In the original text there were no chapter divisions. The parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins really belongs more to chapter 24 than chapter 25. As I was saying yesterday, the point is not to try to find out the hour of His coming but to be always ready. The oil here can also be taken to represent the Holy Spirit. The message is to not let our relationship with the Holy Spirit become dry or we may not be ready.
Much could be said about the Parable of the Talents but this is a short blog. I’ll just say three things.
First, these “talents” represent gifts in our lives. They may be resources seeing that in the literal sense a talent was a measure of weight. It was around 75 pounds and usually was used in conjunction with a precious metal such as gold. Of course we use the same word to describe natural abilities from singing to athletics to turning on the charm. I don’t think it would be a stretch to apply this concept to our allotted time on earth. Anyway, the first point is that it isn’t how much talent you’ve been given but what you do with it. The one with two talents who earned two more received exactly the same commendation and reward as the one with five talents who earned five more.
Secondly, attend to the quote, “For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.” If all you have is material wealth then you have nothing for you can’t keep that at all. If you have Jesus you will ultimately find that you have everything.
Finally, there is a bedrock spiritual concept in this passage that we all would be well advised to take straight to the core of how we function. Whoever is faithful with little will be given much. Rail against it, sneer at it, ignore it and be bitterly disappointed. This concept stands and always will as the measure for advancement in the Kingdom.
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