SFJ Bible Reading Plan

Matthew 28

The Resurrection

28:1 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he¹ lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

The Report of the Guard

11 While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in² the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Footnotes

[1] 28:6 Some manuscripts the Lord

[2] 28:19 Or into

(ESV)

Matthew 27

Jesus Delivered to Pilate

27:1 When morning came, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death. 2 And they bound him and led him away and delivered him over to Pilate the governor.

Judas Hangs Himself

3 Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus¹ was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. 6 But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” 7 So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. 8 Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. 9 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, 10 and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

Jesus Before Pilate

11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus said, “You have said so.” 12 But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate said to him, “Do you not hear how many things they testify against you?” 14 But he gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed.

The Crowd Chooses Barabbas

15 Now at the feast the governor was accustomed to release for the crowd any one prisoner whom they wanted. 16 And they had then a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. 17 So when they had gathered, Pilate said to them, “Whom do you want me to release for you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?” 18 For he knew that it was out of envy that they had delivered him up. 19 Besides, while he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered much because of him today in a dream.” 20 Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus. 21 The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” 22 Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” 23 And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”

Pilate Delivers Jesus to Be Crucified

24 So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man’s blood;² see to it yourselves.” 25 And all the people answered, “His blood be on us and on our children!” 26 Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged³ Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.

Jesus Is Mocked

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,⁴ and they gathered the whole battalion⁵ before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

The Crucifixion

32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way.

The Death of Jesus

45 Now from the sixth hour⁶ there was darkness over all the land⁷ until the ninth hour.⁸ 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.

51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son⁹ of God!”

55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Jesus Is Buried

57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard¹⁰ of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Footnotes

[1] 27:3 Greek he

[2] 27:24 Some manuscripts this righteous blood, or this righteous man’s blood

[3] 27:26 A Roman judicial penalty, consisting of a severe beating with a multi-lashed whip containing embedded pieces of bone and metal

[4] 27:27 Greek the praetorium

[5] 27:27 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men

[6] 27:45 That is, noon

[7] 27:45 Or earth

[8] 27:45 That is, 3 p.m.

[9] 27:54 Or a son

[10] 27:65 Or Take a guard

(ESV)

Going Deeper

“ALL” (4-18-15)

Grab your Bible and let’s go deeper into Matthew 22.

Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,   all your soul, and all your mind.’  ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment.”

Love the Lord your God with “all”:

<>Does that mean sometimes?    <>Does that mean part way?

<>Does that mean when you feel like it?    <>Does that mean give Him some of your heart?

No, it means all.  It means all the time.  It means all the way. It means when I don’t feel like it.  It means he gets the best I have to give. It means he is the greatest love of my life.

Do you love God with all of your heart?

This can be something we say, but in the end, it is not backed up by how we live our lives.

The great commandment is really about worship.

What do you live for?

What causes your heart to beat?

What makes your soul ache?

What consumes your thoughts?

God should be the far-above-all-else answer for these things, but the reality is for many of us he simply is not.

We want him to be, but he isn’t.   So, how do we address this problem?

If this is the greatest command of God for our lives and we know we are not fulfilling it, how do we begin to take it seriously?

I have come to understand that to tell myself I need to love God more than anything else can begin to feel like a religious weight on my shoulders that I just can’t seem to ever address.

The way I have found to help is to ask myself another question.  Do I enjoy God?

Is He the source of my deepest satisfaction?  Is God my treasure?

If the great commandment is really a worship thing, then the truth is that, authentic worship is fueled by what we enjoy.

Let me explain-

The pursuit of joy and satisfaction is a God-given desire deeply driving each one of us. To find happiness and satisfaction and joy, we will do a lot of things and, as a result, put our worship on a lot of things.   For most of us, this results in some form of Hedonism.

Hedonism= the pursuit of pleasure;  it’s self-indulgence.

• It’s the theory that pleasure is the highest good and aim of human life.

The problem is that Hedonism couldn’t be further from God’s will for our lives.

Essentially, Hedonism by itself is Heathenism!

In 2 Timothy 3:4 Paul warned that in the last days men would be “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”

*Surely we are in those days.  This passage seems to help us begin to see the root of what affects my love for God.

Now, let me make another observation.

Satisfaction… enjoyment.. pleasure are good God-given things!

I believe the Bible teaches us that the desire to be happy is God-given and should not be denied.

Before I lose you,  “the key is that it must be directed to God who ultimately is the only one who can truly satisfy”.

Our ultimate purpose in life is to worship God and give him Glory!  The command is to love Him above ALL else!

In the 17th century, the Westminster Shorter Catechism was written to bring a clarity to our ultimate purpose for life. 

It says,  “THE CHIEF END OF MAN IS TO GLORIFY GOD AND ENJOY HIM FOREVER”.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

One of my favorite pastors who helped me to grow in my understanding of these things brought great clarity to this by changing one word.  John Piper says,  “The chief end of man is to glorify God BY enjoying him forever.”

See, TRUE authentic praise flows from the mouth of one who has found great enjoyment in something.

If you do not truly enjoy something or love it, then your praise for it is quite possibly based on something fake or mechanical.

This is the kind of love that is begrudging or mandatory.  No one gets excited about worship that is forced or obligated.

Including God!

I know my wife doesn’t!

If I take her out on an amazing date and wine and dine her to the hilt and then at the end of the night say, “It was my obligation to do this for you!”   She will in no way appreciate or receive that from me!  Nor should she!

But if I take her out on an amazing date and wine and dine her to the hilt because IT TRULY is my pleasure to, then she knows that she has been enjoyed and loved deeply.

See the difference?   It is no different with God!

If you and I show up to church simply because it is our obligation to or our duty as a good Christian, would He look at the worship we sing to Him on that day as authentic or even real?

–Our critical error lies not in the fact that we long to be happy and enjoy life.

Our critical error is in the intensity of our desire to be happy. 

WHY?  Because we settle and chase temporary, mundane, fleshly things to satisfy us instead of a greater desire that is met in the one who truly can satisfy and make us eternally full of joy and love- God Himself!

–C.S. Lewis  says it so well in “The Weight of Glory!”

“…it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” 

In our flesh and sin, we dream about scraps.  We try to find deep, lasting pleasure in fast motorcycles, big screen TV’s, and tasty meals.

Pascal brings to light how this traps us if left alone as our only pursuit!   He says, “But these are all inadequate, because… the infinite abyss can only be filled by an infinite and immutable object, that is to say, only by God Himself.”

The point is:

All the daily things we have been trying to gain satisfaction from “can” be great things that are given to us by God to be enjoyed…. but if that is all we have dreamed of and learned to enjoy, then we have settled  for a distant second.

If worship of God’s glory is our highest purpose, then our lack of satisfaction in God is our biggest failure.

John Piper says it best in his most famous quote:

    “GOD IS MOST GLORFIED IN ME WHEN I AM MOST SATISFIED IN HIM”

So when one is looking for the best way to live out our biggest purpose in life, which is:

TO LOVE and WORHSIP GOD with ALL OUR HEART, MIND & SOUL…

we don’t accomplish this by trying really hard to be a good Christian.  We accomplish this by feasting deeply in HIM instead of all the counterfeit things we have been chasing or longing for.

As a result, we will overflow with praise and GLORY that will terminate, not on us and our temporary pleasures, but on HIM and his ETERNAL SUPREMACY!

The highest calling of our life and the reason why we are given our next breath to breathe is to give him glory & praise him.

This can only happen authentically and unceasingly if he is the source of our JOY!

God is not worshiped where he is not treasured and enjoyed!

Consider these scriptures:

Psalm 37:4  “Delight yourself in the Lord. And he will give you the desires of your heart!”

Psalm 63:1  “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.”

Psalm 36:8 “They feast on the abundance of your house; you give them drink from your river of delights.”

Over and over again we read in the Psalms that God is the “ALL satisfying object”.

Only in Him do we find the source of complete and unending pleasure, which always draws us to deep love and real praise!

God is the treasure, the satisfaction that trumps all others!

Here is what is so awesome…

He willingly came to a people who choose to worship his creation instead of him as the creator and instead of leveling us with his just and eternal wrath, he showed us amazing grace and love!

It is this grace that causes us to sing & worship.. that allows our hearts to be satisfied in Him… that makes me want to live ALL my life for him.

Soldiers:  I plead with you to consider not just working harder to love God more but to really consider what you are treasuring in this life, what you are chasing or longing for, what consumes your schedule or thoughts or desires.

We must repent and turn from our over pursuit of these things back to God. We must cling to Him, dig into his word to stir our hearts for him, surround ourselves with men who will constantly remind us that Jesus is better!

 “GOD IS MOST GLORFIED IN ME WHEN I AM MOST SATISFIED IN HIM”

For further study on this topic and a great guide for the Christian life, I encourage you to get a copy of John Piper’s book Desiring God.  Next to the Scriptures, this book has helped ignite and deepen my faith walk with God like no other.

Read it slow and read it thoughtfully.  You can actually download and read the digital version for free by going to:

http://www.desiringgod.org/books/desiring-god

When your satisfaction and joy are in God, your love for him will be ALL!

Put down the mud pies… and let’s go sailing!

For His glory and by His grace,

-Shepherd

Soldiers for Jesus MC

National Chaplain

Matthew 26

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26:1 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, 4 and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. 5 But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

6 Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,¹ 7 a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. 8 And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? 9 For this could have been sold for a large sum and given to the poor.” 10 But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. 12 In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

14 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests 15 and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. 16 And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 18 He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” 19 And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

20 When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.² 21 And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” 22 And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” 23 He answered, “He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. 24 The Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” 25 Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, Rabbi?” He said to him, “You have said so.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” 27 And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the³ covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 29 I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ 32 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 33 Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” 34 Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” 35 Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch⁴ with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. 45 Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.⁵ See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

47 While he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. 48 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” 49 And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, Rabbi!” And he kissed him. 50 Jesus said to him, “Friend, do what you came to do.”⁶ Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him. 51 And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant⁷ of the high priest and cut off his ear. 52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. 53 Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” 55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Jesus Before Caiaphas and the Council

57 Then those who had seized Jesus led him to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders had gathered. 58 And Peter was following him at a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end. 59 Now the chief priests and the whole council⁸ were seeking false testimony against Jesus that they might put him to death, 60 but they found none, though many false witnesses came forward. At last two came forward 61 and said, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 And the high priest stood up and said, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”⁹ 63 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” 65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. 66 What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” 67 Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, 68 saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”

Peter Denies Jesus

69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

Footnotes

[1] 26:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13

[2] 26:20 Some manuscripts add disciples

[3] 26:28 Some manuscripts insert new

[4] 26:38 Or keep awake; also verses 40, 41

[5] 26:45 Or Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?

[6] 26:50 Or Friend, why are you here?

[7] 26:51 Or bondservant

[8] 26:59 Greek Sanhedrin

[9] 26:62 Or Have you no answer to what these men testify against you?

(ESV)

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25:1 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps¹ and went to meet the bridegroom.² 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants³ and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five talents,⁴ to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.⁵ You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgment

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,⁶ you did it to me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Footnotes

[1] 25:1 Or torches

[2] 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride

[3] 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19

[4] 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years’ wages for a laborer

[5] 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30

[6] 25:40 Or brothers and sisters

(ESV)