Be Prepared

MEMORY SELECTION: “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour.” —Matthew 25:13

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:1-46

THE 25th chapter of Matthew is a continuation of our Lord’s conversation with his disciples which started in the 24th chapter about the signs of his presence and the end of the age. The parable of the ten virgins is part of that discussion and is one of the parables that the Lord did not interpret for us, but it seems reasonable that since it speaks only of virgins it is speaking of the called, spirit-begotten, footstep followers of Jesus during the Gospel Age. The circumstances seem to indicate that of the total number who had the hope of meeting the bridegroom and entering in with him into the marriage, only five, or a portion, were found to be ready. The remaining five were not ready and therefore did not receive the reward. Thus the warning from the Lord, “Watch therefore for ye know neither the day nor the hour.”—vs. 13

The thought of the admonition seems to be that the zealous of the Lord’s people are always watching for the Lord’s leading and for the evidence of the Heavenly Father’s hand in the affairs of men. The zealous of the Lord’s people are constantly encouraged by these things and are therefore more faithful in growing in the truth and the spirit of the truth. The Apostle Paul seems to express the thought in I Thessalonians 5:5-9: “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.”

The Lord propounded another parable to his disciples in this chapter. It is generally referred to as the parable of the talents. In this account a man traveling into a far country called his servants together and gave to each of his goods according to their abilities. To one he gave goods valued at five talents; to another two; and to another one. The servant who received five talents of goods was zealous in endeavoring to be a good steward and in his activity he increased the five talents to ten. The servant who received two talents was likewise zealous and by his activity proved himself to be a good steward for he increased the two talents to four. “But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.”—Matt. 25:14-18

The account continues with the return of the lord, who called those servants before him and requested an accounting from them. The servant who had received five talents reported that he had gained five talents in addition to the five that he was originally entrusted with. The lord said unto him, “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.”—vs. 21

The servant who had received two talents was also commended for his faithful stewardship with the same glowing tribute as was given to the first servant. This seems to indicate that it was not the magnitude of the service, for this was relative. The important thing was the zeal and the spirit that was manifested.

Then the servant who was given one talent was reckoned with. This servant in reporting to his lord said: “Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou has not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 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 … take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.”—vss. 24-28

The lesson of the parable is again directed to the footstep followers of Jesus down through the Gospel Age, and it emphasizes the necessity of being zealous servants, using the Lord’s goods, which are the Holy Spirit and the truth, in order to further the interests of the Lord and his kingdom.

Jesus used another illustration that teaches the same lesson. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. … Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.”—John 15:1-4

| Home Page | Table of Contents |