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GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!

Matthew 25:1-30

Key Verse: 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!’”

Again, thank and praise God for our Lord Jesus’ amazing prophecy that the Son of Man will come on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. All the nations of the earth will mourn. In that worldwide mourning, those who belong to Christ will participate in his glory. Our Lord clearly said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Chris Jesus our Lord speaks to each of us, “So you also must be ready because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Chapter 25 is the continuation of Jesus’ sermon on the Mount of Olives, called, “The Olivet Discourse.” In this chapter, there are three stories through which the Lord continually summons and warns us to be ready for his coming again. Today we are going to think about two parables, the parable of the ten virgins and the parable of talents. Both parables teach us how the people of God should prepare themselves for the second coming of our Lord Christ Jesus, which is the culmination of human history.

First, the parable of the ten virgins (1-13). Verse 1 says, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” The beginning phrase of this parable, “at that time” is significant. This parable is to be understood in light of Jesus teaching in chapter 24, Jesus’ returning to the earth. Yet, here Jesus did not say, “The coming of the Son of Man will be like ten virgins,” but “the kingdom of heaven will be like…” For the Son of Man’s coming is the coming of the kingdom of heaven. We are reminded of the Lord’s prayer, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is heaven...” Undoubtedly the ten virgins had great expectation to meet the bridegroom. The joy to meet the bridegroom and go with him to the wedding banquet is like the joy of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, the point of this parable is not such joy but tragic sorrow of being left out of the wedding banquet.

It is essential for us to know that in a Jewish marriage, there were three elements. The first is the engagement. A little while after that is betrothal, the official ceremony. Then there is up to a year for the young man to get things ready to take the bride to be his own. At the end of the time he would go to take her, and she would become his own and live with him. And that’s the third phase and that’s what we see here. The bridegroom would be accompanied by many friends and relatives, and the bride would also invite many of her friends to be her bridesmaids. The bride would put on makeup and dress up like a princess, and the others would be her attendants. In ancient times, transportation was not so convenient; so the bridegroom’s coming would be frequently be delayed. The bride and her bridesmaids had to wait until the bridegroom and his company arrived.

Here “lamps” in Greek is not the lamp used in Matthew 5:15, in the description, “lamp on its stand” but the torches in John 18:3 that the Romans carried when they came in the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. There was a long wooden pole. On the top of the wooden pole would be some kind of a wire mesh apparatus attached, filled with cloth. That cloth would be soaked in oil and then lit to give a flaming torch. They would carry on their person somewhere a little flask of oil so that they could keep that lit for as long as was necessary. And they brought their torches along to light the night sky in the wonderful procession that they would all enjoy the bridegroom’s coming. Apparently, ten virgins were just the proper number, a customary number of people in many of the Jewish festivities and rituals.

The story goes in verses 2-5, “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, 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.” Up to this time it was not distinguishable who were foolish and who were wise. It was okay that all became drowsy and fell asleep while waiting for the bridegroom.

The story continues in verses 6-9, “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. 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, to go those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’” Salvation cannot be shared. It is non-transferable. This is the nature of salvation.

Then verse 10 says, “But while they were on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.” When the bridegroom arrived late at night unexpectedly, the ten virgins who were foolish and who were wise virgins were exposed. Only those wise virgins who were ready by preparing the oil in jars could go in with the bridegroom to the wedding banquet. The foolish ones came back from buying the oil to only find that the door was shut. They knocked the door, saying, “Sir! Sir! Open the door for us!” But he replied, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” What a tragedy! All of them, both the foolish and the wise, waited and waited for the coming of the bridegroom. We don’t know how long they waited, investing their time and energy. But the foolish ones missed the bridegroom. They could not see the bridegroom but only heard the voice, “I don’t know you.” They were dropped out of the wedding banquet. They would have no more chance in life. It was because they did not take any oil with them.

Then what is the oil? We know that the oil keeps the lamp burning. It can refer to one’s personal faith in Jesus. One occasion Jesus was surrounded by a crowd of people. Many people touched Jesus unwittingly. But one woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years touched the edge of his cloak intentionally, saying to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Matthew 9:22 says, “Jesus turned and saw her, ‘Take heart, daughter,’ he said, ‘your faith has healed you.’ And the woman was healed from that moment.” Jesus wants us to have a real and living faith. Jesus said in Matthew 17:20, “…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” James says in James 2:14, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deed? Can such a faith save him” and in 2:26, “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.”

Also, when we think of the oil, it can be related to our personal relationship with Jesus, particularly the vine and branch relationship. Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” This relationship is the inseparable relationship. Jesus wants us to keep this vital, life-sustaining relationship by listening to him personally and talking to him in prayer. One excellent example is Mary written in Luke 10:36-41. Jesus came to the house of Mary and her sister Martha. Marth was so busy being concerned about many preparations to serve Jesus. But Mary chose to listen to Jesus sitting at the Lord’s feet beyond all other works to do. Marth was so trouble with this situation and asked for Jesus’ help. But the Lord answered, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” We learn how to keep life and love relationship with Jesus. May we not miss this vital point in our life of faith as we wait for our Lord Jesus’ coming. Here Jesus said in verse 13, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Second, the parable of the talents (14-30). Verse 14 says, “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them.” Now the kingdom of heaven is described in a different way. The previous parable was about ten virgins and the bridegroom. This parable is about a man and his servants. A man entrusted his property to his servants; 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. Here we should not fall into the thinking that I have less ability and so have received less talents, while certain people have more ability and so have received more talents. Rather, we should know that in fact God invested a lot to each of his servants: my life itself in Christ is a big investment. And God’s investments can be my husband or my wife, my children, my parents, my Bible teacher, my Bible students, health, money, etc. God has entrusted such things to me.

Then how did the servants respond? The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. This man knew his mater’s heart and purpose and reacted right away and willingly and joyfully worked hard and earned a 100% profit. The one with the two talents responded in the same way, and also gained two more, which was also a 100% profit. But the man who had received the one talent acted differently. He went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Let’s see what comes next. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The master had not gone forever, forgetting his servants and his business. He returned and settled accounts to see how his servants responded at his investment.

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.” This man clearly knew his master’s love and his own position. He knew he had been entrusted with five talents. How important this thought is that “I have been entrusted with certain things, actually with invaluable things,” which is out of the master’s love, and is privilege accompanied by responsibility, and is also opportunity in life. We are reminded of what Paul said in Ephesians 5:15-16, “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” The opportunity is not to be corrupted and wasted away in the evil and quickly passing-away days.

How did the master evaluate him? Let’s read verse 21, “‘His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been 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!’” It is somewhat surprising that the master did not seem to be interested in the earnings the servant made, the five more talents. It was likely that he was happy because of the right relationship between him and his servant, saying, “good and faithful servant,” not just saying “good and faithful.” The right relationship was proved in his good and faithful attitude and serving, specifically his faithfulness in a few things. That was the master’s happiness, not more money the servant had made. The master was happy because the servant knew his heart and his purpose, which meant the servant loved his master. This is a beautiful love relationship between the master and the servant. And the master wanted to share his happiness with the servant. He said, “Come and share your master’s happiness.” In this sharing, the master was even proud of being his master, not saying, “my happiness” but “your master’s happiness.”

Now let’s think about the man with the two talents. He also came. “Master,” he said, “you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.” He did not compare with the man who had received five talents. He also kept his precious relationship with his master, knowing the master’s heart and purpose very personally. He also clearly know what had been entrusted to him and worked hard with it and made 100% profit. 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 master’s compliment for this servant was exactly same for the first servant. The master’s love for each servant was the same, yet treating each servant personally. He expressed his joy and happiness in the same way, saying, “Come and share your master’s happiness!” He valued the relationship most, the love relationship with each one, and in the affirmation of such relationship the master was really happy. How loving and humble the master is, wonderful and most precious!

Then how does the third servant report? 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. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.” First of all, his view of the master is different from that of the others! He said, “You are a hard man.” How come, though he is the same master! Is such a view possible? A hard man means a hard-hearted man. The servant did not know the heart of the master. He did not know that out of love the master entrusted a talent to him. Because of love the master could have an expectation for him. When the servant could not read the loving heart of the master, he viewed that his master was a hard man, who would punish him in the case of losing the talent given to him. He also thought that the hard man harvests where he has not sown and gathers where he has not scattered seed, probably even taking things from others forcibly, and so his work would not make any difference to the hard master. He did not know the master’s business at all. Probably he only knew his own business and cared for it. So out of his hardened heart in fear, the servant went out and hid the talent. And he says, “See, here is what belongs to you.” He also did not have the concept that the money had been entrusted to him. Although it had been given to him, it was still the master’s money as written in verse 18 and so belonged to his master. So he just struggled not to lose the master’s. From human standpoint this servant did not seem bad, since he kept the talent.

But how did the master evaluate him? Let’s read verse 26 and 27, “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you know that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I haw 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.” In these words of the master, we see that the third servant made only an excuse because if he really feared the master as he claimed, he could have left at least the interest by putting the money on the deposit. He was wicked with such a view of the master and his wickedness went together with his laziness as wickedness and complacency went together in the previous passage. It seemed that his whole life was wasted in such wickedness and laziness. He was finally condemned as a worthless servant. The master said in verse 30, “And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

We see how important it is to have a correct view of the master. Paul said in Romans 11:22, “Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness.” We can continue in his kindness when we remember the grace God. Paul says in Titus 3:4-5, “When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.” When we forget the grace of God, we become legalistic or ruled by our flesh. May we remember his mercy and kindness in a deeper and deeper way and know our so merciful, loving and humble master, who gave himself as a ransom sacrifice, and rose again from the dead and is coming on the clouds of the skey with power and glory. May we also know that he invested and entrusted much to us so that we can joyfully and willingly and thankfully work hard for his kingdom business, being faithful in a few things, in the hope of sharing our mater’s happiness when he returns.

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