Is our world heading for melt down? Will our planet burn up? Will nations destroy one another through nuclear war? What hope is there for our future?
These are real questions for us in 2022.
To help us consider Christian hope, and how that helps us live in our present times, we’re going to spend 6 weeks looking at six of Jesus’ famous parables from Matthew’s gospel about his return. Michael Green says
The world is headed not for ultimate chaos and disaster but for the return of the king and his coronation. We do not know when it will be, but it is certain, as certain as the fall of Jerusalem. This hope is not pie in the sky. It is based fairly and squarely on the cross and resurrection of Jesus to which the Gospel story inexorably leads. That is the ground for Christian optimism….Christian hope rides high because the grave was not able to hold down the author of life.
(The Message of Matthew, Page 258-259)
But what difference does such hope make to daily life? Jesus shows us the difference in five powerful parables, which form the crown and climax of his teaching ministry
The Present vs Future Kingdom
Last Autumn we looked at the parables of the kingdom from Matthew 13, where the kingdom of heaven is hidden (yet revealed to some), little (yet powerfully at work) and small (yet growing enormously large). We also considered that the kingdom was ‘now and not yet’, that is is inaugurated but not consummated. In the final parables in Matthew Jesus teaches us about the future kingdom that will be revealed to all and fill the whole earth. In these parables Jesus teach us about the final judgement (the consummation of the kingdom) and how we are to wait for his return. Individual destiny depends on how one lives for (how deeply one believes in!) this ‘absent-but-coming’ king.
Dale Bruner in his superb 2-part commentary on Matthew says
The kingdom Parables in chap. 13 began in the present tense with the words “the kingdom of heaven is like” (vv. 31. 33. 44. 45. 47), for they taught mainly how the kingdom enters our lives now by the power of the Word; the Judgement Parables in this chapter have a sharper future orientation (24:46, 25:1, 14, 31) since they are mainly warnings of how behaviour will be rewarded at the Last Judgement
(page 543)
Salvation by Grace & Judgement by Works
Jesus in particularly teaches us (the church) that future judgement will be based on how we have lived our lives. This is not in contraction to salvation by faith through grace taught by the Apostle Paul, rather that salvation by faith alone is never alone. Jesus elsewhere teaches that the only basis for salvation is the mercy of God (Matthew 9:9-13 & 18:23-35), but in Matthew we see his repeated call to tough discipleship (Matthew 5-7), persecuted mission (Matthew 10), practicing joyous demands (chap. 13) and exercising self-denial for the sake of others salvation (chap. 18). True believers evidence their faith by their good works and living in obedience to Jesus’ commands. Matthew cautions us against false security that thinks salvation is ‘in the bag’ and rather warns and urges us to live urgently, expectantly, obedient and loving in light of Jesus’ future return. We mustn’t get complacent or lazy as believers, or assume a past conversion experience is sufficient.
Bruner who helps us grapple with harmonising ‘salvation-by-faith’ alongside the ‘judgement-by-works’ in these parables puts it like this
In short, believers must take a hard look at themselves to see whether they really do believe, as believing is evidenced in quite simply doing God’s will as Jesus has taught so clearly
(pg 370)
Later he says
True faith in God’s imputed righteousness moves believers to want to righteous personally – not as a basis for standing before God (only Christ can give that), but as evidence of wanting to please the Father who was gracious enough to invite. The gift of the Holy Spirit, given with faith, moves believers to want to be holy
(pg 391-392)
Martin Luther in his famous “Preface to the Epistles of St Paul to the Romans” when talking about Justification by Faith Alone put it like this
O it is a living, busy, active, mighty thing, this faith. It is impossible for it not to be doing good works incessantly. It does not ask whether good works are to be done, but before the question is asked, it has already done them, and is constantly doing them. Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever
(Bruner pg545)
Luther’s last statement is a great summary of all the Judgement Parables – “Whoever does not do such works, however, is an unbeliever.” As Titus 2:11-14 says – Grace leads us to salvation (yes!) but also to say “no” to ungodliness and living a life of good works.
The Grace & Judgement of Jesus
Another tension these parables create for us how to hold Jesus ‘the friend of sinners’ who offers grace to all, alongside Jesus ‘the cosmic judge’ who speaks out graphic warnings of judgement – cutting into pieces, gnashing of teeth, “I don’t know you”, thrown outside into the darkness, depart from me into the eternal fire, eternal punishment (Matthew 24:51, 25:12, 25:30, 25:41 and 25:46).
Again let Bruner clarify the tension
But can one have both assurance of salvation through a doctrine of grace and, at the same time and in the same heart, fear of God through a doctrine of judgement? Yes, the two are entirely compatible – every true believer has both and knows his coexistence in experience. “There is forgiveness with thee, that though mayest be feared”
(Ps 130:4, RSV)
Commenting later on “The eternal fire” Bruner rightly says
Efforts to downplay the eternal element as not quantitative but qualitative, or as not literal but metaphorical, sometimes seem like so many efforts to say that judgement is not all that bad. Yet Jesus is warning us that it is so awful that we should repent
(pg 579)
Jesus’ severity after judgement is as great as His mercy was unspeakable before. He gives us a stern warning because he is loving. It is not loving to not warn someone who is in danger. If we have a lop-sided gospel and only teach Jesus’ mercies and not his judgements we disfigure the gospel. If the parables of judgement are true, then when we skip judgement we are not being loving, as we often think we are. Jesus’ hard teachings warn people away from judgement. And remember, these warnings are for the church – those who profess to be believers, who hold to correct doctrines, who assume they’re sorted but are in fact asleep, drifting, lazy and disobedient.
CCC Preaching Series
We are going to follow along with the What’s The Story? national evangelistic campaign from 25th September to 30th October, so our six week series in the parables of Matthew will be split in two, and lead nicely into our Christmas season.
- 4th Sept – The parable of the wedding banquet (Matthew 22:1-14)
- 11th Sept – The parable of the nocturnal thief (Matthew 24:32-44)
- 18th Sept – The parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants (Matthew 24:45-51)
- 25th Sept – 30th Oct – What’s The Story?
- 13th Nov – The parable of the ten bridesmaids (Matthew 25:1-13)
- 20th Nov – The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
- 27th Nov – The parable of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46)
Do join us to consider these great parables at either of our Sunday Gatherings.