Matthew 25

Mt 25:1-13.

PARABLE OF THE

TEN

VIRGINS.

This and the following parable are in Matthew alone.

1. Then--at the time referred to at the close of the preceding chapter,

the time of the Lord's Second Coming to reward His faithful servants and

take vengeance on the faithless. Then

shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took

their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom--This supplies a

key to the parable, whose object is, in the main, the same as that of

the last parable--to illustrate

the vigilant and expectant attitude of faith, in respect of which

believers are described as "they that look for Him"

(Heb 9:28),

and "love His appearing"

(2Ti 4:8).

In the last parable it was that of servants waiting for their absent

Lord; in this it is that of virgin attendants on a Bride, whose duty it

was to go forth at night with lamps, and be ready on the appearance of

the Bridegroom to conduct the Bride to his house, and go in with him to

the marriage. This entire and beautiful change of figure brings out the

lesson of the former parable in quite a new light. But let it be

observed that, just as in the parable of the Marriage Supper

(Lu 14:15-24),

so in this--the Bride does not come into view at all in this

parable; the Virgins and the Bridegroom holding forth all

the intended instruction: nor could believers be represented both as

Bride and Bridal Attendants without incongruity.

2. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish--They are

not distinguished into good and bad, as TRENCH

observes, but into "wise" and "foolish"--just as in

Mt 7:25-27

those who reared their house for eternity are distinguished into "wise"

and "foolish builders"; because in both cases a certain degree of

goodwill towards the truth is assumed. To make anything of the equal

number of both classes would, we think, be precarious, save to warn us

how large a portion of those who, up to the last, so nearly resemble

those that love Christ's appearing will be disowned by Him when He

comes.

3. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps--What are

these "lamps" and this "oil"? Many answers have been given. But since

the foolish as well as the wise took their lamps and went forth with

them to meet the Bridegroom, these lighted lamps and this advance a

certain way in company with the wise, must denote that Christian

profession which is common to all who bear the Christian name; while the

insufficiency of this without something else, of which they never

possessed themselves, shows that "the foolish" mean those who, with all

that is common to them with real Christians,

lack the essential preparation for meeting Christ. Then, since the

wisdom of "the wise" consisted in their taking with their lamps a supply

of oil in their vessels, keeping their lamps burning till the Bridegroom

came, and so fitting them to go in with Him to the marriage, this supply

of oil must mean that inward reality of grace which alone will stand

when He appears whose eyes are as a flame of fire. But this is too

general; for it cannot be for nothing that this inward grace is here set

forth by the familiar symbol of oil, by which

the Spirit of all grace is so constantly represented in Scripture.

Beyond all doubt, this was what was symbolized by that precious

anointing oil with which Aaron and his sons were consecrated to the

priestly office

(Ex 30:23-25, 30);

anointed

(Ps 45:7;

Heb 1:9),

even as it is expressly said, that "God giveth not the Spirit by

measure unto Him"

(Joh 3:34);

and by the bowl full of golden oil, in Zechariah's vision, which,

receiving its supplies from the two olive trees on either side of it,

poured it through seven golden pipes into the golden lamp-stand to keep

it continually burning bright

(Zec 4:1-14)

--for the prophet is expressly told that it was to proclaim the great

truth, "Not by might, nor by power, but by MY

SPIRIT, saith the Lord of hosts [shall this temple

be built]. Who art thou, O great mountain [of opposition to this

issue]? Before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain [or, be swept out

of the way], and he shall bring forth the head stone [of the temple],

with shoutings [crying], GRACE, GRACE unto it." This supply of oil, then, representing

that inward grace which distinguishes the wise, must denote, more

particularly, that "supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ," which, as it

is the source of the new spiritual life at the first, is the secret of

its enduring character. Everything short of this may be

possessed by "the foolish"; while it is the possession of this that

makes "the wise" to be "ready" when the Bridegroom appears, and fit to

"go in with Him to the marriage." Just so in the parable of the Sower,

the stony-ground hearers, "having no deepness of earth" and "no root in

themselves"

Mt 13:5;

Mr 4:17),

though they spring up and get even into ear, never ripen, while they in

the good ground bear the precious grain.

5. While the bridegroom tarried--So in

Mt 24:48,

"My Lord delayeth His coming"; and so Peter says sublimely of the

ascended Saviour, "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of

restitution of all things"

(Ac 3:21,

and compare

Lu 19:11, 12).

Christ "tarries," among other reasons, to try the faith and patience of

His people.

they all slumbered and slept--the wise as well as the foolish. The world

"slumbered" signifies, simply, "nodded," or, "became drowsy"; while the

world "slept" is the usual word for lying down to sleep, denoting two

stages of spiritual declension--first, that half-involuntary lethargy or

drowsiness which is apt to steal over one who falls into inactivity; and

then a conscious, deliberate yielding to it, after a little vain

resistance. Such was the state alike of the wise and the foolish

virgins, even till the cry of the Bridegroom's approach awoke them. So

likewise in the parable of the Importunate Widow: "When the Son of man

cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

(Lu 18:8).

6. And at midnight--that is, the time when the Bridegroom will be least

expected; for "the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night"

(1Th 5:2).

there was a cry made, Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet

him--that is, Be ready to welcome Him.

7. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps--the foolish

virgins as well as the wise. How very long do both parties seem the

same--almost to the moment of decision! Looking at the mere form of the

parable, it is evident that the folly of "the foolish" consisted not in

having no oil at all; for they must have had oil enough in their lamps

to keep them burning up to this moment: their folly consisted in not

making provision against its exhaustion, by taking with their lamp

an oil-vessel wherewith to replenish their lamp from time to time,

and so have it burning until the Bridegroom should come. Are we,

then--with some even superior expositors--to conclude that the foolish

virgins must represent true Christians as well as do the wise, since

only true Christians have the Spirit, and that the difference between

the two classes consists only in the one having the necessary

watchfulness which the other wants? Certainly not. Since the parable was

designed to hold forth the prepared and the unprepared to meet Christ at

His coming, and how the unprepared might, up to the very last, be

confounded with the prepared--the structure of the parable behooved to

accommodate itself to this, by making the lamps of the foolish to burn,

as well as those of the wise, up to a certain point of time, and only

then to discover their inability to burn on for want of a fresh supply

of oil. But this is evidently just a structural device; and the real

difference between the two classes who profess to love the Lord's

appearing is a radical one--the possession by the one class of

an enduring principle of spiritual life, and the want of it by the

other.

8. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our

lamps are gone out--rather, as in the Margin, "are going out"; for

oil will not light an extinguished lamp, though it will keep a burning

one from going out. Ah! now at length they have discovered not only

their own folly, but the wisdom of the other class, and they do homage

to it. They did not perhaps despise them before, but they thought them

righteous overmuch; now they are forced, with bitter mortification, to

wish they were like them.

9. But the wise answered, Not so; lest there be not enough

for us and you--The words "Not so," it will be seen, are not in the

original, where the reply is very elliptical--"In case there be not

enough for us and you." A truly wise answer this. "And what, then, if

we shall share it with you? Why, both will be undone."

but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves--Here again

it would be straining the parable beyond its legitimate design to make

it teach that men may get salvation even after they are supposed and

required to have it already gotten. It is merely a friendly way of

reminding them of the proper way of obtaining the needed and precious

article, with a certain reflection on them for having it now to seek.

Also, when the parable speaks of "selling" and "buying" that valuable

article, it means simply, "Go, get it in the only legitimate way." And

yet the word "buy" is significant; for we are elsewhere bidden, "buy

wine and milk without money and without price," and "buy of Christ gold

tried in the fire," &c.

(Isa 55:1;

Re 3:18).

Now, since what we pay the demanded price for becomes thereby our

own property, the salvation which we thus take gratuitously at

God's hands, being bought in His own sense of that word, becomes ours

thereby in inalienable possession. (Compare for the language,

Pr 23:23;

Mt 13:44).

10. And while they went to buy, the Bridegroom came; and they that were

ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut--They are

sensible of their past folly; they have taken good advice: they are in

the act of getting what alone they lacked: a very little more, and they

also are ready. But the Bridegroom comes; the ready are admitted; "the

door is shut," and they are undone. How graphic and appalling this

picture of one almost saved--but lost!

11. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open

to us--In

Mt 7:22

this reiteration of the name was an exclamation rather of surprise;

here it is a piteous cry of urgency, bordering on despair. Ah! now at

length their eyes are wide open, and they realize all the consequences

of their past folly.

12. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you

not--The attempt to establish a difference between "I know you not"

here, and "I never knew you" in

Mt 7:23

--as if this were gentler, and so implied a milder fate, reserved for

"the foolish" of this parable--is to be resisted, though advocated by

such critics as OLSHAUSEN, STIER, and ALFORD. Besides being

inconsistent with the general tenor of such language, and particularly

the solemn moral of the whole

(Mt 25:13),

it is a kind of criticism which tampers with some of the most

awful warnings regarding the future. If it be asked why unworthy guests

were admitted to the marriage of the King's Son, in a former parable,

and the foolish virgins are excluded in this one, we may answer, in the

admirable words of GERHARD, quoted by TRENCH, that those festivities are celebrated in this

life, in the Church militant; these at the last day, in the Church

triumphant; to those, even they are admitted who are not adorned with

the wedding garment; but to these, only they to whom it is granted to

be arrayed in fine linen clean and white, which is the righteousness of

saints

(Re 19:8);

to those, men are called by the trumpet of the Gospel; to these by the

trumpet of the Archangel; to those, who enters may go out from them, or

be cast out; who is once introduced to these never goes out, nor is

cast out, from them any more: wherefore it is said, "The door is

shut."

13. Watch therefore; for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein

the Son of man cometh--This, the moral or practical lesson of the

whole parable, needs no comment.

Mt 25:14-30.

PARABLE OF THE

TALENTS.

This parable, while closely resembling it, is yet a different one from

that of

THE

POUNDS, in

Lu 19:11-27;

though

CALVIN,

OLSHAUSEN,

MEYER, and others identify them--but not

DE

WETTE and

NEANDER. For the

difference between the two parables, see the

opening remarks

on that of The Pounds.

While, as

TRENCH observes with his usual felicity, "the

virgins were represented as waiting for their Lord, we have the

servants working for Him; there the inward spiritual life of the

faithful was described; here his external activity. It is not,

therefore, without good reason that they appear in their actual

order--that of the Virgins first, and of the Talents following--since it

is the sole condition of a profitable outward activity for the kingdom

of God, that the life of God be diligently maintained within the heart."

14. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man--The ellipsis is better

supplied by our translators in the corresponding passage of Mark

(Mr 13:34),

"[For the Son of man is] as a man," &c.,

travelling into a far country--or more simply, "going abroad." The

idea of long "tarrying" is certainly implied here, since it is expressed

in

Mt 25:19.

who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods--Between

master and slaves this was not uncommon in ancient times. Christ's

"servants" here mean all who, by their Christian profession, stand in

the relation to Him of entire subjection. His "goods" mean all their

gifts and endowments, whether original or acquired, natural or

spiritual. As all that slaves have belongs to their master, so Christ

has a claim to everything which belongs to His people, everything which,

may be turned to good, and He demands its appropriation to His service,

or, viewing it otherwise, they first offer it up to Him; as being "not

their own, but bought with a price"

(1Co 6:19, 20),

and He "delivers it to them" again to be put to use in His service.

15. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to

another one--While the proportion of gifts is different in

each, the same fidelity is required of all, and equally

rewarded. And thus there is perfect equity.

to every man according to his several ability--his natural capacity as

enlisted in Christ's service, and his opportunities in providence for

employing the gifts bestowed on him.

and straightway took his journey--Compare

Mt 21:33,

where the same departure is ascribed to God, after setting up the

ancient economy. In both cases, it denotes the leaving of men to the

action of all those spiritual laws and influences of Heaven under which

they have been graciously placed for their own salvation and the

advancement of their Lord's kingdom.

16. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with

the same--expressive of the activity which he put forth and the labor

he bestowed.

and made them other five talents.

17. And likewise he that had received two he also gained other two--each

doubling what he received, and therefore both equally faithful.

18. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid

his lord's money--not misspending, but simply making no use of it.

Nay, his action seems that of one anxious that the gift should not be

misused or lost, but ready to be returned, just as he got it.

19. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh and reckoneth

with them--That any one--within the lifetime of the apostles at

least--with such words before them, should think that Jesus had given

any reason to expect His Second Appearing within that period, would seem

strange, did we not know the tendency of enthusiastic, ill-regulated

love of His appearing ever to take this turn.

20. Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents; behold, I have gained

besides them five talents more--How beautifully does this illustrate

what the beloved disciple says of "boldness in the day of judgment," and

his desire that "when He shall appear we may have confidence, and not be

ashamed before Him at His coming!"

(1Jo 4:17; 2:28).

21. His lord said unto him, Well done--a single word, not of bare

satisfaction, but of warm and delighted commendation. And from what

Lips!

thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over

many things, &c.

22. He also that had received two talents came . . . good

and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will

make thee ruler over many things--Both are commended in the same

terms, and the reward of both is precisely the same. (See on

Mt 25:15).

Observe also the contrasts: "Thou hast been faithful as a

servant; now be a ruler--thou hast been entrusted

with a few things; now have dominion over many

things."

enter thou into the joy of thy lord--thy Lord's own joy.

(See

Joh 15:11;

Heb 12:2).

24. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I

knew thee that thou art an hard man--harsh. The word in Luke

(Lu 19:21)

is "austere."

reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not

strawed--The sense is obvious: "I knew thou wast one whom it was

impossible to serve, one whom nothing would please: exacting what was

impracticable, and dissatisfied with what was attainable." Thus do men

secretly think of God as a hard Master, and virtually throw on Him the

blame of their fruitlessness.

25. And I was afraid--of making matters worse by meddling with it at

all.

and went and hid thy talent in the earth--This depicts the conduct

of all those who shut up their gifts from the active service of Christ,

without actually prostituting them to unworthy uses. Fitly, therefore,

may it, at least, comprehend those, to whom

TRENCH refers, who, in the

early Church, pleaded that they had enough to do with their own souls,

and were afraid of losing them in trying to save others; and so, instead

of being the salt of the earth, thought rather of keeping their own

saltness by withdrawing sometimes into caves and wildernesses, from all

those active ministries of love by which they might have served their

brethren.

Thou wicked and slothful servant--"Wicked" or "bad" means

"falsehearted," as opposed to the others, who are emphatically styled

"good servants." The addition of "slothful" is to mark the precise

nature of his wickedness: it consisted, it seems, not in his doing

anything against, but simply nothing for his master.

Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have

not strawed--He takes the servant's own account of his demands, as

expressing graphically enough, not the hardness which he had basely

imputed to him, but simply his demand of

a profitable return for the gift entrusted.

27. thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the

exchangers--the bankers.

and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury--interest.

29. For unto every one that hath shall be given, &c.--See on

Mt 13:12.

30. And cast ye--cast ye out.

the unprofitable servant--the useless servant, that does his Master

no service.

into outer darkness--the darkness which is outside. On this

expression see on

Mt 22:13.

there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth--See on

Mt 13:42.

Mt 25:31-46.

THE

LAST

JUDGMENT.

The close connection between this sublime scene--peculiar to

Matthew--and the two preceding parables is too obvious to need pointing

out.

31. When the Son of man shall come in his glory--His personal glory.

and all the holy angels with him--See

De 33:2;

Da 7:9, 10;

Jude 14;

with Heb 1:6;

1Pe 3:22.

then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory--the glory of His

judicial authority.

32. And before him shall be gathered all nations--or, "all the

nations." That this should be understood to mean the heathen nations,

or all except believers in Christ, will seem amazing to any simple

reader. Yet this is the exposition of OLSHAUSEN,

STIER,

KEIL,

ALFORD

(though latterly with some diffidence), and of a number, though not

all, of those who hold that Christ will come the second time before the

millennium, and that the saints will be caught up to meet Him in the

air before His appearing. Their chief argument is, the impossibility of

any that ever knew the Lord Jesus wondering, at the Judgment Day, that

they should be thought to have done--or left undone--anything "unto

Christ." To that we shall advert when we come to it. But here we may

just say, that if this scene does not describe a personal, public,

final judgment on men, according to the treatment they have given to

Christ--and consequently men within the Christian pale--we shall have

to consider again whether our Lord's teaching on the greatest themes of

human interest does indeed possess that incomparable simplicity and

transparency of meaning which, by universal consent, has been ascribed

to it. If it be said, But how can this be the general judgment, if only

those within the Christian pale be embraced by it?--we answer, What is

here described, as it certainly does not meet the case of all the

family of Adam, is of course so far not general. But we have no

right to conclude that the whole "judgment of the great day" will be

limited to the point of view here presented. Other explanations will

come up in the course of our exposition.

and he shall separate them--now for the first time; the two classes

having been mingled all along up to this awful moment.

as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the

goats--(See

Eze 34:17).

33. And he shall set the sheep on his right hand--the side of honor

(1Ki 2:19;

Ps 45:9; 110:1,

&c.).

but the goats on the left--the side consequently of dishonor.

34. Then shall the King--Magnificent title, here for the first and

only time, save in parabolical language, given to Himself by the Lord

Jesus, and that on the eve of His deepest humiliation! It is to intimate

that in then addressing the heirs of the kingdom,

He will put on all His regal majesty.

say unto them on his right hand, Come--the same sweet word with which

He had so long invited all the weary and heavy laden to come unto Him

for rest. Now it is addressed exclusively to such as have come and

found rest. It is still, "Come," and to "rest" too; but to rest in a

higher style, and in another region.

ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the

foundation of the world--The whole story of this their blessedness is

given by the apostle, in words which seem but an expression of these:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath

blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ;

according as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the

world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love."

They were chosen from everlasting to the possession and enjoyment of all

spiritual blessings in Christ, and so chosen in order to be holy and

blameless in love. This is the holy love whose practical manifestations

the King is about to recount in detail; and thus we see that their whole

life of love to Christ is the fruit of an eternal purpose of love to

them in Christ.

35. For I was an hungered . . . thirsty . . .

a stranger, &c.

36. Naked . . . sick . . . prison, and ye came unto

me.

37-39. Then shall the righteous answer him, &c.

40. And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto

you, &c.--Astonishing dialogue this between the King, from the

Throne of His glory, and His wondering people! "I was an hungered, and

ye gave Me meat," &c.--"Not we," they reply. "We never did that, Lord:

We were born out of due time, and enjoyed not the privilege of

ministering unto Thee." "But ye did it to these My brethren, now beside

you, when cast upon your love." "Truth, Lord, but was that doing it to

Thee? Thy name was indeed dear to us, and we thought it a great honor

to suffer shame for it. When among the destitute and distressed we

discerned any of the household of faith, we will not deny that our

hearts leapt within us at the discovery, and when their knock came to

our dwelling, 'our bowels were moved,' as though 'our Beloved Himself

had put in His hand by the hole of the door.' Sweet was the fellowship

we had with them, as if we had 'entertained angels unawares'; all

difference between giver and receiver somehow melted away under the

beams of that love of Thine which knit us together; nay, rather, as

they left us with gratitude for our poor givings, we seemed the

debtors--not they. But, Lord, were we all that time in company with

Thee? . . . Yes, that scene was all with Me," replies the

King--"Me in the disguise of My poor ones. The door shut against Me by

others was opened by you--'Ye took Me in.' Apprehended and imprisoned

out diligently and found Me; visiting Me in My lonely cell at the risk

of your own lives, and cheering My solitude; ye gave Me a coat, for I

shivered; and then I felt warm. With cups of cold water ye moistened My

parched lips; when famished with hunger ye supplied Me with crusts, and

my spirit revived--/YE DID IT UNTO ME.'" What thoughts crowd upon us as we listen to such a

description of the scenes of the Last Judgment! And in the light of

this view of the heavenly dialogue, how bald and wretched, not to say

unscriptural, is that view of it to which we referred at the outset,

which makes it a dialogue between Christ and heathens who never

heard of His name, and of course never felt any stirrings of His love

in their hearts! To us it seems a poor, superficial objection to the

Christian view of this scene, that Christians could never be

supposed to ask such questions as the "blessed of Christ's Father" are

made to ask here. If there were any difficulty in explaining this, the

difficulty of the other view is such as to make it, at least,

insufferable. But there is no real difficulty. The surprise expressed

is not at their being told that they acted from love to Christ, but

that Christ Himself was the Personal Object of all their

deeds: that they found Him hungry, and supplied Him with food:

that they brought water to Him, and slaked His thirst; that

seeing Him naked and shivering, they put warm clothing upon Him,

paid Him visits when lying in prison for the truth, and sat by

His bedside when laid down with sickness. This is the

astonishing interpretation which Jesus says "the King" will give to

them of their own actions here below. And will any Christian reply,

"How could this astonish them? Does not every Christian know that He

does these very things, when He does them at all, just as they are here

represented?" Nay, rather, is it conceivable that they should

not be astonished, and almost doubt their own ears, to hear such

an account of their own actions upon earth from the lips of the Judge?

And remember, that Judge has come in His glory, and now sits upon the

throne of His glory, and all the holy angels are with Him; and that it

is from those glorified Lips that the words come forth, "Ye did all

this unto ME." Oh, can we imagine such a word

addressed to ourselves, and then fancy ourselves replying, "Of

course we did--To whom else did we anything? It must be others than we

that are addressed, who never knew, in all their good deeds, what they

were about?" Rather, can we imagine ourselves not overpowered with

astonishment, and scarcely able to credit the testimony borne to us by

the King?

41.Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me,

ye cursed, &c.--As for you on the left hand, ye did nothing for Me.

I came to you also, but ye knew Me not: ye had neither warm affections

nor kind deeds to bestow upon Me: I was as one despised in your eyes."

"In our eyes, Lord? We never saw Thee before, and never, sure,

behaved we so to Thee." "But thus ye treated these little ones that

believe in Me and now stand on My right hand. In the disguise of these

poor members of Mine I came soliciting your pity, but ye shut up your

bowels of compassion from Me: I asked relief, but ye had none to give

Me. Take back therefore your own coldness, your own contemptuous

distance: Ye bid Me away from your presence, and now I bid you from

Mine--Depart from Me, ye cursed!"

46. And these shall go away--these "cursed" ones. Sentence, it should

seem, was first pronounced--in the hearing of the wicked--upon the

righteous, who thereupon sit as assessors in the judgment upon the

wicked

(1Co 6:2);

but sentence is first executed, it should seem, upon the

wicked, in the sight of the righteous--whose glory will thus not

be beheld by the wicked, while their descent into "their own

place" will be witnessed by the righteous, as BENGEL notes.

into everlasting punishment--or, as in

Mt 25:41,

"everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Compare

Mt 13:42;

2Th 1:9,

&c. This is said to be "prepared for the devil and his angels," because

they were "first in transgression." But both have one doom, because one

unholy character.

but the righteous into life eternal--that is, "life everlasting."

The word in both clauses, being in the original the same, should have

been the same in the translation also. Thus the decisions of this awful

day will be final, irreversible, unending.