by Mark Sedrak
On Tuesday of Holy Pascha Week, our Lord Jesus Christ spent the day with the
disciples in the temple, teaching them by parables, telling them about the
Second Coming.
The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps
and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took
flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them
became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, "Look! Here is the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him."
Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed
their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our
lamps are going out." But the wise replied, "No! There will not be enough for
you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves."
And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready
went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.
Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, lord, open the door to us." But he replied,
"Truly I tell you, I do not know you."
Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
The Parable of the Talents
For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted
his property to them; to one he gave five talents, (A talent was worth more than
fifteen years' wages of a laborer) to another two, to another one, to each
according to his ability. Then he went away.
The one who had received the five
talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. In
the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. But the one
who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid
his master's money.
After a long time the master of those slaves came and
settled accounts with them.
Then the one who had received the five talents came
forward, bringing five more talents, saying, "Master, you handed over to me
five talents; see, I have made five more talents." His master said to him, "Well
done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I
will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master."
And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, "Master, you handed
over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents." His master said to
him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few
things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your
master."
Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying,
"Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and
gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid
your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours." But his master replied,
"You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow,
and gather where I did not scatter? Then you ought to have invested my money
with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with
interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten
talents. For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an
abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken
away. As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where
there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
The Judgment of the Nations
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he
will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before
him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats
at the left.
Then the king will say to those at his right hand, "Come, you that
are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty
and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was
naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in
prison and you visited me."
Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was
it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something
to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked
and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and
visited you?"
And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did
it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."
Then he will say to those at his left hand, "You that are accursed, depart from
me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was
hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me
clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me."
Then they also will
answer, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or
naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?"
Then he will answer
them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these,
you did not do it to me."
"And these will go away into eternal punishment, but
the righteous into eternal life." (Matthew 25:1-46)
Comment by Church Fathers/Doctors of Church
Many people in the Church resemble that servant [Matt. 25:24-27]. They are afraid to attempt a better way of life, but not of resting in idleness. When they advert to the fact that they are sinners, the prospect of laying hold of ways of holiness alarms them, but they feel no fear at remaining in their wickedness. - St. Gregory, The Great
Some who seek Him are blamed, others who do are commended therefore, let us seek for Christ, that He may be ours, that we may keep Him, and not that we may slay Him. - St. Augustine
We and all the Christians ought to follow the example of out Lord Jesus Christ the True Light because we are His servants. He is the Shepherd and we are His sheep governed by Him. - St. Shenouti the Archimandrite
See Also:
Tuesday in
Holy Week
Today, again, our Savior sets out in the morning for
Jerusalem. His intention is to repair to the temple, and
continue His yesterday's teachings. It is evident that
His mission on earth is fast drawing to its close.
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