Day 312—We are in the ELEVENTH month of Bible reading and studying the New Testament Gospels.

Day 312 – Matthew 25 (Kingdom parables, final judgment)

Jesus continues to tell His listeners about the end times using parables. First is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. 

All ten went to wait for the bridegroom to arrive at the bride’s house for the wedding. They were to be the welcoming committee. There was a delay, but at midnight, the call came that He was approaching. All the lamps had gone out while the virgins were sleeping, but FIVE were able to relight theirs and go to meet the bridegroom because they had brought extra oil. They knew the wait could be a long one.

But the other five had not brought extra oil, could not relight their lamps, and could not go to meet Him.  They tried to buy some from the others, but the wise ones had none to spare.  The bridegroom came, the wise five went into the banquet hall with him, and the door was shut. The foolish five pounded on the door and begged to be let in, but the groom’s father said he did not know them.  Yikes. Jesus warns his listeners to WATCH because they don’t know the time of His coming.

In this case, I don’t think the oil represented the Holy Spirit but rather readiness and preparedness.

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The second parable was the Parable of the Talents.  In this one, a man going on a long journey, entrusted his servants with his property.  To one servant He gave FIVE talents (a measure of weight, not a specific coin), to another He gave TWO talents, and to the other He gave ONE. (Not favoritism, but according to each’s ABILITY to handle money.)

The five talent guy traded in the markets and earned five more.  Likewise, the two talent guy doubled  his money. But the one talent guy – lazy, more than fearful – hid the one talent…incase he lost it in a bad stock option.

When the master returned, the five and two talents men were praised and rewarded. However, the one talent man was berated. AT THE VERY LEAST, he should have invested the sum and gained interest – probably not double, but some!  As a penalty, the master gave the one talent to the guy with five. The “worthless fellow” was cast into outer darkness where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The man’s own words condemned him.

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Then, Jesus gives a sheep/goats parable about the last judgment.  He compares all the world’s nations and peoples to sheep or goats.  The sheep are those with kind, love-filled hearts who minister to the poor, sick, and imprisoned with mercy and supplies in Christ’s name.  The goats represent those with hard, selfish hearts, who do not bother to give any help to the weak, sick, and needy.  (Let them go to the poorhouse, as Scrooge said.)

The loving sheep will be blessed with an eternal inheritance prepared for them by God from the foundation of the world.

The selfish, heartless goats will be cursed for an eternity, prepared for the devil and his angels.

(Wow. I need to examine my heart and confess my selfishness!!  And laziness. And unpreparedness.)