In 2 Corinthians 12, Paul tells of a heavenly vision God gave him. He offers the testimony to demonstrate his authenticity as an apostle. He tells the believers he was given a “thorn in the flesh,” to humble him when he was tempted to pride because of God’s showing him the amazing vision. Three times Paul asked the Lord to take the thorn from him, but the Lord said, “No, my grace is sufficient for you. For my power is demonstrated in your weakness.” Paul’s thorn reminds us, when we suffer, God’s grace is sufficient for us as well, and His grace is our empowerment to make it through the suffering. We don’t often think of God’s grace as power, but in addition to being God’s undeserved favor, His grace is also power for living through difficulty!
As 2 Corinthians 12 closes and we move to 2 Corinthians 13, Paul offers final reminders of what will happen when he comes to visit, and how important it is to live faithfully before the Lord. He also offers closing greetings as the letter ends.
As we return to Matthew 25, we read three powerful parables Jesus tells concerning His return. The first is the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Jesus divides them into two groups: five wise virgins, and five foolish virgins. The wisdom or foolishness comes down to their being prepared or unprepared for the bridegroom’s coming. The wise virgins bring extra oil for their lamps, so if the bridegroom is delayed, their lamps won’t go out. The foolish virgins fail to bring extra oil. The bridegroom was delayed, so the foolish virgins had to go looking for extra oil in the middle of the night. When the bridegroom came, they weren’t there, so they missed entering the feast. We can take many lessons from this parable, but the chief one is to be ready. The “bridegroom,” Jesus, is coming, so be ready!
The second parable is the Parable of the Talents. In this parable a master leaves and entrusts his wealth to three servants. They receive differing amounts based on their ability. When the master returns, the first two servants have doubled what was entrusted to them. The first servant has two and a half times as much as the second servant, but each was equally faithful, so each receives the same reward: a commendation from the master, and an invitation to join him in his kingdom. A key point for us to note is Jesus equates faithfulness with multiplication. We are to multiply whatever “talents” Jesus gives us in our lives. The third servant “buried” his master’s treasure, and gained nothing, not even interest. The master condemns the servant for being wicked and lazy. Consider this: the servant didn’t lose anything his master gave him. He maintained His master’s wealth, yet he was considered wicked and lazy, because he didn’t multiply what he received! In the same way, we are called to be faithful with whatever Jesus has entrusted to us, so that it multiplies when He returns.
In the final parable, the Parable of the Sheep and Goats, Jesus offers us a clear message of what it will be like when He returns. People will be divided into two groups: sheep and goats. The sheep are those who steward their lives faithfully by carrying out faithful actions on behalf of Jesus. The goats are those who do not. While we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and not by our works, this parable reminds us once we are saved, we will live lives of good works out of gratitude for our salvation. As James reminds us in his book, which we will read soon, “Faith without works is dead.” Jesus reminded us the same thing in this powerful illustration.