Sermon 10-15-17 Pastor Ray Lorthioir Trinity Lutheran Church W. Hempstead, NY Based on Matthew, Chapter 25:1-46 Virgins, Servants, Sheep and Goats Today we consider Jesus final three parables. Matthew 25:1, At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Jesus often described Himself as a bridegroom. So, why did He use this figure of speech? The Old Testament is filled with passages that speak of Israel as a woman betrothed to Yahweh. On earth, there is no more intimate relationship than marriage and that s supposed to be the relationship between Yahweh and His people. But, we read in the Old Testament that Yahweh s wife, Israel, was often unfaithful, playing the prostitute. She ran after other lovers foreign gods, idols and demons. By the time of Jesus this was no longer the case. Israel was solidly for Yahweh. But as we ve seen in Jesus criticism of the Pharisees there is another problem between Yahweh and His people. It s called the sinful nature. By the time of Jesus the Pharisees had gotten the idea that the law makes people holy. It makes them righteous. Well, it would, except for one problem that the law ultimately reveals the sinful nature. And Jesus held up the mirror of the law continually so that the sinful nature could be plainly seen. No matter how good we think we are, we cannot please God because we re programmed as sinners from conception. The sinful nature is the reason. The gospel was and is that God Himself has done something about this wretched situation. His Messiah came to suffer, die and thereby pay for the sin of His bride. Messiah purified His bride by exchanging His righteousness for her sin. As it says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Therefore, to be the true righteous bride of God, His people must confess their total lack of divine righteousness, and must turn to their Messiah for His righteousness. But stuck in the idea that their own effort under the law could make them righteous before God, the Pharisees and other Jewish leaders resisted this good news as all modern Pharisees do to this day. They reject the bridegroom Yahweh sent. However, wherever people both Jew and gentile repent of their sins and whatever righteousness they think they have, and then come to the righteousness of Christ, there is found the true church. Jesus the bridegroom came to purify His Church and make her holy by His own most precious effort alone. Those whose lives have been justified by Christ through the forgiveness of their sins are called righteous by God and will inherit God s divine righteousness for all eternity. Divine righteousness is the tie that will bind God and 1
His people forever in love. In eternity we will all be closer than husband and wife with Yahweh and with each other in righteousness and love. This is why we welcome Jesus, our bridegroom and look eagerly to His return. Again, Matthew 25:1-13, 1 At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. A groom at a Middle Eastern wedding was lord of the festivities. He made a grand entrance into the village, coming in the evening. So by telling this parable Jesus declared that He was going to make a grand entrance as Lord of His marriage to His holy bride. But, why an entrance? Jesus was already on earth when He told the parable. Hadn t He already made a grand entrance by His birth and by His Palm Sunday entrance into Jerusalem. As we know now the answer is simple. Jesus meant He was coming again as the victorious Messiah. Now, Scripture doesn t directly speak of a Messiah who comes twice. Indeed, this is one of the objections present day Jews use against Jesus. But Scripture does teach two entirely different modes of the Messiah, and we find the two comings of Messiah in these modes. The first mode is the suffering Messiah, the suffering servant, found in Isaiah 53, Zechariah 12 and many other places. In this mode Messiah is a mortal human being. He can be oppressed and die. Although He is King of the universe He is subject to all the authorities of earth. The second mode is the victorious Messiah. It s found in Daniel 7 and many other places. In this mode the Messiah is immortal. No power can harm Him. He is King of the universe and all authorities are subject to Him. All creatures are subject to Him. He is the rightful Lord of all. By His passion and death, Jesus fulfilled all the Scriptures pertaining to the suffering Messiah. In His resurrection Jesus began to fulfill all the Scriptures pertaining to the victorious Messiah. But then precisely at that point a critical prophecy came into play. It s Psalm 110:1, The LORD says to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. This verse proclaims two things. First, Messiah will go to sit at the right hand of Yahweh. Second the fulfillment of the victorious Messiah s work will be delayed UNTIL and this is the operative word UNTIL God has crushed His enemies under His feet. Therefore, in the present age Jesus is ascended to the right hand of the Father and the Church of Jesus Christ is like these ten virgins who are waiting until the victorious bridegroom the Lord of the feast finally makes His grand appearance. Matthew 25:2-5, 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Here we have insight into those words, immediately and soon, that Jesus used. The bridegroom was a long time in coming. And just as Jesus said in the parable, so here we are 2,000 years later a long time as we experience things, but soon as God experiences things less than two days if a thousand years are as one day to the Lord. Matthew 25: 6-10, 6 At midnight the cry rang out: Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! 7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 2
The foolish ones said to the wise, Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out. 9 No, they replied, there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves. 10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. The lamps represent the born from above life of Christians. The oil meant for those lamps is the righteousness of God in Christ filling us. So, notice. We have ten believers. They all have lamps. But five are wise. They know the bridegroom might be delayed. They are prepared for the long haul in this life. They have continually sought forgiveness of their sins and the Lord s righteousness. The foolish are not prepared. They were filled with His righteousness for a while but have ignored and neglected their constant need for repentance and Christ s righteousness. Therefore, when Christ returns this will be the situation. There will be those who are ready, having taken seriously their need for the death of their sinful nature in Christ s death and their need for the righteousness of Christ. There will be others who have hung around the church but ultimately ignored both their sin and Christ s great supply of righteousness. When Jesus comes, it will all happen very fast according to this parable. There will be no time to gain the righteousness of Christ before the door of the Kingdom closes. But those who made it their business in life to live forgiven in Christ s righteousness will go in to the Lord s marriage feast. Matthew 25: 11-13, 11 Later the others also came. Sir! Sir! they said. Open the door for us! 12 But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don't know you. 13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. Keep watch means live the Christian life. Regularly examine your heart and confess sin. Regularly hear the gospel so that you may believe the forgiveness of sins. Regularly feed yourself on Word and Sacrament so that the righteousness of Christ might fill you in thought, word and deed. Follow the Lord. He s the only way into eternal righteousness. Expect His return. Otherwise, be locked out when He comes. We now come to a second parable. Matthew 25:14, Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. You don t entrust your property to your servants unless you re going to be gone for quite a while. But that s what Jesus has done. He has departed to the right hand of God and left His Kingdom in our hands. What will we do with it? Matthew 25:15-18, 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. In this parable the money represents the righteousness of Christ and the life that proceeds from it. Notice. All three servants received money. The fact that each received money means that each received salvation through the righteousness of Christ. However, each received a different amount of money. Does that mean one was more saved than the other? Not at all. All received money. All received the 3
righteousness of Christ. But we must not forget that the righteousness of Christ in a believer produces righteous living, righteous thoughts, words and deeds. To understand the different amounts of money each received we turn to Romans 12:3, For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. So both the ability and the faith to accomplish righteous actions in this life is measured to us individually by God. This is confirmed by Romans 12:5-8, 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. And this by no means is an exhaustive list of gifts. In living the Christian life everyone has different abilities. Everyone is gifted in different ways. It s all according to the measure of God. That s why each servant received a different amount. The money represents righteousness. The amount of money represents giftings from God. Matthew 25:19, After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. Again we have a long time. From our perspective we have been a long time waiting for Jesus and it may yet be even longer. Remember, the gospel has to be preached to the ends of the earth, to all nations. We re not there yet. But the master will definitely come. He will come to judge to settle accounts. Matthew 25:20-21, 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. Master, he said, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more. 21 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! In business wise investing and trading can double your money. Apparently wise investing of the righteousness we have been given in Christ can double the Lord s Kingdom as well. And this is what the Lord wants in the present age. Those faithful with the righteousness they have received as a gift in this life will be made totally righteous in Christ in the age to come. That s the reward of a good and faithful servant. Matthew 25:22-23, 22 The man with the two talents also came. Master, he said, you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more. 23 His master replied, Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness! What s interesting here is that the master is just as pleased with the two-talent servant as he was with the five-talent servant. Each has done righteously according to the measure of ability and faith God granted him. Matthew 25:24-27, 24 Then the man who had received the one talent came. Master, he said, I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you. 26 His master replied, You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have 4
put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. The righteousness of Christ is more valuable than anything in all of creation because it was purchased through God s Son literally suffering hell and eternal death for us in a horrid scourging and crucifixion. Christ s righteousness is the pearl of great price, the treasure hidden in a field. We should sell all the righteousness we think we have in order to possess it. And if we possess it, we are to use it in this life. All of this is received by faith in Jesus Christ. But this servant despised the righteousness of Christ he had been given. He hid it in a hole. He claimed to fear God. But his actions exposed his unbelief. If he had really feared God he would have taken the righteousness of Christ given to him and done something with it. This is unbelief pure and simple. In the midst of the church there are unbelievers like this. Thus, we read the master s judgment in Matthew 25:28-30, Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Unbelief causes some people to hide the righteousness of Christ and rely on their own righteousness in this life. Therefore, in the judgment, the righteousness of Christ will be taken from such people. And whatever righteousness of their own they think they have will be taken from them because it is worthless in God s sight. In the end, the unbeliever will be emptied of all goodness and cast into the outer darkness of hell, forever to experience the distress of unmitigated evil in himself. We now come the third parable. Matthew 25:31-33, 31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. This is a picture of the final judgment. Matthew 25:34-46, 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. 37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you? 40 The King will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me. 41 Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. 44 They also will answer, Lord, when did we see you hungry 5
or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you? 45 He will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me. 46 Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. Peter tells me that in Africa there is a false prophet who goes around telling people that having received the grace of God they can live any way they please. This parable tells us otherwise. The righteousness of Christ purchased on the cross is not a decoration to hang on chains around our necks. The righteousness of Christ is our lives. It s our way of life. Those who have received Christ s righteousness by faith go into eternal life having lived His righteousness here. Those who refuse to live Christ s righteousness here are the goats. They live for unrighteousness here and unrighteousness is what they will receive for all eternity. Two things about living for Christ. First, because of the sinful nature we can only do so very incompletely. This is why we have been given the privilege of confessing our sins to God and receiving His absolution through the atoning work of Jesus. Second, there will always be more needs than we can meet. Do we give to every beggar we meet on the streets of New York? I ve known people thoroughly flustered at the number of valid Christian appeals they receive through the mail. Since August there has been great destruction through floods, hurricanes, earthquakes and now fire. Are we goats if we can t meet all the needs? No. But we are called upon to do what we can according to the measure given us by God. One man I knew kept a roll of dollar bills in his pocket and gave a dollar to every beggar he met on the streets of New York. One retired man I knew received so many appeals from ministries that he regularly gave five dollars to each one of them. That s one way of handling it. Jesus told this parable not to distress us, but to make clear that His righteousness in us produces righteous living and action in this life. If we go through life without righteous action, then His righteousness is not in us. But if we have believed Christ s righteousness unto eternal life, then that righteousness will produce good fruit here to the praise of His Name. Amen. All Bible quotes are from the NIV. 6