I wanted to write down some thoughts from the verses I’ve read, rounding up some of the questions that they’ve raised and the thoughts they’ve provoked. So…here goes…
- I have always heard the stories of the Ten Virgins and the Three Servants told within the context of the end-times. Is that really the case? I know it follows directly on the heels of Jesus telling His followers about the appearance of the Son of Man in Matthew 24, which definitely has an eschatological tone to it. But does it have to be interpreted strictly within that context, or is there another way to read these stories in Matthew 25?
- Reading on Matthew 25 to the Final Judgment, it sure sounds like the previous reading should be read in that context.
- Jesus said: “When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me” (Mt. 25:35 & 36). This makes me think of a quote I read recently from Dietrich Bonhoeffer: “Things do exist that are worth standing up for without compromise. To me it seems that peace and social justice are such things, as is Christ himself.” Belief isn’t just a mental checklist of things you agree to. It’s also a whole lot of action. A lot of that action seems like it should be aimed towards the empowering the powerless and giving a voice to the voiceless.
- Matthew 26:34 & 35: Jesus replied, “I promise you that before a rooster crows tonight, you will say three times that you don’t know me.” But Peter said, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never say I don’t know you.” All the others said the same thing. I don’t know if I ever noticed that the other disciples were saying the same thing – they’d follow Jesus to the death. Of course they, too, ran away.
The Tale of Anakin Redeemed 