|
SUBJECT: Matthew 25:14-46 -- The parable of the talents --
the sheep and the goats
QUESTIONS: What is this parable telling us? Who is it for?
What are the talents referring to? Who are the sheep and the goats?
What happens to the sheep and what happens to the goats?
ANSWER:
All the parables in Matthew 25 are about who will be in the Kingdom of
God.
The analogy of the sheep and goats has to do with the parable of the
talents:
Matthew 25:14-34
14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country,
who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another
one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took
his journey.
16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the
same, and made them other five talents.
17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid
his lord's money.
19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth
with them.
20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five
talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I
have gained beside them five talents more.
21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant:
thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou
deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents
beside them.
23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou
hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many
things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew
thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there
thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful
servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I
have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and
then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath
ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall
be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate
them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the
left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed
of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation
of the world:
Verse 14: "And the kingdom of heaven is..." This states that we are
about to talk about who will be in the Kingdom.
The analogy of the talents and what the convert (firstfruit church
member with the Holy Spirit) does with them is talking about the
Salvation Process. At one's calling by God (John 6:44) to repentance,
baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit, one becomes a firstfruit
Christian and enters the Salvation Process. This is a lifelong process
and involves:
1) keeping the Law and commandments.
2) invoking the Principles of God which the Law points to (Galatians
5:22-23).
3) overcoming sin....making progress...stopping the sin process before
it begins....controlling the mind…being repentant.
4) becoming more like Jesus Christ.
5) going on to perfection (Hebrews 6)
6) responding to your specific Godly Calling (God
calls each member to a specific place and to specific duties and/or
offices). This includes duties pertaining to the first commission of
spreading the gospel and the second commission of feeding the flock.
7) maintaining this process at the return of Jesus Christ.
8) having absolute trust in God and Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:12-14; 1
Peter 1:21; John 14:1; 1 John 2:23-24)
One must remain in this process until they die or the return of Jesus
Christ. They may never fall away or they will never be in the Kingdom.
Luke 9:62
And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
In the parable, the one who buried his talent is one who did nothing
with the Salvation process. He is deemed unprofitable. Verse 30
clearly details that this person will not be in the Kingdom of God.
The sheep are those who succeed in the Salvation process and the goats
are those who do not. Remember that this Salvation Process will
continue through the Second Resurrection process, as well as in the
millennial reign of Jesus Christ. Everyone gets one opportunity to
enter the process.
Notice item 2 of the Salvation Process--Invoking the principles of God
such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, etc. Now notice the parable
picking up the text with verse 35...
Matthew 25:35-26:1
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave
me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in
prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee
an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed
thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren,
ye have done it unto me.
41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye
gave me no drink:
43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me
not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an
hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and
did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as
ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal.
Verse 35 and 36 are talking about the invoking of the power of the Holy
Spirit in the form of these actions and principles of God. Verse 41
shows clearly that the goats, or those who failed in the Salvation
Process did none of these things. They did not invoke the power of the
Holy Spirit in the form of Godly principles. Verse 41 also shows,
without a doubt that we are talking about the Lake of Fire and the
second death to those who fail in the Salvation Process. Verse 46 says
"everlasting punishment" or the second death. The righteous--those who
succeed in the Salvation Process go into "life eternal" as verse 46
states.
The interesting thing is that EVERYONE in the process can guarantee
themselves to be in the Kingdom. One need never worry about this. The
Salvation Process is a one-day-at-a-time process. One merely has to
choose to remain in the process and do those things described above to
remain in the process. The ONLY being who can remove one from the
process is the human in the Salvation Process. |