Today’s Tasting:
Matthew 25 contains three parables Jesus taught about what it will be like when He returns and how we should live our lives until that time.
The first is the parable of the Ten Virgins:
“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. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.”
The second parable is of the Bags of Gold:
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
The third is the parable of the Sheep and the Goats:
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 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.”
Today’s Nourishment:
These three parables are so important to understand so that we can reflect Jesus’ teachings in our lives.
Take responsibility for your spiritual condition: Like the virgins and their lamp oil, some were prepared and brought extra oil so they could participate in the wedding celebrations.
8 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.”
The foolish bridesmaids who were not prepared wanted the wise to share their responsibility. Even when they had gone to purchase more lamp oil, it was too late, they could not join the feast.
This parable teaches us that we need to be responsible for our spiritual condition. Although God’s grace is all consuming, we need to be responsible and prepared to receive it. We cannot “purchase” our spiritual condition or develop a relationship with God at the last minute.
Use your talents to serve God completely:
The man who loaned money to his servants to watch over until his return shows that we must use our talents to serve. God has given us all time and talents to serve Him until His return. Like the money loaner in the parable, God gives us all talents according to our abilities.
Which servant more closely reflects your level of service to God? Are you investing your time and talents wisely to serve? Are you like the man who hid his talents because he was afraid to upset his master?
29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.
Make your belief evident:
God will separate the sheep from the goats – the believers from the non-believers and pretenders.
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.’
Simply wanting or saying that you are a believer is not sufficient. To be a Sheep of the Lord you must make your belief evident by showing who God is by the way we live.
We have opportunities every day to show mercy and kindness to those around us. In this parable the Lord says to His sheep, you are righteous because of the things you did for your brothers and sisters and to the goats He says, you are righteous because of the things you did not do for your others. This is our call to action to show others our God! And the way in which we may do this is “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers or sisters, You Did For Me.”
What opportunities may you show others your God? Share with us: http://thebiblefeastblog.com
Humbly,
Vanessa Long
Salt Lake City, UT
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