Matthew 25 - Will you make it?
So parables are cool. Most people like a story, do they not? But I think the risk with parables is that they are often passages of Scripture that are used so often. We've all heard them too much that we think we must know what they are all about, and are not expecting to get anything new from them. Matthew 25 consists of three parables. Two of them are the parable of the talents and the parable of the sheep and the goats. They are both such common parables that if you know any of the parables, I really probably don't have to say any more than that and you know what I am talking about. However the first parable is the parable of the ten virgins, and I know that of all the parables, that's probably the one that I have heard the least about. Thank God for His provision, because if it wasn't the first one in the list my interest probably wouldn't have been piqued and and wouldn't have gone down the train of thought that is to follow. Here it is:One of the things that we are to notice when reading parables is that they are often linked and you can have a couple in a row that expand upon an idea to give you a whole picture. In Matthew 25 we have three stories about two groups of people and one main individual (and then one other individual, just to make life interesting) who think that they have everything worked out. In particular they think that they will make it to eternal life (whatever the individual analogy of the particular parable). However, they don't. They thought they were, but they didn't. I read it and think, "Wow, that's got to be worth taking notice of. When could you think that you would make it to heaven and you wouldn't?"
Here are my thoughts on the answer.
Parable of the virgins:
You think that you will enter eternal life because you think that you will have time to sought out your relationship with Jesus. But because you didn't do it when you had time, you get distracted (even if it is in getting ready to find Jesus) and you miss him. Wanting to have had things in order at sometime is not enough of a reason to enter eternal life. (The other interesting individual is in this story, but I'm leaving him for this blog.)
Parable of the talents:
You think that you will receive eternal life because you didn't do anything wrong because you didn't do anything. However doing nothing will not be considered as merely an avoidance of wrong. Instead it is seen that you wasted what was given to you and you didn't do anything with it. You didn't use it to be more than you were given. And for the guy in the parable, what he had was taken from him and he was thrown to the place of darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Not doing anything to risk losing what you had is not enough to enter eternal life.
Parable of the sheep and goats:
It would seem that these goats had the most chance to get "in" of the lot who missed out. You are doing something. It's not even necessarily that you are doing nothing. But it would seem that what you do counts. It is not enough to be doing things that are thought to be nice or even that people might feel good about themselves for doing (this stuff is not specifically referred to, but I figure these people thought they were doing something right). You must have a focus on others. You must see other people as Jesus. You must reach beyond yourself into a broken and hurting world. Otherwise you miss Jesus. Just doing something 'nice' is not enough for you to enter eternal life.
What is enough? It would seem that we need to deal with our relationship with God now. It is not enough to wait for the right time, or until we are ready. There may never be the time tomorrow. Now is the time. Second, we must be diligent with what has been given to us. We must not squander it, either by being lazy, or even afraid. Do not, in any way take for granted what God has given you. Finally, we must have our focus where it should be. It is not on ourselves. It is on others and on a hurt and broken world. And it is about reaching out to them and touching them and knowing them and caring for them.
So that's my thoughts. Wow, longest blog in quite a while. And they are just the beginnings of my thoughts. Feel free to let me know what you think. I am certain I have missed stuff, and I may have interpreted stuff wrong, or I might have just missed the whole picture, so let me know!
posted by bec @ 9:49 pm
2 Comments:
*nod* I think you hit the nail on the head :-)
thanks! :) I haven't heard from you in ages, sorry I am bad at contact. How is your life?
Post a Comment
<< Home