December 14, 2025

Who Is This God of Judgment? – pt 1

32 minutes

Topical Sermons / Speaker:Berry Kercheville

Who Is This God of Judgment? Pt. 1

Parable of the Virgins & Talents

Matthew 25:1-30

Introduction: About 40% of those who call themselves believers today reject the idea of hell. About 80% of the under 30 generation rejects the biblical teaching of eternal punishment. Certainly, much of this disbelief when comes from a lack of knowledge of the whole Bible, and the rest from the simple reason, “I can’t believe a loving God would send anyone to hell.”

Matthew 24-25 is the fifth major discourse by Jesus recorded in Matthew. The entire discourse is about Judgment. It begins with judgment on the nation of Israel for the rebellion against the Lord and then transitions from judgment on Israel to judgment on the world.

We must remember that Jesus is speaking as King of his Kingdom. The transition begins with 25:1, Then the kingdom of heaven will be like…” From there Jesus blends together three parables: virgins, talents, and sheep and goats. The first two build on the householder parable in chapter 24. Each have an absent lord and each deal primarily with watchfulness and preparedness. The last, the sheep and goats, more graphically pictures final judgment. Each portray varying standards of judgment. The Householder parable considers the way the ruling servants care for the house. The Virgins picture preparedness. The Talents picture usefulness. The Sheep and Goats portray the way the Lord’s servants love and care for one another.

Parable of the Virgins

We begin with the understanding that as Jesus tells this parable he is echoing a story that fit the Jewish culture. Bridegrooms often gave a general time frame of when they would arrive to take the bride and her maidens on a procession through the streets finally arriving at the couple’s new home. The bridegroom might even make a game out of surprising his bride, not coming at an hour she would expect. A crier would go before him and announce his impending arrival giving the wedding party only a short time to trim their lamps and lead the wedding party through the streets. This reflects the manner in which we can expect Jesus’ return.

Weddings and honeymoons were also different in Jewish culture. Instead of going away for the honeymoon, they stayed at home feasting and celebrating for a week with their chosen friends. It was a great honor to be admitted to the celebration. We see all these principles in the story Jesus tells.

But the critical part of the parable is not just that half the virgins were different from the other half, but how much all ten virgins were alike.

All ten want to be a part of the wedding procession and join in the festivities of the wedding week.

All ten are depicted as virgins. There is no hint of immorality here.

They all had lamps. Even those called foolish had lamps with the intention of using the lamps in the procession.

Therefore, it is important that the parable is not about those who are of the world. This is not a parable of five Christians and five unbelievers. These are all believers and are all people who want to be with the bridegroom and the wedding feast. Therefore, the parable is about us; it is about Christians. After all, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. How many times do we see such a thing? Jesus repeatedly contrasts disciples. Some make it and some do not. The criteria always has to do with whether the Lord is their number one passion.

What may be puzzling is the question of why the five foolish didn’t bring oil with their lamps? Though we cannot name specific reasons, we do have an answer. Whatever it was that caused them not to bring extra oil had to do with a lack of giving the bridegroom and the procession a priority in their life. In other words, what were they doing instead of buying more oil?

Here is a critical lesson, we can sometimes pay so much attention to avoiding transgression that we are not paying attention to preparation. There doesn’t need to be overt sin in our lives to lose our souls. We cannot pat ourselves on the back because of our moral lifestyle while at the same time ignore that God has a eternal, heavenly purpose for us and he expects us to prepare for it and accomplish that purpose.

In other words, we may be Christians, but that is not the end of the story. We can be foolish Christians. What other meaning can you get from the story?

In fact, that is the very meaning of verse 13, Watch therefore. What does Jesus mean by “watch?” Looking out the window to be the first to see the bridegroom coming would not have helped the foolish virgins. They still wouldn’t have been prepared.

Here is the deal: They didn’t believe they had to prepare that much! In fact, they seem to have the idea that the bridegroom would still be merciful once the door was shut. There is a point in which it is too late! No wonder Jesus said, Strive to enter. No wonder Paul and Peter both urged the utmost diligence and carefulness lest we have come short. This is serious! And according the Jesus, many Christians do not take it seriously enough!

Parable of the Talents

Notice how quickly Jesus switches gears to the next parable: “For it will be like…” The reason is because he wants to add another principle to his lessons of watchfulness & preparation already given in two previous parables.

A man goes on a journey and before he leaves he entrusts his property to them. This property is given to them in the form of talents, that is a large sum of money. We have already noted from Matthew 18 that a talent is twenty years wages for a laboring man (6000 denarii, or half a lifetime of wages, according to R. T. France). Therefore, what has been entrusted is no small sum.

Notice also that the talents are committed to the servants according to their abilities. Therefore, the “talent” is not an ability; it is given according to one’s ability. To some with great ability, more is given. To others with lesser abilities, less is given.

It is actually a merciful and compassionate way that the master dealt with his servants. He does not expect the servant with lesser ability to handle five talents.

Further, he has made each servant equal. He has blessed each servant with his property. He has given each an opportunity to excel. In fact, the two talent man receives the same commendation and reward as did the five talent man.

But hear this well, each are given property of the master and therefore the master expects each servant to productively use what has been given to them.

There is something noteworthy about the five and two talent servants. It is given in verse 16: He went at once and traded with them…so also he who had two talents. Here is where we learn something about obedience and disobedience. Delaying to keep the Lord’s command is disobedience. Obedience is when we go at once, and that is just as true in our secular world and with our children.

There is one other detail we need to notice: “after a long time the master came and settled accounts with them.” Jesus is warning us that his return does not come shortly. It is after a “long time.” It is that long period of time that lulls us to sleep and causes us to not be prepared.

The Master Returns

Now comes the “accounting.” The master came to settle accounts with his servants.

Okay, we can’t miss this point: are you ready to settle accounts with the Lord?

You might ask, “What will that look like?” It is actually quite simple. Our Lord has committed his goods to us. He has given us his property. What does that property look like? It is everything you have, including your own life. None of it is yours; it is his, but committed to you. It is your time, your opportunities to share the Lord, your children, your house, your car, your money, your abilities. Those things aren’t yours, they are the Lord’s. Your house isn’t yours; it is the Lord’s. Are you using it for you or for him?

And by the way, did you notice verse 21, “…You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much”? Here is the reason for preparation! It is far more than “forgiveness” and “going to heaven.” There is no going to heaven without preparation.

The one talent man.

Please remember, one talent is not a small sum of money. He has been entrusted with a significant amount from the Lord. But even if we took it as “little” in comparison, there was an expectation that he would multiply it.

It is certainly interesting to see the way this man talks to the master. He has obviously seen what his fellow servants have done and realizes that he does not have anything additional to give to the master. So instead of simply being honest about his neglect, he berates the character of the master!

“I knew you to be a hard man…” What are you talking about! The master did not expect to receive where he had not sown! He gave you a talent. He sowed into your hands and you did nothing with it. This man is making excuses to get the blame off himself.

The master gives two replies to the man’s excuses:

“If that is what you thought of me, then you certainly should have done something more than just bury it!” In fact, at the very least you could have given it to the bankers so that there could have been an increase in what I gave you.

“You wicked and slothful servant.” The combination of the two words is instructive. Again, we do not see immorality here. This man is not some sinner of the world. This man is a servant of the master and has been entrusted with his goods. It is his slothfulness that makes him wicked. It is his lack of productivity for the Lord that makes him unacceptable.

But how is he slothful? You say, he buried the master’s talent; he didn’t do anything with it. Well, true, but that does not mean he did nothing. He went about living his life. He was still doing what he wanted to do. He was still working for himself and caring about himself and doing whatever it was that he wanted to do. His slothfulness was not in regard to his own things; it was in regard to what the Lord committed to him.

Therefore, we must be aware of something that happens all the time. God-given abilities, houses, possessions, and time are too often used nearly exclusively for what we want to do with them even to the point of multiplying what God has given us in amazing ways. But the talent is still buried; none of it has been multiplied for the Lord. Now, be honest, are you ready for the accounting?

Rewards and Punishments

“Cast the worthless servant into outer darkness.” We are again struck with the Lord’s message to his servants! There is more to being a Christian than just “being” a Christian. Look at what he has given you and decide if it is being used for what the Lord intended.

However, the reward is amazing:

As in other parables, Jesus again points out that how we prepare ourselves here will determine our heavenly citizenship. Our time here is not just a “see if we can be good” period of time. What the Lord has asked us to do in regard to his goods is the Lord’s way of preparing us for heavenly responsibilities as his bride.

Then there are those wonderful words, “Enter into the joy of your Lord.” That is what the Lord’s plan has always been. That is why he created a beautiful Garden in which he shared a relationship with Adam and Eve. The Lord wants us to experience his joy. There is no joy anywhere else. Only the Lord provides joy and only with the Lord can we find joy. Every other place is outer darkness!

Final Lesson: We need to balance our appreciation for the mercy of the Lord with our obligation to responsibility to the Lord.

Berry Kercheville

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