Matthew 25: Wise and Foolish (4)
Pray Psalm 78.1-4.
Give ear, O my people, to my law;
Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings of old,
Which we have heard and known,
And our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
Telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD,
And His strength and His wonderful works that He has done.
Sing Psalm 78.1-4.
Foundation: How Firm a Foundation
Give ear, O my people, attend to my word, dark sayings and parables sent from the LORD,
things we have before by our fathers been told, which we would not dare from our children withhold.
Read Matthew 25.1-30; meditate on verses 24-30.
Is there a difference between being “afraid” of the Lord and “fearing” Him?
Prepare.
1. How did the Lord refer to the unfaithful servant?
2. What ultimately happened to the unfaithful servant? Why?
Meditate.
Turns out, the unfaithful servant wasn’t really a servant at all, except of himself (vv. 25, 30). His fear kept him from doing what he knew the Lord expected of him. When it came time for an accounting of his stewardship, he had nothing to show but what the Lord had entrusted to him—unused, uninvested, unprofitable.
This servant’s “talent” was given to the most fruitful servant, who would make good use of it. Jesus says there’s a lesson here: If we’re faithful to use well what the Lord has given us for fruitful living, He’ll give us more (v. 29). As for the unfaithful servant, he is cast out, since he showed that he was not a servant at all.
The two parables that begin this chapter are important for what we learn from them about time and the use we make of it. Time will end one day, when the Lord of time returns to demand an accounting from all on whom He bestowed His precious gift of salvation and everything that goes with it. On that day we want to make certain that our lamps are lit and burning brightly, and that we have borne fruit refracting His glory in proportion to the investment He has made in us. If we would shine brightly, we must be continually renewed in Jesus, the Light of the world, through prayer, worship, meditation, and the encouragement of others. We must not neglect this fuel but be always supplying it to our souls.
At the same time, we must be diligent to invest all the resources and opportunities of the time of our lives in ways that bring the glory of God to light. Everything we are and have comes as a gift from God, to be used in knowing, loving, and serving Him.
Offer everything you are, have, and do to Jesus as a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. Thus you may expect to hear His “Well done” when time is no more.
Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
For the unfaithful wastrel and his lame excuse, “I was afraid” (Matt. 25.25) Jesus had a more cogent definition. To Him, the word afraid, translated into “lazy and wicked” (Matt. 25.26). Jesus was never a fan of euphemisms.
For faithful servants, to have a healthy respect and fear of God is wise:
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge…” (Prov. 1.7).
“The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever…” (Ps. 19.9).
“Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints!” (Ps. 34.9)
“The LORD of hosts, Him you shall hallow;
let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread” (Is. 8.13).
“Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all” (Eccl. 12.13).
“Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10.28).
For unfaithful servants, it is patently clear what went wrong:
“An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked:
There is no fear of God before his eyes” (Ps. 36.1).
“Time will end one day, when the Lord of time returns to demand an accounting
from all on whom He bestowed His precious gift of salvation
and everything that goes with it.”
The most important part of “everything that goes with it” is the indwelling Holy Spirit; and
Paul warns us of how we should live within that knowledge:
“Do not quench the Spirit” (2 Thess. 5.19).
And how do we quench Him?
By keeping Him from doing what He longs to do within our lives—
we are binding, hindering, and smothering His power within our lives
when we are not growing up in Jesus (2 Pet. 3.18).
When we are not working out our own salvation in fear and trembling (Phil. 2.12).
When our fear translates into immobility, laziness, and wickedness.
Not allowing the Holy Spirit to work is akin to the unpardonable sin.
If it isn’t it—it skirts perilously close to it.
“Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him;
but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him,
either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt. 12.32).
“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mk. 3.28, 29).
For in not using the talent bestowed upon us—the Holy Spirit—we are quenching Him.
And for Him, it must feel as if we are speaking a word against Him,
even blaspheming Him—by ignoring Him.
But cursed be the deceiver who takes a vow but sacrifices to the LORD what is blemished—
“‘For I AM a great King,’ says the LORD of hosts,
‘and My Name is to be feared among the nations’” (Mal. 1.14).
Fear God correctly.
“Do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5.17). Don’t hide your talent.
Let the Holy Spirit work wildly and vividly through your life—for the Kingdom of God and His glory.
Reflect.
1. What are the most important talents God has entrusted to you?
2. How are you putting these to work to increase glory to the Lord?
3. Be ready; be faithful: How have these parables (virgins and talents) encouraged you in your walk with and work for the Lord?
Let us note also where that good and faithful servant is going who was faithful in the little things of this life. “Enter into the joy of your master,” he is told. Every delight and every joy will be there when those who weep here below will be merry hereafter and those who righteously mourn will receive a worthy consolation. He says this in effect both to the one “who had received the five talents” and to the one “who had received the two.” He says, “Enter.” Origen (185-254), Commentary on Matthew 67
Pray Psalm 78.4-16.
God has entrusted us with the Gospel of His Kingdom. Ask Him to help you to be faithful in planting that seed and investing that talent for His glory today.
Sing Psalm 78.4-16.
Foundation: How Firm a Foundation
The glorious deeds of our God in His might, and all of the works He has done in our sight,
together with all of the words of His Law, would we on ourselves and our children bestow.
LORD, let all our children arise and declare the truth of the LORD every day, everywhere,
and set all their hopes in God’s wonderful Word, and never forget all the works of the LORD.
Our fathers were stubborn; they would not obey; when faced with their foes they in fear turned away.
God’s work of redemption they wholly despised, forgetting the pow’r He had shown to their eyes.
T. M. and Susie Moore
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).
Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast features excerpts from the book, Patrick: A Devotional History. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is pursuing a series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column continues our study of “Everyday Christianity”. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.
