The man of St Matthew

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Chapter 25: Overview

We had our overview of the fifth and final discourse of this Gospel when we looked at chapter 24.
That chapter ended with the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants (24,45-51). We saw how it was the first parable of a sequence.

Matthew in chapter 25 now brings the public ministry of Jesus to a climax with the other two parables in the sequence. These are followed by the great scene of the coming of the Son of Man.

Thus we have already read the first of the three parables with chapter 24. Present in the parable of the slave were themes which are continued with the two parables of this chapter: there is the theme of being wise and sensible (24,45; 25,2.15) and there is also the long delay of the return (24,48; 25,5.19).

We can therefore read each story of the chapter on its own page:

25,1-12: The parable of the ten virgins
25,14-30: The parable of the talents
25,31-46: The coming of the Son of Man in glory

These three scenes are read as the Gospels for the final three Sundays of the Year (32nd and 33rd Sundays and the feast of Christ the King).

We begin with our reading of the parable of the ten virgins, 25,1-12.