MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:36 day and hour. See note on Mark 13:32. The
seems best to interpret Christ's words as a reference to the generation alive at the time when those final hard labor pains begin (see note on v. 14). This would fit with the lesson of the fig tree, which stresses the short span of time in which these things will occur (see note on v. 32).
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away. Cf. Isa. 24:18– 20. See notes on 2 Pet. 3:10–13.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:36 day and hour. See note on Mark 13:32. The disciples wanted to fix the precise time, but this was not for them to know (Acts 1:7). Christ's emphasis instead is on faithfulness, watchfulness, stewardship, expectancy, and preparedness. These are the lessons he taught in the parables that immediately follow.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:37 as were the days of Noah. Jesus' emphasis here is not so much on the extreme wickedness of Noah's day (Gen. 6:5), but on the people's preoccupation with mundane matters of everyday life ("eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage"—Matt. 24:38) when judgment fell suddenly. They had received warnings, in the form of Noah's preaching (2 Pet. 2:5)—and the ark itself, which was a testimony to the judgment that was to come. But they were unconcerned about such matters and therefore were swept away unexpectedly in the midst of their daily activities.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:40–41 one will be taken. I.e., taken in judgment (cf. v. 39) just as in Noah's day ("swept them"; v. 39). This is clearly not a reference to the catching away of believers described in 1 Thess. 4:16–17.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:43 the thief. As no one knows what hour the thief will come, no one knows the hour of the Lord's return or the day of the Lord that accompanies his coming (cf. 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Pet. 3:10). But the believer is to be ready at all times.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:44 at an hour you do not expect. The parables that follow teach Christ's followers to be ready in case he comes sooner than anticipated (vv. 43–51); and also to be prepared in case he delays longer than expected (25:1–13).
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:45–51 The evil slave represents an unbeliever who refuses to take seriously the promise of Christ's return (cf. 2 Pet. 3:4). Though he is an unbeliever (as demonstrated by his punishment—see note on Matt. 22:13),
he is nonetheless accountable to Christ for the stewardship of his time. Jesus was teaching that every person in the world holds his life, natural abilities, wealth, and possessions in trust from God and must give account of how these things are used.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 24:51 weeping and gnashing of teeth. See note on 22:13.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:1–13 The parable of the 10 virgins is given to underscore the importance of being ready for Christ's return in any event—even if he delays longer than expected. For when he does return, there will be no second chances for the unprepared (vv. 11–12).
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:1 ten virgins. I.e., bridesmaids. The wedding would begin at the bride's house when the bridegroom arrived to observe the wedding ritual. Then a procession would follow as the bridegroom took the bride to his house for the completion of festivities. For a night wedding, "lamps," which were actually torches, were needed for the procession.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:14–30 The parable of the talents illustrates the tragedy of wasted opportunity. The man who goes on the journey represents Christ, and the slaves represent professing believers given different levels of responsibility. Faithfulness is what he demands of them (see note on v. 23), but the parable suggests that all who are faithful will be fruitful to some degree. The fruitless person is unmasked as a hypocrite and utterly destroyed (v. 30).
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:15 talents. A talent was a measure of weight, not a specific coin, so that a talent of gold was more valuable than a talent of silver. A talent of silver (the word translated "money" in v. 18 is lit. "silver") was a considerable sum of money. The modern meaning of the word "talent," denoting a natural ability, stems from the fact that this parable is erroneously applied to the stewardship of one's natural gifts.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:23 the joy of your master. Both the man with five talents and the man with two received exactly the same reward, indicating that the reward is based on faithfulness, not results.
MATTHEW—NOTE ON 25:24 a hard man. His characterization of the master maligns the man as a cruel and ruthless opportunist, "reaping . . . and gathering" what he had no right to claim as his own. This slothful servant does not represent a genuine believer, for it is obvious that this man had no true knowledge of the