Matthew Henry Commentary Matthew 25

The circumstances of the parable of the ten virgins were taken from the marriage customs among the Jews and explain the great day of Christ's coming. Consider the nature of Christianity. As Christians, we profess to attend to Christ, to honour him, and also to be waiting for his coming. Sincere Christians are the wise virgins, and hypocrites are the foolish ones.

Those who are truly wise or foolish are so in the affairs of their souls. Many have a lamp of profession in their hands but do not have in their hearts sound knowledge and settled resolution, which are needed to carry them through the services and trials of the present state. Their hearts are not stored with holy dispositions by the new-creating Spirit of God. Our light must shine before men in good works; but this is not likely to be done for long unless there is a fixed, active principle in the heart: faith in Christ, and love to God and our fellow believers.

They all slumbered and slept. The delay represents the time between the real or apparent conversion of these professing believers and the coming of Christ, to take them away by death or to judge the world. But though Christ may delay beyond our expected time, he will not delay beyond the appointed time. The wise virgins kept their lamps burning, but they did not keep themselves awake.

Too many real Christians become remiss, and one degree of carelessness leads to another. Those who allow themselves to slumber will scarcely keep from sleeping; therefore, dread the beginning of spiritual decline. A startling summons was given. Go forth to meet Him is a call to those prepared. The notice of Christ's approach and the call to meet him will awaken.

Even those best prepared for death have work to do to get actually ready (2 Peter 3:14). It will be a day of search and inquiry, and it concerns us to think how we shall then be found. Some lacked oil to supply their lamps when they were going out. Those who fall short of true grace will certainly experience the lack of it at one time or another. An outward profession may light a person's way through this world, but the dampness of the valley of the shadow of death will put out such a light.

Those who do not care to live the life of the righteous nevertheless wish to die the death of the righteous. But those who desire to be saved must have grace of their own; and those who have the most grace have none to spare. The best need more from Christ. And while the poor, alarmed soul on a sick-bed turns to repentance and prayer in terrible confusion, death comes, judgment comes, the work is undone, and the poor sinner is undone forever. This is the result of needing to buy oil when we should be burning it, and needing to get grace when we should be using it.

Those, and only those, who are made ready for heaven here shall go to heaven in the life to come. The suddenness of death and of Christ's coming to us then will not hinder our happiness if we have been prepared. The door was shut. Many will seek admission into heaven when it is too late. The vain confidence of hypocrites will carry them far in their expectations of happiness.

The unexpected summons of death may alarm the Christian; but, proceeding without delay to trim his lamp, his graces often shine brighter; while the conduct of the mere professing believer shows that his lamp is going out. Therefore, watch and attend to the business of your souls. Be in the fear of the Lord all the day long.

Christ keeps no servants to be idle: they have received their all from Him, and have nothing they can call their own but sin. Our receiving from Christ is in order to our working for Him. The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. The day of account comes at last. We must all be reckoned with concerning what good we have gained for our own souls, and have done for others, through the advantages we have enjoyed.

This does not mean that improving natural powers can entitle a man to Divine grace. It is the real Christian's liberty and privilege to be employed as his Redeemer's servant, promoting His glory and the good of His people: the love of Christ constrains him to live no longer to himself, but to Him that died for him, and rose again. Those who think it is impossible to please God, and vain to serve Him, will do nothing effective in religion.

They complain that He requires of them more than they are capable of, and punishes them for what they cannot help. Whatever they may pretend, the fact is, they dislike the character and work of the Lord. The slothful servant is sentenced to be deprived of his talent. This may be applied to the blessings of this life, but rather to the means of grace.

Those who know not the day of their visitation, shall have the things that belong to their peace hid from their eyes. His doom is, to be cast into outer darkness. This is a common way of expressing the miseries of the damned in hell. Here, as in what was said to the faithful servants, our Savior goes out of the parable into the reality it signifies, and this serves as a key to the whole.

Let us not envy sinners or covet any of their perishing possessions.

This is a description of the last judgment, serving as an explanation of the preceding parables. A judgment is coming in which everyone will be sentenced to a state of everlasting happiness or misery. Christ will come, not only in the glory of His Father but also in His own glory as Mediator. The wicked and the godly dwell together here, in the same cities, churches, and families, and cannot always be distinguished from one another; such are the weaknesses of saints, such the hypocrisies of sinners; and death takes both. But on that day, they will be separated forever.

Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd; He will soon distinguish between those who are His and those who are not. All other distinctions will be abolished, but the great one between saints and sinners, holy and unholy, will remain forever. The happiness the saints will possess is very great. It is a kingdom—the most valuable possession on earth—yet this is only a faint resemblance of the blessed state of the saints in heaven.

It is a prepared kingdom. The Father provided it for them in the greatness of His wisdom and power; the Son purchased it for them; and the blessed Spirit, in preparing them for the kingdom, is preparing it for them. It is prepared for them: it is in every respect adapted to the new nature of a sanctified soul. It is prepared from the foundation of the world.

This happiness was for the saints, and they for it, from all eternity. They will come and inherit it. What we inherit is not obtained by our own efforts. It is God who makes heirs of heaven. We should not suppose that acts of generosity will entitle one to eternal happiness.

Good works done for God's sake, through Jesus Christ, are noted here as marking the character of believers made holy by the Spirit of Christ, and as the effects of grace bestowed on those who do them. The wicked in this world were often called to come to Christ for life and rest, but they turned from His calls; and justly, those who would not come to Him are commanded to depart from Christ. Condemned sinners will offer excuses in vain.

The punishment of the wicked will be an everlasting punishment; their state cannot be altered. Thus life and death, good and evil, the blessing and the curse, are set before us, so that we may choose our way, and as our way is, so will our end be.