of Jesus' betrayal.

¹⁷ On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
 ¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
 ²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”
 ²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”
 ²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”
 ²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”
   Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”^[a]




The beginning of this passages sets the stage for what is going on in Jerusalem. Matthew says, "On the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, " or otherwise known as the Passover. 


The "Passover" was used to refer to two different things. The first was the actual passover meal, in which the family would sit down and celebrate a meal together, remembering how God sent the death angel and killed all the firstborn in Egypt, except for those who had killed a lamb and spread it's blood on the door frames of their houses. The death angel literally "passed over" their house and didn't kill anyone. This final plague led to Pharaoh letting the Israelites go free from their slavery and led to the liberation of the entire nation of Israel. This celebration took place on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish calendar, which is called the month of Nisan. 


This is the first thing that the word "Passover" refers to. The second thing that this word is used to describe is the feast of Unleavened Bread. This feast began the immediate day after the Passover and lasted for one week. This feast's main focus was that no leaven was consumed in any of the bread they ate. Hence the name, "Unleavened Bread". The first and last day of the feast of unleavened bread were days of rest and worship. This week was also referred to as "passover", because it was remembering the same event, God rescuing the Israelites from Egypt. 


This Passover celebration was the largest celebration amongst the Jews. Somewhere around 250,000 Jews would make a pilgrimage to the city, requiring 25,000 to even 100,000 sacrificial lambs to be killed in the temple.  This feast could only be celebrated in Jerusalem, and it consisted of each family getting a lamb and having it sacrificed on the "Passover" (14th of Nisan) night, then eating the lamb and enjoying the feast. 


This is what Jesus' disciples are sent to prepare for. Look at what Jesus tells them:


¹⁷ On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

 ¹⁸ He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” ¹⁹ So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.

Remember what has happened this week. 

Saturday--anointed by Mary

Sunday--The triumphal entry and Cleansing of the temple

Monday--Cursing the fig tree

Tuesday--Day of Questioning, woes against the pharisees and Olivet Discourse

Thursday--The passover meal

Jesus has entered into the city triumphantly, cleansed the temple, had debate club with the Jewish leaders, preached a sermon against the Jewish leaders, and finally predicted the destruction of the temple. 

He has not made a lot of friends. The Jewish leaders have wanted him dead for months, and now Judas has offered his services in making their wish come true. 


This is what we see in the second part of this story, the actual character of Jesus' betrayal. 

 ²⁰ When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. ²¹ And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.”

 ²² They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?”

 ²³ Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

 ²⁵ Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?”

   Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.”

Jesus has predicted a number of times up to this point the fact that he was going to be betrayed and crucified. Yet, the disciples had not got it. Here, Jesus states it very clearly, "The one who is going to betray me is among you." 

Each one is shocked.

"Is it I?"

That is how each one responds, which signifies a healthy dose of self-awareness. 

We are all capable of Judas did. 

Did you catch that statement? 

We are all fallen beings and have the ability to betray our faithfulness to Jesus. 

I know I have been there. 

Yet when we look at Judas, we seem to think, "There is no way that would happen to me." Really? I have betrayed Jesus all the time.

I can't tell you the number of times I have shied away from his call to step out of my comfort zone and do something big for him. This is a betrayal. And yet, God works through our betraying nature to bring about his will. 

Looks what happens after Judas betrays Jesus. Jesus is handed over to the Jewish leaders and crucified, which paid the penalty for the sins of the universe. 

God is faithful even when we aren't. 

So imagine what he can do with us when we are actually working with him instead of against him. 

Don't underestimate your own ability to betray Jesus. Guard it, and commit to be faithful today. 

Matthew 26.14-16

Today, are passage is very short but very important. This occurs right after Mary anoints Jesus' feet with her perfume. Matthew places this story about Mary, which actually occurred BEFORE the triumphal entry, but he placed it here to make a contrast between how Mary treated Jesus and how Judas treated Jesus. Let's take a look at this passage:

¹⁴ Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty silver coins. ¹⁶ From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.


Matthew starts off by emphasizing that Judas, the betrayer of Jesus, was one of the inner twelve. He is on the leadership team of Jesus Christian Church. He is one of the elders, on staff, yet...look at what he does. 


He does not act like Mary, the woman, the outsider, who gave up all she had for Jesus. Instead, he went to the chief priests and asked this:


“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”


There have been numerous suggestions as to why Judas betrayed Jesus. Here are some of the more common ones:

• He was jealous of Jesus 
• He was mad about Mary wasting the perfume
• He was impatient and wanted to force Jesus' hand to institute conflict with the elders
• He was disappointed in who Jesus was in comparison to who he thought he was going to be
• He was trying to make some money to replace the money he had stolen from their fund
• He was trying to save himself because he saw the conflict between the Jewish leaders and Jesus

Whatever the motivation or reason is for why Judas betrayed Jesus, this is true. While Mary sacrificed for everything she had for Jesus, Judas used Jesus to get a little something for himself. 

How much did Judas trade Jesus in for?

 So they counted out for him thirty silver coins.

30 coins, the price of  a slave. 

But he's Judas!!! He sat on the left hand of Jesus at the Lord's Supper, showing that he was like the third most important disciple. He did carry the money bag. Yet...instead of being completely committed to Jesus no matter what the cost, he bails for selfish reasons. 

The question that Mary was asking was...."what can I sacrifice for Jesus?"

The question Judas is asking is..."what can I get out of Jesus?"

One's focus is serving and sacrificing, the other is ME ME ME.

So who are you? 

Do you go to church or go into the ministry or serve in a program so that you can be recognized or thanked or achieve popularity or a certain status among your peers? Or you concerned with what Jesus can give you or what you can give for Jesus?

There is one choice we have to make, we can be like Mary or Judas...you choose. 

Matthew 26.6-13

Let's start off this last section of the book of Matthew by reading our text:

⁶ While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, ⁷ a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table.
 ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”
 ¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”


What we have here is a contrast between Mary, the woman that poured perfume on Jesus, and the disciples. The contrast is this: Mary realizes what kind of King Jesus is, and the disciples get it wrong. 


It starts off with Jesus at the home of this man, Simon the leper. While they are at dinner, Mary comes in with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume. We see in John's account of this passage that the perfume was worth a year's wages. To us, that is like 30,000 dollars!!!! And what does Mary do with the perfume? She breaks the jar and pours it on Jesus.


Jesus must have really stunk to need all that perfume.


That may be what you are thinking, but that is not the symbol that Mary is trying to get across. In the ancient world, they didn't have a concept of germs and so soap had not been invented yet. Because of this, everyone stunk, and that is why perfume and spices were so readily available to try and cover up the smell.


Yet no one needs an ENTIRE bottle of perfume. The only people that need that much perfume and spices are dead people. 


And THAT Is the message that Mary is trying to get across. 


She is the first person that gets it. 


She understands what Jesus has been saying to the disciples all this time....The messiah, the king of the universe, has come to DIE.


That is why she pours the perfume on him, she is recognizing that he is going to die soon, she is preparing him for his burial. 


SHE GETS IT!!!!


Now look at what the disciples say:


 ⁸ When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. ⁹ “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.”


They miss the point, yet again. 


The woman gets it, the closest men to Jesus don't. 


That is why Jesus responds as he did.


¹⁰ Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. ¹² When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. ¹³ I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”


Mary realized who Jesus is and what kind of King he was going to be. This effected how she worshipped him. 


She sacrificed probably the greatest thing that she had for the sake of worshipping and honoring her king. 


And Jesus is asking the same of you. 


Jesus came to offer himself as a sacrifice for mankind. He came to die. Because of this, he is calling us to give up all that we have to die for others as well. 


Are we going to sacrifice all that we have like Mary, or are we going to look for loop holes and make excuses like the disciples?

Introduction to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, Matthew 26.1-5

Wow...we have spent close to six months in the book of Matthew, and we are now, finally, entering into the death and Resurrection of Jesus. Let's look back and see where we have been so far.

We started off with the very first devotion, wanting to see what it means and looks like to follow Jesus. This following Jesus is capture in the concept of being a part of his kingdom. This is what the whole book of Matthew is about, is teaching us what it means to be God's kingdom, what it looks like to follow Jesus.

If you remember, the way in which Matthew does this is he presents five different sermons of Jesus, each with corresponding stories that build up to the sermon. It looks like this:


1. Matthew 5-7--The sermon on the proclamation of a king, and the upside-down nature of his kingdom. 

1. Matthew 1-4 was all about the presentation of a king, now we see what this king has to say about his kingdom

2. Matthew 10--The sermon on the ministry of the King.

1. Matthew 8-9 is all about the King's ministry which is two fold: 1. healing the sick and 2. discipling the disciples. This is what his message is about in Matthew 10. 

3. Matthew 13--The sermon on what the Kingdom life is like (in parables)

1. Matthew 11-12 is filled with Jesus training the disciples what it means to be the people of God. 
2. The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day had a different idea of what it means to be the people of God, so there is a lot of conflict involved in this section. 
3. Jesus clarifies it all with his sermon in Matthew 13. 

4. Matthew 18--This sermon is all about Jesus teaching his disciples what the life of discipleship is like. 

1. Matthew 14-17, Jesus is focusing on the twelve disciples, training them and trying to get them ready for his death. 

5. Matthew 23-25-This last sermon is against the Pharisees, prepares them how to live in the “last days” and teaches the disciples how to Be ready, Be faithful and Be Loving. 

1. Matthew 19-22 is beginning Jesus' journey to the cross. And because his journey to the cross is filled with conflict, questions, debates, triumphal entries and all kinds of crazy things, Jesus wants to make sure his disciples know to Be ready and to Be faithful and to Be Loving, unlike the Pharisees. 

We are now entering into the last part of the Gospel of Matthew, the REJECTION of the King. We are going to see conflict, Jesus being betrayed by someone close to him, soldiers accompanying a mob, beatings, the death of a rebel, and a miracle that is the turning point of the history of the world. So buckle up, it's going to be a great ride. 

This section starts simply like this:

¹ When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ² “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” ³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, ⁴ and they plotted to arrest Jesus in some sly way and kill him. ⁵ “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or there may be a riot among the people.”


We see two groups coming together in conflict right at the start. Jesus and his disciples, and the Jewish elite. 


Jesus says it's passover time and he is heading to Jerusalem, and he will be handed over to be crucified. Then you see the Jewish elite scheming on how to kill him.


Right from the very beginning, the message is clear in this section. The King is going to be rejected by the very people he came to help. Yet this doesn't stop him. He sill goes and dies for those who won't accept him.


My question then, is this. Are we willing to die for people who we KNOW will reject our message? We are not called to win thousands of people to Christ, we are not called to success but obedience. 


We are to obey even if NO ONE REPENTS. 


So....will you obey, today?

Matthew 25.31-46

To sum up where we have been: Jesus is telling three parables instructing his disciples how to be prepared for Jesus' second coming. He is telling, "Being ready for tomorrow looks like THIS today." And the same message is true for us.

In the parable of the ten virgins, we learned that we need to BE READY TODAY for Christ's return. In the parable of the Tenants, we learned that we need to BE FAITHFUL for Christ's return. And in the parable today, we will learn that we need to BE LOVING.

Let's take a look at the passage:

  ³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
   ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation 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, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit 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 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
   ⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’
   ⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
   ⁴⁴ “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
   ⁴⁵ “He will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
   ⁴⁶ “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”


This passage, although argued about and debated about, is really quite simple. 


People who follow Jesus and who are righteous take care of the poor. 


I'm not saying that taking care of the poor is an entry rite into heaven, although it seems like this passage hints at that, but what I am saying is that people who are truly following Jesus and who are bringing heaven on earth, THEY DO THIS. It is part of being a Christian. 


Here are some statistics for you:


In America, we have 90% of the world's food and only 6% of the world's population. 


If you have a car, a garage and a roof over your head, you are in the top 3% of the world economically. 

Last year, there was over 900 million people in the world that lived in hunger, yet we have plenty of enough food on this earth to feed everyone 2,720 calories everyday. 

And these are just the tip of the iceberg. 

As Christians, as members of Jesus' new kingdom that he is establishing here on earth, Jesus is saying that to be prepared for his second coming, we need to care for the LEAST OF THESE!!!!

We, the church, the kingdom of God, needs to feed the starving children, clothe the widows, adopt orphans, commit to one homeless person to helping them out of poverty. We are called to bring heaven on earth, and this involves taking care of social issues. 

Here are a number of ministries that I want to suggest to you to get involved with that are actively doing away with poverty and other social issues, like sexual trafficking and abuse. Below are some links to these extraordinary ministries. 

Christian's Haven

Christians’ Haven is an evangelistic outreach to street children and orphans of the Philippines. Today there are over 1.5 million children living on the streets in the Philippines. Many children are abandoned or orphaned by the age of two. With no adult supervision, many children become involved in crime and prostitution in a desperate struggle to survive. The majority of street children live a brief, unhappy life with no one to share the saving love of God with them. Our mission is to free these children from poverty and despair and introduce them to Jesus Christ.


Rapha House


Rapha House exists to love, rescue, and heal children who have been rescued from trafficking and sexual exploitation.  Founded in 2003, Rapha House continues to rescue and rehabilitate children, while bringing them to lasting freedom. Love • Rescue • Heal is more than a slogan to us. It’s a way of life at Rapha House.


Compassion International

Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1.2 million children in 26 countries.

World Vision

Who we are: We are a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with families, children and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice. Who we serve: We serve close to 100 million people in nearly 100 countries around the world. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Why we serve: Motivated by our faith in Jesus Christ, we serve alongside the poor and oppressed as a demonstration of God’s unconditional love for all people.

Kiva

We are a non-profit organization with a mission to connect people through lending to alleviate poverty. Leveraging the internet and a worldwide network of microfinance institutions, Kiva lets individuals lend as little as $25 to help create opportunity around the world. 

All five of these ministries deal specifically with taking care of the "least of these" around the world. And that's just the beginning. 

There are tons of other ministries, even local ones, that you can do more than just send money but actually get involved in the lives of people. These ministries are:

Watered Gardens 

The Vision: To see the Church boldy engaged with the homeless and poor relationally, responsibly and compassionately. Our Purpose: We exist to serve the local Church in its mission to help the poor in Jesus name.

Even Carthage Crisis Center or Souls Harbor. 

The message of this parable is very simple...Love those who are down and out. This is how people who are a part of God's kingdom live TODAY. 

BE LOVING

So what does this look like for you?

Matthew 25.14-30

Don't you hate it when you receive something, and you expect to get a lot out of it, but you soon realize it doesn't deliver as much as you were hoping for? You've probably experienced this if you've ever ordered a burger from a fast food joint. You might see a commercial on TV that shows a new cheeseburger, and it looks amazing. The hamburger patty is so big and juicy, the vegetables are fresh, and ever sesame seed is in just the right position. So you excitedly hop in your car to go get this amazing cheeseburger, but when you finally get it and remove it from its wrapping, it's not anything like the one in the advertisement. It's small and shriveled, and it looks like someone in the back room must have been sitting on it for the last half hour. No one likes to receive less than what they're expecting. In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells a story about someone who experiences this. Here's the text.

14 Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one wit the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

19 After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'

21 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!'

22 The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'

23 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!'

24 Then the man who had received the one talent 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. 25 So I was afraid and went our and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

26 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? 27 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.

28 Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

The plot of this parable is pretty straightforward. A rich man goes away on a journey, so he divides his property among three servants (measured in an ancient monetary unit called a 'talent'). Two of those servants take what they have been given an put it to work--investing it, developing new products, etc. The third servant, however, takes the money home, digs a hole in his backyard, and throws it in. When the master returns from his journey, he calls his servants together to get his money back. The first two servants are able to bring the master more money than he had left them with because they had gained a return on their investments. Because of their faithfulness in this, they are commended and invited to the master's party. The third servant, on the other hand, only brings back the same amount of money he had at the beginning, and as a result, he is condemned.

So what's this mean? Remember that this parable, as well as the ones surrounding it in context, is addressing what life should look like for Jesus' followers in light of his second coming. It's telling us what we should be doing in this "in-between time"--between Jesus' ascension and his return. So what should we be doing? We need to be faithful with the resources God has entrusted with us, and this means putting them to work to bring about increase in God's kingdom.

When Jesus ascended, he left us with a job to do: "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20). The gospel is meant to spread. The church is meant to grow. It wasn't supposed to just stay with those twelve guys who followed Jesus. So in the book of Acts, we see the church spreading throughout the world with fervor. The early Christians lived out this mission of spreading the good news about Jesus, and our churches today are guided by this same mission. We are left with the task of bringing about increase in the kingdom, of making sure more and more people have the chance to come to know Jesus.

include that!) Other God-given resources include our talents, abilities, and spiritual gifts. And, most importantly, we have been given the Holy Spirit, who empowers us for our mission (Acts 1:8). So God has made sure to give us resources so that increase can happen!

But there is another thing that is needed. Not only do we need resources, but we need to utilize those resources. We've got to put those resources to work! This is what it means to be faithful with what God has given us. It means not stockpiling our material wealth so that we can kick back and live easy, but rather employing it generously to help others and to spread the gospel. It means taking whatever spiritual gift or ability God has given us and putting it into action. It means letting the Holy Spirit move us and lead us into situations where people need to experience the love of Christ.

The problem with putting resources to work, of course, is that it involves risk. That seems to be why the third servant buried the money entrusted to him. He was afraid that if he invested it, he would lose it. He wasn't willing to take the risk. And maybe that's why you're sometimes hesitant to use what God has given you. Because it's risky. It's risky to sacrifice money when you could put it into your savings account. It's risky to utilize gifts and abilities for the kingdom, because it might involve getting out of your comfort zone or experiencing added stress. And it's really risky to follow the Holy Spirit where he leads, because he likes to lead us into some scary situations! But all of this is what it means to be faithful with what God has given us. We're not meant to bury our resources in our yards. We're called to faithfully put them to work for the sake of the kingdom.

What resources has God given you? How can you begin using them this week for sake of God's kingdom?

David Heffren

Matthew 25.1-13

My dad worked for Wal-Mart for 26 years, and for about half of that he was a store manager.  I remember when I was kid that at certain times he would be stressed and tense.  Sometimes he was this tight because there was a lot of work to do, but typically it had to do with a visit from a supervisor.  It was one thing for his direct boss to show up, but it was a whole other thing when he expected a regional or corporate visit anytime.  At least he had some warning; he knew the parameters—that the visit would be within certain dates and that they would be looking at certain aspects of the store.  Nevertheless, those weeks, he was ready, worked more hours, and had the store in its best possible condition.  He was ready.

For this big section of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:36-25:30), Jesus talks about what it looks like for his followers to be ready for his coming.  They keep watch, they do their master’s business, and today, we’ll see that his followers are prepared—they’re ready.

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. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 

⁷ “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.’ 

⁹ “ ‘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.’ 

¹⁰ “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. 

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ 

¹² “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ 

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

A first century Palestinian wedding was a little bit different than our modern ones.  The wedding ceremony was performed at the bride’s house while a wedding banquet was held at the groom’s home.  The bridesmaids had the job of waiting for the groom at the banquet, so after the ceremony, they would go and wait along the way.  However, no one knew for sure how long this would take—could be a few minutes or could be a few hours.

In this parable, the virgins—the word literally means young woman—were doing their duty of waiting for the groom, but some of them had failed to prepare by purchasing enough oil for their little lamps.  These were small bowls that held only a teaspoon of oil, so it was necessary to have extra oil if you expected a long wait.  

When the virgins were awakened (don’t read anything negative into this), some were ready and prepared for his coming since they had enough oil while the foolish virgins weren’t.  The wise/prepared virgins went right in with the groom to the banquet while the foolish ones were excluded.

Don’t read too much into the parable.  Jesus was making a simple point:  his followers are the ones ready and prepared for his coming.  If you’re not ready, you’re foolish and left out of the banquet.  Mark Moore says, “Their lack of preparation betrays their lack of love.”

The question that keeps coming to me as I meditate on this passage is, “How do I live a ready and prepared life?”  I long to live a wise life that reflects the readiness a follower of Jesus should have.  So how do I do that?  How do you?

The temptation is to over think the answer and make life complicated.  Another temptation is to obsess over his coming, always reading the signs and guessing about the times.  

I think the answer is quite simply to be about what Jesus is about in all that we do.  As he said back in chapter 22:  “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”  Love God and love others.  Simple.

If we’re doing this when he appears, we’ll be found prepared.  Are you ready?