Continuing Matthew - 24:45 - 25:30 Three Parables about Watchfulness

Matthew 24:45-25:30 is a collection of three parables that follow immediately after Jesus harsh criticism of the religious leaders (Chapter 23) and signs of the end (Chapter 24).  Taken all together these teachings covering three chapters are often called the Judgment Discourse.  They closely mirror the Sermon on the Mount in chapters 5-7.

This is a good time to remember that Matthew is a Hebrew scholar and he uses many Hebrew writing techniques.  Perhaps most significant among them is the use of chiasmus structures, or nested parallels.  He also follows a pattern of alternating narrative sections and teachings (discourses) from Jesus.  Here is a reminder of Matthew's overall structure:

The Chiasmic Structure of Matthew’s Gospel
A 1-4 Birth and beginnings                                                                  Narrative
            B 5-7 Blessings, entering the kingdom (Sermon on the Mount) Discourse
                        C 8-9 Authority and invitation                                     Narrative
                                    D 10 Mission discourse                                    Discourse
                                                E 11-12 Rejection by this generation   Narrative
                                                            F Parables of the kingdom       Discourse
                                                E’ 14-17 Acknowledgment by disciples  Narrative
                                    D’ 18 Community discourse                            Discourse
                        C’ 19-22 Authority and invitation                               Narrative
            B’ 23-25 Woes, coming of the kingdom (Judgment Discourse) Discourse
A’ 26-28 Death and resurrection                                                         Narrative

Sub Chiasmus in the first half: Matthew 1:1-12:21
A 1:2-25 Jesus as Messianic King, Son of David and Son of God
            B 2:1-23 Conflict with the Kingdom of This Age
                        C 3:1-4:17 The Ministry of Jesus in Relation to John the Baptist
                                    D 4:18-22 The Disciples Called
                                                E 4:23-9:35 The Authority of the Messiah in Word and Deed
                                    D’ 9:36-11:1 The Disciples Authorized and Sent
                        C’ 11:2-19 The Ministry of Jesus in Relation to John the Baptist
            B’ 11:20-12:14 Conflict with the Kingdom of this Age
A’ 12:15-21 The Servant King

Don't worry if that all makes your head spin!  Ancient Hebrew writers wrote with many layers and in complex patterns. The point for today is that Jesus' teachings about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, the end of time, and the three parables all go together into one discourse.  And that that discourse mirrors the Sermon on the Mount.  

All three of the parables contain words of judgment.  They are not to be taken as specific teachings about God's ability to be wrathful.  Rather they collectively teach that we are accountable to God and that we are not to be lazy.

The first parable is the Faithful or Unfaithful Slave (24:45-51).  This is clearly about watchfulness and continuing to act in faith in light of a delay.  The second parable is the Ten Bridesmaids (25:1-13).  Again, this is about watchfulness and preparation.  The third parable is the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30).  Notice that each parable is longer and more detailed than the previous.  This richly developed third parable depicts God as an exceptionally wealthy man who has gone on a journey.  While on that journey three slaves, representing Christians, are entrusted with great amounts of wealth.  There is no conversion of talents to dollars.  Wikipedia says a talent is maybe something in the range of $1.4 million.  Whatever the exact amount, we can agree that it is a lot!

The first two slaves double their master's money while he is away.  They have made colossal sums!  The third slave hides the money - basically being entrusted with a fortune and doing nothing with it.  The master is not pleased!

Something needs to be noted about the economy of the time.  Unlike today where we see economies growing, the Roman economy was basically stagnant.  There was only so much money.  There was only so much land.  In order for one person to get more someone else had to have less.  This is why ancient Jews were forbidden to lend at interest.  Interest was a way of gaining from another without actually working for it.  The first two slaves leverage their already wealthy master's money for far more.  We tend to commend them today.  Their actions would have been seen as offensive then.  Many people had to be exploited out of their rightful property in order to get this growth.  However the third slave protects his master's resources and returns them to the master safely upon his return.  He has done nothing unethical.  He has not used his master's wealth to exploit others.  According to the ethics of the time the third slave should be the champion of the parable.  But of course he isn't!  

How do we feel about God being depicted as an already wealthy man who is greedy for more - and who will commend whatever means necessary to increase his wealth?

Perhaps we do well to realize that God is "greedy" for the increase of the kingdom.  God wants his ways of love and wholeness to come to this broken world full of sin.  God does not want us to sit back and be prim and proper in our work for the kingdom.  God wants us to be creative, cunning, and hard working.  That does not mean we should become unethical!  Nor should we try to force or leverage people into faith.  That's not being true to faith.  But we do well to remember God doesn't play by the rules of propriety.  According to Matthew's timeline Jesus teaches all of this on Tuesday of Holy Week.  Wednesday will go by quickly for Jesus as he spends time with friends in Bethany.  Thursday he will have his last supper, be arrested, and condemned.  And by Friday midday he will be dead by crucifixion.  Crucifixion was a shameful scandal.  Yet crucifixion is the dishonorable way God brings creation back into his love.

The Judgment Discourse ends with the Judgment of the Gentiles, 25:31-46.  In that we'll see more of the way God does not work according to human logic and strategy.