June 9, 2024
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Matthew? Here’s today’s reading:
Matthew 25 (NIV)
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.……Continue Reading
25:46. “These shall go away into everlasting punishmentand: but the righteous into everlasting life.”
Refreshing to my heart to read Mt. 25, and hear Jesus explain the different lifestyles of the righteous and unrighteous. Jesus will come again, or, we will go meet Him.
May the Lord find me humble, ready, with oil in my lamp, a talent more than He gave me, and evidence of caring for others. -reb (Reb, Rebel, Gordon, Gordy)
The 10 virgins with the lamps, five had extra oil and five did not , the oil, a metaphor for what exactly?
some say the Holy Spirit, but I think we need to be careful of allegorizing the Bible…in my opinion, the oil is oil and it represents how we are responsible for our own preparation for Christ’s return…we can’t borrow someone else’s maturity…
Matthew 25 Jesus wants us to be prepared for his return, we are responsible for our own spiritual condition. Our relationship with God has to be real. The example of the master who gave his servants money to see what they would do with it is an example for us as to how we use the gifts that God gives us. Do we use them wisely because it will matter it also says God will separate the sheep from the goats and that is an example of believers and unbelievers. Do we help our brothers in need or do we ignore because God knows our hearts and how we use that for others? We are to freely give.
Matthew 25
The virgins speaks to our heart and how prepared are we for the return of Jesus. We can not borrow someone else’s faith or spiritual maturity we must have our own relationship with God!
The talents speaks to our service. What are we doing with the things God has blessed us with? Our gifts, talents, resources, time, etc.. Are we using these things to bring glory back to Him. Are we just sitting on them and hiding them away rather than using them to advance His kingdom.
Then the close of the chapter is a reminder to love others as if it were Jesus. To care for people without regard for what you will get in return but rather simply love others because Christ loved us first!
Matthew 25
““The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
Matthew 25:40 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mat.25.40.NIV
Pastor Pete, you are brilliant beyond your years! Not many Christians would avoid allegorizing Scripture, or forcing some figurative view. Dude, you got this! -reb
Thanks, Gordon! Wish I could post a picture of me blushing…lol
As we see the world deteriorating morally, politically and environmentally, how important it is for us to be prepared. But the story of the virgins shows it is up to us how prepared we end up. We can’t see the longevity of Jesus’ return as a reason not to be prepared but to prepare more. And it is interesting that each of the servants are given talents consistent with their abilities. So we should be content with what God has given us and serve Him in the context of that. Not comparing ourselves to others but just fulfilling the role that God has given us and being faithful to it. There is also an aspect here of taking risks to serve the kingdom and not always playing it safe. And the main message of the sheep and the goats is seeing the kinds of things that should mark us as believers. We do works because we are saved, not in order to be saved, but that doesn’t mean there are no works to be done. And this parable shows the kind of things we should be doing, caring for the displaced and marginalized people of society. These are often the ones who need our help because society has set them aside.
Parable of the talents. First time I really realized it could be about harvesting for Christ. More I learn about the end times, more it pushes me to think, don”t sweat things, Jesus is in control, and His desire is for us to help him fill his heavenly kingdom.
Matthew 25
”“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.“
Matthew 25:13 NKJV
Matthew 25
Matthew 25