Matthew 25

Notes

Ver. 1-13. This, and the subsequent parable, may have some relation to the time of Christ's coming to destroy the Jewish nation, but especially to his coming to the last judgment. As the Jews had ordinarily their weddings at night, and seldom fewer than ten bridemaids, that custom is here alluded to. Christ, who betroths and unites sinners to himself in the day of his power, is the glorious bridegroom. His tarrying denotes his deferring the Jewish destruction, and death, and the last judgment till the due season. His coming at midnight, and with a great cry, denotes how unexpected and alarming his coming is, in common calamities, at death or judgment. The ten virgins denote multitudes of professing and apparently real Christians. Their slumbering and sleeping denote their common sloth and security while Christ withdraws his presence. The foolish virgins, who had only lamps, but no oil in them, represent nominal Christians, who have a profession of gospel truth, but no real grace; and who, when awakened by death or judgment, shall find their profession come to nothing: gladly then would they be in the condition of sincere Christians, and derive help from them; but their cares of salvation will be then too late, and they themselves shall be eternally excluded from fellowship with Christ. The wise virgins are true believers, whose external profession of Christ arises from real grace in their hearts, and who are, notwithstanding occasional sloth and slumberings, in a habitual readiness to meet with Christ, in death or judgment, upon his call; these, though they have no grace or good works to be imparted to others, shall be graciously admitted to eternal fellowship with him in the heavenly mansions. 14-30. The Master is Christ, who, in his ascension, travelled into a far country, who bestows gifts and graces on ministers and people, and will return at the last day to require an account of their improvement of them. The servants are ministers and people. The talents are offices, gifts, and opportunities, given by Christ to men in different degrees, for the good of the church, to be improved for his glory, and to be accounted for at the last day. Such as improve what they have received, whether more or less, in a faithful and diligent manner, shall be graciously rewarded. But such as, through unbelief of God's kindness and mercy, neglect to improve their gifts, shall at last be deprived of them, and undone for their abuse of them. 32, 33. He will fully and exactly separate the righteous from the wicked, never more to be mixed. The former, or those who accepted Christ as their Saviour and throughout all their lives walked in him as they received him, he will honourably set at his right hand in the air; but the latter will be forever cast out, dishonoured and disgraced as filthy and abominable creatures, who loved, lived, and died in their sins. 34-40. They are called to receive the kingdom, not as any proper reward of their works, but as the inheritance which they are entitled as faithful children of a gracious God through faith. Their works are not mentioned as grounds of the sentence, but as proofs that they are God's children, who love the brethren. Their objection denotes their viewing whatever they did as unworthy of so honourable a reward. 41-45. They, in sinning, departed from God and followed the devil. Now their punishment is answerable. Their want of charity to the saints is at once a mark of their being full of unbelief and haters of Christ and his people, and also a ground of their fearful sentence.

Ver. 29. For unto every one that hath (valued his privileges and employed his means) shall be given: but from him that hath not (employed nor valued them) shall be taken away that which he (now) hath.—Note, Do these talents represent grace? and, if so, then may not a believer fall from grace? The answer is scriptural;—the believer is 'born again, not of corruptible, but of incorruptible seed,' 1 Pe. 1. 23. Of his sheep, Jesus says 'I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,' Jn. 10. 28. Therefore these talents represent not inward grace, but the outward means of grace, the various privileges and ordinances of the Christian church. C.

Ver. 35, 36. Our Lord here enumerates six heads, under some one of which every possible form of human misery may be found. Hunger—thirst—a stranger—nakedness—sickness—imprisonment: one, as it were, for each day of the labour and sorrow introduced by the first transgression; and for which the knowledge of Christ crucified, risen, reigning, interceding, and coming again, can afford the only remedy.—Note, The introductory for, ver. 35, cannot be tortured, contrary to the uniform testimony of Scripture, into any proof that the entrance into 'the kingdom prepared' was purchased or deserved by the merit of the 'good works' enumerated. See De. 9. 4-6; Mat. 1. 21; 26. 28; Ro. 3. 20, 23, 28; Ep. 2. 8, 9; 2 Ti. 1. 9, &c., in which every stream of good, whether temporal or spiritual, is traced to the fountain of sovereign mercy alone. But the great purpose of final judgment being first to exhibit Christ in glory, and secondly to explain and vindicate the equity of the divine government, the 'fruit of the Spirit' is displayed in all its beauty and variety, as the evidence that the Judge decides not upon any principle of favouritism, but in righteousness; and bestows his rewards upon none but such as have been 'made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.' C.

Reflections.—It is absurd to esteem any as Christians who have not the appearance of real saintship. And inestimable is the worth of real grace exercised in the heart by a new creation in Christ. It makes a wide difference between true believers and mere nominal professors. Safe is their meeting with Christ, and certain their admission to glory, who have it: but dreadful their exclusion from Christ, and deep their sorrow in hell, who die without it! No intercession of saints, no mercy, can save them. In diversified forms and degrees Jesus bestows gifts, offices, and opportunities on men for the service of his church. And he will take an exact account of the improvement. Happy are they who, with diligence, use whatever they receive to his glory; inexpressibly great shall be their honour and their reward: but miserable are they who, through unbelieving hard thoughts of God, take up with a mere hypocritical profession. Every plea of innocence, prudence, or of wonted assistances, will issue in their confusion.—How certain—how sudden—how awful—how glorious—will be the appearance of Jesus to judgment: exact and final shall be his separation of the righteous and wicked; and impartial his trial of human works. Gracious and heart-ravishing will be his last invitation to saints: high his regard to them, and every kindness showed to them! But awful indeed his dismission of sinners from him, whom they now so hate and contemn. And how fixed—how important—how lasting—is men's future state! May these awful, these eternal realities, sink deep into my heart!