My mother was diagnosed with polio when she was five months old. She’s

never walked straight or ran. We could admit she wasn’t blessed

physically with what others had, yet she has doubled it with her spiritual

influence. We often forgot about her physical limitations because she

doubled what she had by her zeal and thirst for the Lord. It had nothing

to do with how “talented” she was, but what she did with what she was

The age we live in has more free and abundant access to Bibles,

devotionals, commentaries, podcasts, and other resources than

ever in the history of the world. The availability of it all places

tremendous responsibility on Christians. The five-talent man was

actually a ten-talent man. He decided to double and use what he

was given by the Master, stewarding it wisely. He received praise

and reward from the Master for his decision, and note that he did

this “at once” (Matthew 25:16).

Shout for joy, we live and breathe between our Master’s departure and

His return! The parable of the ten virgins was about preparation for the

bridegroom, and this parable challenges us not to sit on our hands while

we wait for the Master. Jesus left this earth in Acts 1:9-11, and before

leaving, He gave His disciples authority, gifts, and a commission. They

also were entrusted with talents, and though His absence would be hard

to fathom, He gave them great comfort and responsibility (John 14).

Much like us, they wouldn’t survive without instruction, love, gifts,

comfort, and power.

Today, we are reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 25. He reminds us

that God distributes gifts with expectations along with them. The parable

of the talents in Matthew 25 and the parable of the ten minas in Luke

19:11-27 supplement one another and emphasize that our Master has

expectations. Every servant received sums entrusted to them, and the

Master (or Nobleman) communicated expectations alongside those talents.

Regardless of the reason, we’ve all experienced drowsiness. In the US, we

live in a caffeine-dependent culture. Many of us spend our days feeling

more like zombies than functioning human beings. Some of us can also

slip into laziness and complacency, while allowing ourselves to feel

lethargic and drained too often.

Could this affect us spiritually?

It seems so…

Can you hear them? They’re troubling, and often terrifying words:

“I’m too late.”

“You’re too late.”

“Too late.”

Too late to help someone.

Too late to see a dying loved one.

Too late to catch your friend before they leave town.

Too late to mend a broken relationship.

Just…too late.

The five sensible virgins brought spare oil with them in flasks, but the

other five foolishly neglected to bring enough. They were caught with

their lamps running out of oil at the very moment they needed it most, at

the arrival of the bridegroom!

Weddings are important occasions! They typically involve multiple

traditions, and each culture relies on its own sentimental customs. This

parable from Jesus contains some customs that may sound strange to our

Western ears. However, aspects like bridesmaids waiting on the groom,

his arrival in the middle of the night, and the announcement of his

coming are drawn from real Ancient Near Eastern practices.