The Kingdom Is at Hand: How Then Should We Live?

Hello friends,

Before getting into the three parables of Matthew 25, I've been thinking about something John the Baptist and Jesus both said at the beginning of their ministries.

John came preaching in the wilderness of Judea:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2, NKJV)

Then in Matthew 4:17, Jesus begins preaching:

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

I've been thinking about those words, “at hand.”

The Kingdom of God isn't something we only look forward to after this life. Jesus was announcing that God's Kingdom had come near.

We are invited to live under His authority now.

I think that is important as we come to Matthew 25.

Jesus had left the Temple and gone with His disciples to the Mount of Olives. His disciples began asking Him about His coming and the end of the age.

And in the middle of that conversation, Jesus tells them three stories.

The first is the parable of the ten virgins.

Ten virgins were waiting for the bridegroom.

Five were wise and brought extra oil with them. Five did not.

The bridegroom was delayed, and when he finally came at midnight, the difference between them became clear.

Five were ready.

Five were not.

I've always been struck by the oil in this story.

Throughout Scripture, oil is closely associated with anointing, and I believe there is something here for us about our dependence upon the Holy Spirit.

Before Jesus ascended, He told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from the Holy Spirit.

The Greek word used there is dunamis.

It speaks of power and ability that comes from God.

The disciples weren't told to go out and accomplish everything in their own strength.

They were told to wait.

I believe we need that same dependence upon the Holy Spirit today.

Prayer.

Worship.

Surrender.

Obedience.

Continually coming back to Him and asking Him to fill us again.

The second story Jesus tells is the parable of the talents.

A master preparing for a journey entrusted his servants with different amounts according to their ability.

Two put what they had been given to work and produced more.

One became afraid and buried his talent in the ground.

When the master returned, he said to the faithful servants:

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”

This parable makes me think about everything God places into our hands.

Our abilities.

Our opportunities.

Our time.

Our influence.

And yes, our financial resources too.

None of it ultimately belongs to us.

We are stewards.

I believe God expects us to do something with what He has entrusted to us.

That means working diligently, providing for our families, making wise decisions, and not allowing fear to cause us to bury what He has given us.

Then Jesus tells the third story, the sheep and the goats.

The King says:

“I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in.”

And then He says something that should make every one of us stop and think:

“Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”

This brings the whole thing very close to home for me.

What am I doing with what God has given me?

Am I simply building more for myself?

Or am I looking around and noticing the people God has placed in my path?

The hungry.

The hurting.

The lonely.

The person who needs help.

Jesus says that the way we treat them matters to Him.

When I look at these three parables together, I see a way of living that I want more of in my own life.

I want to stay close to the Holy Spirit and keep oil in my lamp.

I want to be faithful with whatever God places in my hands.

And I want whatever increase He gives me to make me more generous, not simply more comfortable.

Maybe that is part of what it means to live knowing that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Stay close to Him.

Be faithful with what He gives you.

And keep your hands open to the people around you.

The Kingdom is at hand.

I want to live like I believe it.

Until next time, keep your lamp burning.

God bless you.