Today Our Daily Bread

~ Today ~
Matthew 25: 1 - 46
1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn't take oil with them. 4 But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 "In the middle of the night there was a shout: 'Here's the groom! Come out to meet him.' 7 "Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.' 9 "The sensible ones answered, 'No, there won't be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.' 10 "When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 "Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, 'Master, master, open up for us!' 12 "But he replied, ' I assure you: I do not know you!' 13 "Therefore be alert, because you don't know either the day or the hour.
14 "For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents; to another, two; and to another, one--to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money. 19 "After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I've earned five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter your master's joy!' 22 "Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I've earned two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter your master's joy!' 24 "Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, 'Master, I know you. You're a difficult man, reaping where you haven't sown and gathering where you haven't scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master replied to him, 'You evil, lazy slave! If you knew that I reap where I haven't sown and gather where I haven't scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money back with interest. 28 "'So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation 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 took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited 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 take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?' 40 "And the King will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.' 41 Then He will also say to those on the 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 didn't take Me in; I was naked and you didn't clothe Me, sick and in prison and you didn't take care of Me.' 44 "Then they too will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.' 46 "And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
The Holman Christian Standard Bible
~Lena’s Comments~
I was doing this scripture in our 5th – 8th Grade Bible Classes. The Curriculum said that it was a custom of the young maidens-In-waiting to serve the happy couple and show their enthusiasm in welcoming the bridegroom, and it was, as a payment of respect to the family, to be ready when the bridegroom was to arrive no matter the time of day or night. These girls were to act as "street lights" to this bridegroom, lighting His way to His new bride and or their new home. Isn’t that cool? Out of the ordinary that they’d want to take the time to use unusual hospitality and go way out of their way to welcome someone into the family. They knew one day someone else would do the same for them. I can see the eagerness from a true heart of love and genuine interest being able to be expressed, or a half-hearted, "so what if he comes he comes", kind of thing, where there’s not a whole lot of thought or true love expressed. The general feeling could have been one of, "well It’s your wedding, not mine, what’s the big deal anyway?"
We can’t act like we know Him now, acting as though we’ll do something for Him, when it gets closer to His "coming", and somehow put off for a later time what He’s been asking us to do from the beginning. At some point in time it will be too late.
When I read this parable of the talents a few key words stand out to me- the response was Immediate, at least the response of the obedient heart, The heart after the masters heart. The faithful heart’s response was immediate. Because the response was immediate, so was the produce of the labor! Another thing I noticed was they were called slaves (in this translation)- even when they were faithful laborers, until they had something in their hand to turn over to Him and give Him a literal account for/of. He gave them what it was they needed in their hands to Do His commands. He enabled them, provided for them.
I saw this differently last month and that is still with me. This story is not about natural hunger and thirst and clothing. It is about people who are hungering for the Gospel message and also for a drink of living water that will stay with them forever, for God’s Spirit to be made alive in them, and to no longer be uncovered in their own righteousness, which will never get them anywhere with God.
Also for people who say they are Christians, to never do this for anyone is such an eternal deception. How can any of us really be saved when we are not willing to give the message, the living message in daily example in our lives, given as offerings to God and others. For us to think we are "saved" and live our lives only for us, is going to be quite the shocker when we stand before God and He says…..something like- as much as you did to these you did to Me also! For our and God’s enemy to have us think this is about feeding the homeless, and working the Thrift Store shift or donating clothes to poor people is such a rip off for the world. They are missing out on oh so much. If we do this thinking it is our Christian duty to do so, we are missing oh so much. Go ahead and feed homeless, but pour your life into one man enough to change his life forever as you plant the image of Christ in Him. Clothe poor folks, but leave an eternal impression upon them as you do it, because you love them as people that God Our Father loves. If you leave your clothes at the Good Will box, you’ve left no lasting impact on anyone, you’ve done your religious duty and you alone are satisfied. He’s not, He’s still hungry, thirsty, naked and homeless! Jesus, that is.