In the Word

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Thanks for joining us for this in-depth study of God's Word, the Bible. For more of Michele's free resources, visit her website at intheword.com. And now, Michele.

Michele Telfer: Father God, we thank you that you have drawn us together once more for this, our final lesson in the series. Father, I pray that I would not get in the way of what you plan to do, but that your word would go forth and accomplish the purpose for which it was sent. In Jesus' precious name. Amen.

The first parable we're going to look at today is in Matthew 21. The chapter begins on what we now call Palm Sunday, the day when Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time. It was Passover, and the crowds filling the city were at a fever pitch, waiting to see the man everyone was hailing as the Messiah.

When they heard he was coming, they lined the streets with their cloaks and waved palm branches to welcome him, crying out, "Hosanna! Hosanna!" and expressing their hopes for salvation and deliverance. They truly believed that Jesus had come as a political leader to set them free from Roman domination, but they were to be disappointed.

He entered the city riding on a donkey like a servant, not on a horse or in a chariot like a conquering king. And rather than drive out the hated Romans, he drove out the temple money changers who had turned his Father's house of prayer into a den of thieves.

The next day, some of the religious leaders confronted him, wanting to know by whose authority he was doing these things. So he asked them a question: by whose authority did John baptize? The religious leaders had never approved of John the Baptist or his message, especially because so many had begun to follow him.

But they couldn't give an answer that didn't make them look bad, so Jesus told a parable to help them understand. We looked at that parable in our very first lesson in the story of the two sons. Both sons had been asked to work in the family vineyard, but only one ultimately did the will of the father.

You will remember that when the story was told, the religious leaders answered the question about the sons correctly, and Jesus used that story to point out that the tax collectors and prostitutes would enter heaven before the religious leaders because they were the ones who had done the will of the Father by accepting John's baptism and believing in the one he proclaimed. But Jesus knew that there was more that they needed to understand, so he immediately told them a second parable: the parable of the tenants. We'll pick that up in Matthew chapter 21, verse 33.

Guest (Male): There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. "They will respect my son," he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, "This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance." So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Michele Telfer: The story was a simple account of a landowner's patient dealings with troublesome tenants. It was common in Jesus' day for owners to entrust their land to others to farm in exchange for a share of the harvest.

As harvest time approached, the landowner in the story repeatedly sent his servants to collect that which belonged to him, only for them to be disrespected and ill-treated by those who should have received them as representatives of their master.

But instead of immediately punishing the wicked tenants for what they did to his servants, the landowner very patiently sent even more messengers. Finally, in one last attempt, he sent his own son to them, believing that they would surely respect his heir.

But instead of giving the son what was due both him and his father, they sensed an opportunity and chose to kill him. The law at that time stated that if there were no heirs, then a property could pass to those who had possession of it, much like squatters' rights today. And so, if they murdered the son, the land would become theirs to finally do with as they pleased. Jesus then turned to the religious leaders and asked them in verse 40.

Guest (Male): Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants? "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

Michele Telfer: Notice first that Jesus did not say *if* the owner comes, but rather *when* he comes. There was really no question in anyone's mind that the owner of the vineyard had the right to hold his tenants accountable for their actions and would one day do so. As proud upholders of the law, the religious leaders knew exactly what the just consequences would be for those who had acted so wickedly.

Jesus had crafted this parable very carefully. He knew the religious leaders would immediately recognize the imagery of the vineyard. This was the same picture the prophet Isaiah used in Isaiah chapter 5, verses 1 to 6, to describe Israel.

He said that Israel was a vineyard lovingly planted by the Lord himself, complete with a winepress and a watchtower, left in the charge of others. But when God came to his vineyard to gather the expected harvest, he found only rotten fruit, and so he tore it down and made it a wasteland.

The parable actually tells the story of Israel. Throughout their history, God had repeatedly sent his servants, the prophets, to remind the leaders to obey his word and to do his will. But they continually rejected the messengers he sent. Israel ignored them, mistreating them and even killing them. Yet, God the Father graciously persisted in sending even more messengers.

But now, it was the last days and God had sent his own beloved Son with full authority to finally gather the fruit the Father so longed for. And that's why the religious leaders of the day feared him and opposed him. Jesus had openly claimed to be the Son of God, but they chose to ignore the proof provided by the miracles he performed. And just like the wicked tenants, they rejected his authority and finally determined to kill him.

God had entrusted them with the growth and well-being of his people, but they had abused their authority. Instead of cultivating his people's hearts to produce spiritual fruit for the Lord, the religious leaders had been cultivating their own worldly gain for a very long time, ignoring God's desires for his vineyard and his people. They had no confusion about the meaning of the parable by this point, but Jesus told them plainly in verse 43.

Guest (Male): Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Michele Telfer: God had finally lost patience. His kingdom would be given to other tenants who would produce the fruit that the Lord desired. As indeed it was. Those other tenants would be largely made up of Gentiles who eagerly accepted the good news that Christ's death had, in fact, brought deliverance for all who put their faith in him.

Two days later, the disciples were sitting on the Mount of Olives with Jesus, and they asked a question that had been on their minds for a long time. Jesus had told them repeatedly that he was going away and that they were to live as his representatives on Earth until he returned. But they wanted to know when that would be, when he would come back. In Matthew 24, verses 36 to 39, Jesus warned them that though they could count on his return, the exact timing of it could not be known.

Guest (Male): But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark. And they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That's how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

Michele Telfer: The picture of the thief may sound a little confusing because Jesus is in no way a thief, but his return will certainly surprise those who aren't looking for it and will upend all that they've trusted in.

The point is this: someone who's been forewarned will not only be on alert but will go to great lengths to be ready for whatever happens. Then Jesus set forth the choice that lies before everyone who would follow him until he returns, verse 45.

Guest (Male): Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, "My master is staying away a long time," and then he begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Michele Telfer: There are really only two possible responses and each has its own reward. When the Lord returns, those who've been diligent to obey his commands will be richly rewarded and they'll be given even more authority. But those who claimed to serve the Master yet lived lives of wicked disobedience to his commands will be condemned as hypocrites.

These were words of warning to his disciples, and they are his words to you and me even today. We need to remember that faithfulness won't just happen. It comes from making deliberate, repeated choices to obey. As we remember Christ's words to us in John 14:15, "If you love me, keep my commands."

That will take effort and perseverance on our part, for things will not always be easy. Jesus himself warned in John 16, verse 33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Faithfulness is a journey, and should we get fatigued along the way, we need to remember Paul's encouragement in Galatians 6, verse 9, that we are not to become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

God keeps his promises. Matthew 25 continues this teaching and it records one final parable about how to live as we wait for his coming: the parable of the ten virgins. And I can't think of a better one to close out our study with.

Guest (Male): At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: "Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!" Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out." "No," they replied, "there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves." But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Later the others also came. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us!" But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I don't know you." Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Michele Telfer: In the culture of that day, the groom and his friends would collect the bride from her home and bring her back with them to the groom's house where the wedding banquet would occur. Because most weddings took place in the hot summer months, it was not unusual for the groom and his party to arrive at an unexpected time late at night.

And even though the bride is not specifically mentioned in the story, the young women in her bridal party are. These were the ten virgins gathered outside the groom's house, eagerly watching for the party's arrival. Because it was dark, they would need to have lamps with them, and because they didn't know exactly how long they'd be waiting, they had to have made some extra preparations for their vigil.

Lamps in Jesus' time were actually simple bowls of oil in which a cotton string or wick floated. For a lamp to burn as it should, two things were necessary. The wick had to be kept trimmed; in other words, the burnt parts had to be cut away so that it could absorb the oil and burn brightly. And the oil itself needed to be replenished frequently.

So not only would the young women have to take something to trim the lamp's wick with them, they would also need to take extra oil in jars to refill the lamps throughout the night. The bridegroom in the parable did indeed take longer to arrive than anticipated, and those who waited for him all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Suddenly, a shout went up announcing the arrival of the groom and the virgins quickly rose to make their lamps ready. But some of them were only partially prepared. They were able to trim their wicks, but they had carelessly forgotten to bring extra oil with them.

And though they begged the more prepared virgins to share their oil, there was not enough to go around. They had no choice but to go into town to buy what they needed. While they were gone, the bridegroom and his party arrived and everyone joyfully entered the house together, shutting the door behind them. When the foolish virgins returned, it was too late. Despite their tears, the banquet was closed to them; they had missed their opportunity.

Initially, this parable was directed at the Jewish people. Their whole history as well as their law should have prepared them for the coming Son of God, the Messiah. But when Christ came, many of them were totally unprepared to recognize and receive him. Their own foolishness excluded them from being a part of Christ's kingdom.

But the parable also speaks to us as we wait for Christ's return today. Jesus told his followers in Matthew 5:16 that those who trust in him are to shine as lights in this dark world until he comes. We are to light the path for others to find their way to him. It begins with our own faith in Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection. That kind of saving faith in Christ's blood that was shed for us on the cross will eventually transform every aspect of our lives.

But like the maidens who made sure their lamps were ready, shining for Christ will also require some intentionality on our part as well. If we think of ourselves as lamps, what does it mean then for us to be trimmed and full of oil? Rather like the frayed, burnt ends of a wick, there will be things in our own lives, old sins for example, that will need to be cut away if we're to shine for God as Christ intends.

And we need to make sure that we're living out of God's strength and not our own. Paul speaks of this new way of life in Ephesians 5, verses 17 to 19, saying, "Therefore, do not be foolish but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord."

Throughout Scripture, oil is used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit, and it should be no surprise to us that we will not be able to bring light to the darkness of this world without his presence in our lives. The Greek words in Paul's text therefore "be filled" are in the ongoing continuous tense, meaning that we are to continually be filled with the Spirit of Christ.

We do that by asking him to fill us. We spend time in the Word and in prayer. We choose to do those things that keep us in fellowship with and in dependence upon him. We do not try to make it on our own.

The parable also warns us that there are some things which cannot be borrowed from others. We cannot depend on the efforts of others for our own walk with the Lord. We must make our own preparations and exercise our own watchfulness.

Just as the foolish virgins could not use the oil of their companions, we cannot borrow someone else's relationship with God. When we stand before the Lord, we can never think that he will accept us because our mother, our father, or one of our grandparents had faith and served him. This is something that has to be personal, and watchfulness has to become a way of life for us. Being ready for his return means keeping our eyes fixed on him while we await for the fulfillment of his promise.

We titled this study "Stories to Live By," and over the past weeks, the parables have given us much to think and pray about as we try to live for him today. We've seen that we need to listen to what God says and to put it into practice.

We've learned that it's never too late to be found, for God deeply loves the lost and has unending compassion for them. We've realized that God has made a place for each of us at his banquet table, but we must accept the invitation he offers.

We've learned about the need to be humble and to forgive each other, even when it's hard. We've even come to understand how to pray and that we can trust him to meet our every need in the way and in the time that is best for us.

We've seen how to go against the greed and selfishness of the world around us, trusting him and living by his principles without fear or self-seeking. And we've been encouraged to wait and to watch for his promised return, faithfully serving and longing for the day that he will come and take us home.

I hope this study has blessed you as much as it has blessed me. Through it, I've realized anew how important it is to be in the Word of God and to never presume that you know a story or have fully understood it without studying it in detail with fresh eyes and an open heart. God's Word is a never-ending feast, isn't it? I pray that we'll all truly begin to live by the stories we've seen in the parables of Christ. God bless you.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Join us next week as we continue our study from God's Word, the Bible. Michele's teachings are available on all major podcast platforms, also on her website at intheword.com and through the In the Word by Michele Telfer app. Please consider supporting this ministry with a donation through the app or at intheword.com, helping us reach more people with the truth of Jesus Christ.