Sunday, July1, 2012 am
The Life of Jesus (31)
Lessons Concerning Judgment (3)
The Lord’s Second Coming (2)
Matthew 25:14-46
This leads us to our lesson today where Jesus continues to
elaborate upon this judgment noting some facts dealing with HOW we will
be judged. Today we will
discuss the remainder of this chapter.
a.
Three servants given
“talents” to manage “according to their ability”.
A talent was a substantial sum of money.
The master gives one servant 5 talents to manage, a second
servant 2 talents and another 1 talent.
The master then goes away on a journey to a far country (meaning
he will be gone for a while).
He will be gone long enough for his servants to conduct
considerable business.
While gone we are told that both the 5 talent servant and the 2 talent
servant doubled their resources, but the one talent servant went and
buried it in the ground (and implied is that he did NOTHING!).
b.
He returns (VS. 19) and
settles accounts with his servants.
Both the 5 talent and 2 talent servants presented their work to
their Lord and were rewarded accordingly.
In both instances, they were told, “Well
done god and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I
will make you ruler over many things.
Enter into the joy of your Lord.” (21, 23)
c.
BUT, the 1 talent
servant presented the master his talent with fear and began making
excuses as to why he hadn’t worked.
He says, “Lord, I knew you
to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where
you have not scattered seed.
And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.
Look, there you have what is yours.” (25:24-25)
What is the meaning of the
accusation? If this
parable is reference to judgment, is this accurate representation of
God? Certainly not.
While God is demanding that we serve Him, He is not harsh.
He does NOT take what does not belong to Him.
However He DOES own all things (1 Cor. 10;26,28, Psa. 24:1, Ex.
19:5, etc.) so His reaping anything from this earth really belongs to
Him anyways. The Jews
understood that, and these “leaders” had failed to be faithful stewards.
Our understanding of stewardship and how what we have does belong
to Him is NOT grasped by most of the world, and many so-called
believers. At times,
critics will make charges of harshness against God, such a what we read
in this text. So keep that
in mind as you examine this.
ANOTHER interesting thought is
that the servant says to his master, “you have what is yours” and gives
him back his talent.
But is that a true statement?
Being a servant/slave (deulos), what belonged to his master?
Both the money he was entrusted with AND his time and talents.
There is a reason this servant was only given one talent – that
is what he was CAPABLE of handling.
He failed even at that!
The focus is actually on the one
talent servant and his response!
Consider also, how rather than taking responsibility
for his actions, he made excuses and accused others (in this case
his master). How many will
seek to blame God because they don’t want to do their responsibility to
Him? Such an explanation is
reasonable for this text, especially when you consider the reply of the
owner.
It is THIS attitude that prompted the master’s response:
“You wicked and lazy
servant, you knew I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have
not scattered seed. So you
ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I
would have received back my own with interest.
So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten
talents.” (25:26-28)
ONE might ask, if it were not true, why did the master repeat the harsh
charges? A
plausible explanation is
that even though such was not true, IF it were, the one talent servant
STILL acted wrongfully by doing nothing.
So the master is engaging in supposition
(for the sake of argument) and defeats this slave with his own
words (i.e. IF his master was harsh, fear would have driven him to
something productive).
NOTICE how the servant was described as both “wicked” and “lazy” – his
wickedness came in his failure to act honorably.
In essence, his inactivity was STEALING from his master (cf. Eph.
4:28). Furthermore, he
failed to show respect for his master which led to slanderous
accusations.
d.
This is followed by a
warning –
he who has will receive more, he who does not have will lose even what
little he does have. Then
the unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness…
e.
Lessons:
i.
While not specifically stated, the time of the master’s arrival is not
known (see
previous parables and thoughts).
However, the “long journey” is indication of a considerable
length of time – enough time for someone to “double his money” and for
it to gather interest. This
accords with what Jesus has been teaching about his return being
unknown. But as the parables
progress, the details of expectation become greater.
(i.e. Ten virgins – be prepared; Talents – Be prepared and busy;
Judgment scene – we must be busy doing good.)
ii.
When our Lord returns and we stand in judgment, we will give an accounting
for how we have conducted ourselves.
We each have abilities and talents (cf. Rom. 1:3-8, 1 Pet. 4:7-11,
etc.). According to 1 Cor.
12:11, 18, as members of the body of Christ, we all have a PART to do
and we need to function doing our part, whatever it is and for the
support of the WHOLE body.
Will we use “our talents” for His glory?
Will we seek to develop them to our fullest potential?
iii.
God detests laziness as much as outright wickedness.
1.
Recall in 24:48-51 there
was a wicked servant that abused his fellow servants and did evil
things. This servant simply
did NOTHING and was held accountable for it.
The punishment for BOTH servants was the same – out darkness,
“there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (24:51:25:30)
2.
We are constantly
commanded to be busy doing good works (2 Thess. 3:10-12, Heb. 6:11 –
show the same diligence and do not become sluggish…; 1 Thess. 4:11 –
mind your own business and work with your own hands; Prov. 6:6-11, 10:4,
18:9, 20:13, etc.).
3.
Is it possible for us to
rob God and act like this one talent servant?
Do we fail to serve Him to our fullest potential?
Do we let excuses and the fear of failure keep us from acting as
we ought to?
a.
Having completed this
series of parables dealing with the unknown time of His 2nd
coming, Jesus now gives a description of that final judgment.
b.
The Son of Man comes in
His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, the He will sit on the
throne of His glory (25:31).
WE have here several details about this coming:
i.
The Son of Man – being
Jesus. He often described
Himself this way – Matt. 9:6, 12:8, 12:40, 26:2, etc.
At times Jesus called Himself the “Son of God” but this
description is emphasis of His dual nature (man and God – cf. Matt.
1:23)
ii.
He will come in glory –
truly, the day of the Lord’s return will be a glorious day.
The glory of God will be revealed.
While upon earth, Jesus did not receive this glory.
Phil 2:5-7 speaks of Jesus giving up that glory when He came to
this earth. As He was about
to die, in His prayer to the Father, Jesus said, “Father, the hour has
come. Glorify Your Son, that
Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all
flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given
Him….And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the
glory which I had with you before the world was.” (John 17:1-5)
When He returns, that glory will again manifest itself – 2 Thess. 1:9-10
iii.
With His angels – 2
Thess. 1:7, Matt. 13:41, 49, etc.
iv.
He will sit in judgment
on His throne – His return is not an interim judgment with a 1000 year
reign, but a final judgment and singular judgment.
Rom. 2:16 speaks of “the DAY when God will judge the secrets of
men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.”
1 Cor. 4:5 we find that when He comes He will bring to light the hidden
things of darkness and reveal counsels of the heart.
1 Tim. 4:1 speaks of the “Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the
living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom…”
c.
It is described as a day
of separation of the righteous and wicked (32-35)
i.
ALL nations will be
gathered before Him (NOTE: This distinguishes this judgment from that of
Jerusalem). Let us also notice
that the reference to “nations” here would actually have in mind the
inhabitants of the nations (i.e. individual souls).
This has to be, as the text will bear out in the description of
sheep and goats and being judged by their works.
He will separate them from one another as a shepherd divides the sheep
and goats.
The sheep will be set on
the right hand and the goats on the left.
NOTICE how both are separated AND JUDGED at the same time – John
5:28-29; Rev. 20:12, etc.
ii.
The sheep on the right –
34-40 – the foundation of judgment – doing good works.
1.
He will say, “Come, you blessed of MY Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.”
2.
He then describes how
they took care of Him. He
was hungry, they fed Him; thirsty, they gave Him drink, a stranger and
they took him in, naked and they clothed Him, sick and in prison, and
they visited Him.
3.
Their response, “We
never saw You nor did these things for You.”
And He will answer, “Assuredly,
I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My
brethren, you did it to Me.”
(25:40) Notice the
humility of their hearts and words – they just helped others!
iii.
The goats on the left –
41- 45 – the foundation of judgment – their FAILURE to do good works
1.
He will say, “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the
devil and his angels.”
Clearly a reference to eternal condemnation that will come at the final
judgment – Rev. 20:10 speaks of the Devil’s defeat in the end and how he
will be “cast into the lake of
fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are.
And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.”
20:15 tells us anyone not found written in the book of life will
be cast into that lake of fire as well.
Also Rev. 21:8 which gives a list of ungodly sins – and notes
that they will have their part in that lake of fire and brimstone,
“which is the second death.”
2.
Their condemnation –
their failure to do good deeds for other.
Implicit in this is not just their failure of benevolence, but
their unwillingness to follow Christ in obedience.
It was their wicked mindsets that prompted them to think of
themselves instead of others, their failure to love God and others.
NOTICE how in this description those “horrible sins” as we describe them
are not dealt with here. Not
the terrible lists such as 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Rev. 21:8, Gal 5:19-21, etc.
Let us in this realize that what it takes to keep us out of
heaven is SIN – ANY SIN – Rom. 6:23.
3.
Like the “sheep” they do
not recall a failure to good for Him personally.
Like the self-righteous Pharisees who touted that they would
never have killed the prophets (Matt. 23:29-30) they are blind to their
arrogance and self-serving conduct AND their rejection of Jesus.
4. Their fate - Vs. 46 describes the eternal destiny of the judged – everlasting punishment or eternal life.
iv.
Lessons:
1.
While we understand our
salvation is not based solely upon our works, nor is our justification
by works, we find that if we are godly our lives will be filled with
good works – Titus 2:14, Eph. 2:10, etc.
The truth is that TRUE faith CANNOT be separated from our works –
James 2:14-18, 24.
Furthermore, we must understand that works do NOT save, even the type
discussed in this text.
Consider Cornelius in Acts 10:1-4 who was full of such good works and
yet needed salvation.
2.
Do we care about the
needy as we ought to? Are we
too quick to judge those we come across?
Jas. 1:27, Gal. 6:10, etc.
3.
There are only two
directions of judgment – NOTICE how 25:46 both eternal life and
everlasting destruction are mentioned.
When we stand before God we will be sentenced one way or another.
That tells us that one is as real as the other (contrary to what
some say about how hell does not exist).
Where will you stand?