Matthew 25:1-46

Matthew’s Good News

Matthew’s *Gospel

Hilda Bright

Chapter 25

The story about the ten young women 25:1-13

v1 ‘At that time, it will be like this where God rules: Ten young women took their lamps to a wedding. They went out to meet the bridegroom. v2 Five of the young women were foolish and the other five were wise. v3 The foolish girls took their lamps, but they did not take any extra oil with them. v4 The wise girls, however, took some jars of oil with them. v5 The bridegroom did not come for a long time. The girls all became tired as they waited. So they fell asleep.

v6 At midnight someone shouted. “Here comes the bridegroom. Come out to meet him!”

v7 So all the girls woke up. They made sure that their lamps were burning properly. v8 Then the foolish girls spoke to the wise girls. “Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out”, they said.

v9 “No”, the wise girls replied. “There may not be enough oil for all of us! You must go to the people who sell oil. And you must buy some oil for yourselves.”

v10 But while they went to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The five girls who were ready went in to eat the wedding meal with him. And they shut the door.

v11 Later, the other girls also arrived. “Sir! Sir!” they called. “Open the door for us!”

v12 But the bridegroom replied to them. “I tell you the truth. I do not know you”, he said.

v13 So be prepared. You do not know the day or the time when the bridegroom will come.’

Verse 1 The young women would be waiting with the bride. The bridegroom would come to fetch his bride. He would take her to their new home. In the *Old Testament, the writers often call God the ‘husband’ or the ‘bridegroom’. Israel’s whole nation is called the ‘wife’ or the ‘bride’ (Hosea 2:16; Isaiah 62:5). In the *New Testament, the whole *church is called Christ’s bride (Ephesians 5:23).

Verse 5 The bridegroom did not come for a long time. Christians thought at first that Christ would return very soon. But Jesus still has not come back to earth. He has not yet claimed his bride, which is the *church.

Verses 2-13 This story warns us that Jesus will return. People have the opportunity to be ready for him. He is the bridegroom. The wise girls had prepared their lamps for the bridegroom, so they were ready. However, all the girls went to sleep.

The foolish girls could not get any more oil. Perhaps this shows that people must have their own relationship with God. They cannot depend on the experience that other people have. In the Bible, oil is sometimes picture language for the *Holy Spirit. People must have their lamps burning well. That means that they have prepared themselves (Luke 12:35-36). *Disciples must always be ready to give a welcome to Jesus.

Once a wedding meal began, they shut the door. Nobody else could enter the room. So this story warns us that someone can be too late.

The story about three servants 25:14-30

v14 ‘This is another story about what it is like where God rules. A man wanted to go on a journey, so he sent for his servants. He told them to be responsible for his property. v15 The man knew what each servant could do. So he gave five thousand gold coins to one servant. Then he gave two thousand coins to another servant. And he gave one thousand coins to the third servant. Then the man left to go on his journey. v16 The servant who had received five thousand gold coins went out. He used the money so that it made a profit. He earned five thousand more coins. v17 The servant who had two thousand coins did the same. And he earned two thousand more coins. v18 The servant who had received one thousand coins also went out. But he just dug a hole in the ground, and he hid his master’s money in the hole.

v19 After a long time, their master returned. He wanted to know what they had done with his money. v20 So the man who had received five thousand gold coins brought them to him together with the extra five thousand coins. “Master”, he said, “You have trusted me with five thousand coins and I have gained five thousand more coins.”

v21 “You have done very well”, the master replied. “You are a good and loyal servant! You have been loyal with a few things, so I will make you responsible for many things. Come in and be happy with me!”

v22 Then the man who had received two thousand coins also came to him. “Master”, he said, “you trusted me with two thousand gold coins. See, I have earned two thousand more coins.”

v23 “You have done well”, his master replied. “You are a good and loyal servant! You have been loyal with a few things, so I will make you responsible for many things. Come in and be happy with me!”

v24 Then the man who had received one thousand coins came to him. “Master”, he said, “I know that you are a severe man. You harvest crops where you have not planted them. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed. v25 So I was afraid. I went out and I hid your money in the ground. Here is all that belongs to you.”

v26 “You wicked and lazy servant!” the master replied. “You knew what kind of man I am! I harvest crops where I have not planted them. I gather crops where I have not scattered seed. v27 Well then, you should have put my money in the bank. When I returned, I would have received it back. In addition, I would have received the extra money that the bank gives.”

v28 Then his master ordered the servants. “Take the money away from him. Give it to the servant who has ten thousand coins. v29 Everyone who has something will receive more. Then they will have plenty. But the person who does not have much of anything will lose whatever they have. v30 This servant is worth nothing! Throw him out into the darkness.” People will weep and bite their teeth together with pain there’, Jesus said.

Verses 14-15 The master gave out very large sums of money. Each servant had as much as he could work with.

Verses 16-17 Two servants used their money wisely. The story does not tell us how they used the money. But they were able to increase the amount.

Verse 18 In those days, it was difficult to look after something that was valuable. People would hide the object in the ground.

Verses 19-23 The master praised the two servants in the same way. As a reward, they received greater responsibility. To ‘be happy’ with their master may refer to a special meal with him. The *Jews often thought about the *Messiah’s special meal.

Verses 24-27 The servant with one thousand coins tried to make excuses because he had not worked with the money. He even insulted his master. So the master called him ‘wicked and lazy’. Sometimes people do something that is wrong. At other times, people do not do what is right. But this is wrong too. ‘We all know the good things that we ought to do. If we do not do them, we are *sinning’ (James 4:17).

Verses 28-30 People should use what God gives to them. They will find that these gifts increase. But people will lose their gifts and opportunities if they fail to use them. This happens all through life. But one day God will judge people and how they have used their gifts. The punishment will be the same as the punishment of the bad servants in these stories. (See verse 30 at the end of this story, and Matthew 24:51 at the end of the previous story about the servants.)

The story about the sheep and the goats 25:31-46

v31 ‘The *Son of Man will come and he will shine very brightly. All the *angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his royal seat as King in heaven. v32 All the nations will gather in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a man who separates his sheep from his goats. v33 He will put the sheep by his right side, and he will put the goats by his left side.

v34 Then the king will speak to those by his right side. “Come near. My Father has *blessed you”, he will say. “Take the place that belongs to you. Come where God rules. God prepared this place for you when he made the world at the beginning. v35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat. When I was *thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you made me welcome. v36 When I needed clothes, you gave me clothes. When I was ill, you looked after me. When I was in prison, you visited me.”

v37 Then the people who had done what is right will answer him. “*Lord, when did we give food to you because you were hungry? When did we give you something to drink because you were *thirsty? v38 When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we give you clothes because you needed them? v39 When did we visit you because you were ill or in prison?”

v40 The King will reply to them. “I tell you the truth”, he will say. “You did it for these least important people who belong to me. Therefore, you also did it for me.”

v41 Then the King will speak to those by his left side. “You must receive God’s punishment. Go away from me. Go into the fire that burns for ever. God has prepared it for the devil and his *messengers. v42 When I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat. When I was *thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink. v43 When I was a stranger, you did not invite me into your houses. When I needed clothes, you did not give me any. When I was ill and in prison, you did not look after me.”

v44 Then those people will ask him: “*Lord, when were you hungry, or *thirsty, or you needed clothes? When were you ill or in prison and we did not help you?”

v45 He will reply to them. “I tell you the truth”, he will say. “You did not do it for any of these least important people who belong to me. Therefore, you did not do it for me.” v46 Then they will go away and their punishment will never end. But those people who have done right things will live with God for ever.’

Verses 31-33 In Israel, sheep and goats mixed together. They looked very similar. The man who looked after them sometimes needed to separate them.

Verses 34-40 The ‘*Son of Man’ is the King. So Jesus is the King. At the end of time, Jesus will be the judge. He knows the way that people have behaved here on earth. Some people may not seem very important. But everyone should be willing to help such people, even in small ways. If you want to help the King himself, then you should help poor people. Some people had acted in the right way. They did not realise that they were helping the King.

Verses 40 and 45 ‘These least important people that belong to me’. Jesus was probably referring to the people who were present. The people who follow the *Son of Man are with him as he judges. Paul wrote ‘Surely you know that the saints will judge the world’ (1 Corinthians 6:2). The saints are people who believe Christ and have a relationship with him.

Verses 41-45 Those people by his left side were astonished when the king blamed them. They had not noticed the people who needed help. So they had failed to help the king himself.

Verse 46 ‘live with God for ever’ refers to the future age. So ‘punishment that will never end’ means that people cannot share that life with God. The ‘fire that burns for ever’ (verse 41) probably refers to Gehenna. That was a valley outside Jerusalem where people threw all their rubbish. Fires were burning there all the time. Jesus used this picture to compare life with God and life without God in hell.

This story increases the Christians’ sense of responsibility. They should serve people who need help. But it also shows that it is good to serve other people. The story does not mean that a person’s good actions will save them. God saves a person who believes him. Because of his great kindness, he saves people who trust him. We cannot earn a place in heaven by what we do. But we must show that we really believe him. If we love people, then we are obeying God (James 2:14-26).

Matthew 26:1–28:20 describes the end of Jesus’ life.

The secret arrest

The *trial before the authorities

His death

How he lived again after death

gospel ~ 1. good news; 2. one of the first four books in the New Testament.

New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.

'Old Testament ~ the first part of the Bible, which the writers wrote before the life of Jesus.'New Testament ~ the last part of the Bible, which the writers wrote after the life of Jesus.
church ~ a group of Christians who meet together. A church is not just the building that they meet in. It can also mean all the Christians in the world.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
disciples ~ those who follow another person to learn from him.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
Messiah ~ the Jews' word for the king who would come and rescue them.
Jew ~ a person who is from the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; a person who believes the faith of the Jews, called Judaism.
faith ~ belief in someone or something; things that people believe about Jesus.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.'Son of Man ~ a name that Jesus called himself. see Daniel 8:17.
angels ~ God's special messengers.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
bless ~ to say or do much good to a person; to call something holy; to ask for good things to happen; to keep from bad things.
holy ~ all good with no bad in it; separate from sin.
sin ~ when we do not obey God's commands.
thirsty ~ when someone wants or needs a drink.
Lord ~ master; a name that we call God or Jesus; we call God or Jesus Lord when we obey them.
messenger ~ a person who gives a message.
trial ~ a legal examination by which a judge decides if a person is guilty of a crime; the examination of a person in a court of law to discover whether he is guilty or not of a crime.