The Strand Study Bible

MATTHEW MATTHEW keeping their lamps lit, and thus made provision. The Bible says they took extra oil with them. Oil, according to the Bible, depicts 1549

the HOLY SPIRIT (Isa 61:1, Zech 4:1-6, Heb 1:9, Psa 133:2 and II Ki 4:2,6 ). 25:5 a CHRIST ( BRIDEGROOM ) has tarried now for some 2,000 years.

25:5 b The Jewish nation ( they all ) had been inactive ( slumbered and slept ) for almost 2,000 years (from AD 70 – 1948). 25:9 a The “refusal” ( Not so ) of the five wise virgins to share with the five foolish virgins must not be taken as unkindness. Since the oil represents personal possession of the HOLY SPIRIT (vs 4), and the Spirit cannot be shared (Eph 1:13-14 and Rom 8:9), each person must be regenerated (Titus 3:5) individually. 25:9 b The phrase “ Them that sell ” are those who preach the Gospel of grace (Isa 55:1). God uses the combination of three things to reach humanity with His grace: (1) His Word (I Pet 1:22-23 and Jms 1:18); (2) His SPIRIT (II Thess 2:13, Titus 3:5 and Eph 1:13); and (3) His ministers (I Cor 3:5, Rom 10:14-17 and Rev 22:17-19). 25:11 Parable #39 is aimed at unbelievers who expect to go to Heaven ( Lord, Lord, open to us). . The character flaw – assuming Heaven is open to anyone who desires it . It is not (Jn 14:6). Interestingly enough, Parable #39 is the last parable that Jesus gave that was aimed at the unsaved of Israel. Just as Christ started the Church with Israel (with the twelve Jewish Apostles - Mt 10:1-6), so He will end it with Israel, right before His return. 25:12 It’s not enough to know Jesus (Acts 19:13-16); Jesus has to know you (Jn 10:14)! 25:15 a A “talent” was a measure of weight used to weigh precious metals. Unless it was used to weigh something precious (say a precious gem or metal), the talent itself was worthless. Thus, a talent in and of itself wasn’t worth anything. A talent did not have worth; it was simply used to “measure” worth. Although worthless in and of itself, the talent became worthwhile whenever it was used to “bring out” real worth (gold, silver, precious stones – I Cor 3:12 ). Christians who use their spiritual gifts (God- given talents) to “bring out” the worth in people build for them selves a structure that will stand at the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST . NOTE –The talent (or, weight) varied in size from about 58-80 pounds. The average talent, therefore, weighed about 70 pounds. 25:15 b Every individual believer ( to every man ) has been given at least one gift upon salvation (Rom 12:6, I Cor 12:7-11, Eph 4:11 and I Pet 4:11). According to II Corinthians 10:12, we, as Christians, are not to compare ourselves with one another. God has dealt with us on an individual basis and has given to us the gift(s) He wanted us to have. Competition amongst Christians is foolishness and sin. 25:15 c There are all kinds of “ ability .” There’s responsibility, reliability, capability, dependability, and availability. However, the “ ability ” spoken about here is the “spiritual ability” to use one’s God-given gift(s) for God (I Cor 12). 25:19 Parable #40 is aimed at believers who neglect to remember that there is a judgment seat awaiting them . The character flaw – assuming the JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST will be a time of great joy for every believer . It will not. For some it will be a time of great reckoning ( and reckoneth with them – II Cor 5:10-11 , Mt 5:19 a and I Cor 3:14 ). 25:24 Instead of being grateful for what he had been given, he complained about what he didn’t have, and never did anything for God. You’re view of God ( Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man ) determines your attitude and service to Him. If you fail to see God as good, you will never serve Him. The problem this servant faced is one that many seem to face. Like Adam and Eve who were blinded by the Devil concerning the goodness of God (Gen 3:1-6), this servant was blind to the fact that his master was a generous, loving man, who wanted him to participate in wonderful joys. 25:26 This statement “ thou knewest ” should be regarded as a question – “Did you know that I reaped where I sowed not…?” In other words, the master judges the slave on the basis of his plea, to show the baseness of such an attitude. 25:28 Before socialistic ideology ever started, Jesus opposed it ( Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath hath ten talents ). John R. Rice in The King of the Jews notes:

The foolish idea which communists and socialists have, that it is wrong for one man to have more than another, is certainly exploded by the words of Jesus in verses 28 and 29. Some people have more because they can be trusted with more, because they work harder. God intended that the thrifty, the hard-working, the intelligent, the energetic, should have more than the lazy, shiftless, the immoral, and the unreliable. Money and other property is a trust from God and should be so used. The whole socialistic philosophy is contrary to Scripture. The very genius of it is against God. For this reason communism generally ends up in atheism, as has been so terribly the case in Russia. The communist is not only against man, seeking to destroy governments that are, to seize property unlawfully, to violate human rights, but he is against God, against the Bible, and against those virtues which build and maintain society. God never intended that the arrogant, the lazy, the rebellious, like this one-talent man, should have rule along with the thrifty, the hard-working, the loyal citizen. The whole trend of the radical labor union movement, to destroy faith in the capitalistic system, to deride the rights of executives, to make light of the value of brains and energy and initiative, is foolish and unscriptural. God does not intend that the lazy laborer, demanding a thirty-hour week and increased wages, begrudging every bit of toil, seeking to slow down production, deriding authority, sometimes seizing or destroying property, should have the same responsibility and authority as the man who has prepared himself, paid the price in toil, energy, planning, and thrift. Those ought to rule who have proved themselves worthy to rule. 1

NOTE – There’s not a better description of socialism than the one called Ineptocracy :

A system of government where the least capable to lead are elected by the least capable of producing, and where the members of society least likely to sustain themselves or succeed, are rewarded with goods and services paid for by the confiscated wealth of a diminishing number of producers.

1 Rice, John R. The King of the Jews , Murfreesboro, Tenn., Sword of the Lord Pub, 1975. Print.