How to be Ready for Glory

Introduction

How many times have you heard the question, “are you ready for Jesus to return?” It is an important question that this text forces us to ask ourselves, to examine our hearts. However, there is an equally important, though far more neglected, question in this text: “are you ready for Jesus to delay?” Are you ready for years upon years, a lifetime, of faithful service and consistent discipleship before you see the glory of his coming?

In this text, we are looking at a fairly large section because I believe we can get the point of these parables and illustration of Christ through a birds-eye view more than a slow and zoomed in approach.

As we celebrate Palm Sunday, the day in which Jesus rode into Jerusalem, let us reflect on the glorious entry into his Kingdom we shall behold one day, and in the meantime ask ourselves: How can I be ready, both for Christ to delay and for him to appear at any time?

Be Prepared

Vs 1-13

“They will see their need of grace hereafter, when it should save them, who will not see their need of grace now, when it should sanctify and rule them” - Matthew Henry

Be Faithful

Vs. 14-30

The talents here do not represent abilities, which is often how they are seen. The text says the talents are given according to their abilities. Talents here are the financial responsibilities the slaves have to benefit the business of their master, and so to us they represent the spiritual responsibilities we have in regards to the Kingdom of God. This Kingdom we are to seek above all else

The unfaithful slave: “If I had done well, you would have taken the reward for yourself. If I had done poorly, you would have blamed me. It wasn’t worth the risk.”

The Master’s answer: “Then why didn’t you keep it in the bank?” The answer is obvious: the slave didn’t care if his master got interest on his money because he doesn’t care about his Master, nor does he take any of the responsibility given to him as a slave. In a word, he doesn’t think the master has any right to ask this of him and he doesn’t think he has the duty to benefit his master. Both of these are not only untrue, but unmask the hatred he has for his master hidden beneath his laziness.

This is why the master’s punishment of the servant is not unfair. It is not that he was simply ignorant of his master’s will or how to manage such a large amount of money, nor was it motivated by a fear of his master’s harshness, since he would have put it in the bank if this were the case. His burial of the money was clear sign of rebellion against his master, even though he is a slave whose job it is to do exactly what his master tells him. His pride let him to be purposefully unfruitful and unfaithful, and so rather than being rewarded with praise and with greater responsibility, he is cast out as a worthless slave as he brings no benefit to his master at all.

The language used in verse 30 is a clear reference to hell, as Jesus has used this language before. In his coming, Christ will promote faithful Christians into a state of everlasting joy and greater, more fruitful and fulfilling work to do in the coming age. Those who profess Christ but refuse to pursue their responsibilities as a believer, who do not seek the Kingdom of God but rather put aside any duty that their faith demands of them, the good works created for us beforehand that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10) will be shown to have never had any real love, faith, or submission to Christ to begin with, and that this is the root of their fruitless life.

Love

Vs 31-46

But what exactly is the nature of this fruit? We can see that Christians are expected to take on the responsibilities of faith and grow the Kingdom of God through them, but what are these responsibilities? This question is answered most clearly in the next section here, which isn’t quite a parable but more of an illustrative insight into the day of judgement.

The structure of this famous passage is pretty simple. The sheep and the goats are separated, which is an image very common in the ANE as wild goats would often become mixed into a flock so that the shepherd had to go through and separate them, lest the goats take away resources intended for the sheep.

The sheep are recognized by how they treated Christ through their treatment of his brothers. These refer to his people, whom Christ calls brothers later in 28:10. Hebrews 2:11 “For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,”

In this, we see a beautiful and terrifying truth: that Jesus never truly left. His presence remains in his church, so that he counts any action done for or against his people as done for or against himself. During Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:4 we read:

Acts 9:4 ESV

And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

As Christ takes persecution against Christians personally, so he takes loving service towards Christians personally. They are his body, his bride, those for whom he died in order to bind them to himself in the eternal covenant of his blood. These faithful are not identified by their denomination, secondary theological beliefs, or opinions on this or that issue. They are identified by one thing: a love for the Lord Jesus faithfully expressed to the saints through sacrificial service.

In contrast, the goats, false Christians, are identified by their lack of care for the brothers and sisters of Christ. These lived life with little care for their fellow Christian’s earthly needs. This is the kind of faith that James famously tells us does not justify or save anyone. James 2:14-17

James 2:14–17 ESV

What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Here, it is clear that well-wishing will not cut it. Love requires self-sacrifice for the good of the one loved. When we see the needy in this world, and specifically the needy in Christ, our love for Christ is tested. In all people we ought to see the image of God. In Christians, we see the image of Christ being developed by the Spirit’s work. A true following of Christ will mean a disposition towards other Christians such as to serve them as we would serve the incarnate Son of God himself, for indeed we are in some unseen way.

Conclusion

Pulling all of these parables and teachings together, we gain a clear map of our way to glory through sanctification.

Like the wise virgins, we must be ready for a long wait in which our faithfulness will stand the test of time, not come and go with novel enthusiasm. This means putting a lot of thought into preparing ourselves to endure the wait.

However, in the parable of the talents we see that this preparation is not passive. You cannot simply fuel up and wait around for his coming without activity. Instead, preparation means recognizing the responsibilities we have while we wait; responsibilities that urge us to fruitful labour for the Kingdom of God.

And how exactly will this fruit be judged? Its not as simple as those who kept themselves busy go to heaven, but rather “he who does the will of “the” Father in heaven.” What is his will? There are various aspects of it: missionary work is his will. Personal holiness is his will. Growth in prayer and worship is his will. Preaching the Gospel is his will. But above these things is love. It is his will to embody his love, and the love of Christ, in our ministry to the church. This is the responsibility each one of us is given, though we exercise it in different capacities and roles. Through the Gospel, we love put on display in salvation from our sins, and our responsibility is to carry on that work of love for Christ in Christ to his body, the church, and to the world.

A Christian without the fruit of actual, boots on the ground love is not worthy of the title. But a unbeliever who lives the most loving life imaginable is still unable to enter the love of God. Though they reflect a dim image of it, they must first behold the love of God in Christ though the gospel in the Spirit before they can truly love. A child can pretend to do construction, but only in his maturity can he be taken out onto the construction site and learn the real thing. Unbelievers may passionately play love, but without ever having seen love in its purest form it will never go beyond that.

So let us examine ourselves, whether we have truly believed the Gospel of Jesus Christ, whether we have put the love of God into practice, and whether we are prepared for a long road of living that responsibility before we see the fruit of it in glory. Then we will be most blessed and will most assuredly hear the ever-longed for words: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come share in my happiness forever as you continue your good and holy service in love.”