Why do we do what we do?  It’s partly because of the return of God!  Chris Brannon continues in our Parables series with three parables.  The parable of the two servants, the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids and the parable of the talents.

In the parable of the two servants, the evil servant represents the self-deluded unbeliever who has, nevertheless, identified with the church and pretends to be in service of the master.  In reality, he doesn’t love the master or look forward to His return.  In fact, he doesn’t seem to really believe the master will return anytime soon.  However, the master does return, suddenly and much sooner than expected.  Then the evil servant is exposed for who he really is.  His punishment is as severe as the wise servant’s reward was lavish.  The primary lesson in this parable is that Christ’s return is imminent.  That means that it could happen at any time!

In the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, the foolish bridesmaids took their lamps to wait for the bridegroom with no extra oil.  The wise bridesmaids had extra oil and were ready when the bridegroom came.  We must always be prepared for the Messiah’s return.  Jesus forbids the kind of presumption that predicts the time and date of His return.  The big idea in this parable is that Christ is coming.  He may arrive later than we expect and we must be prepared for that possibility.  That means remaining awake, staying at the watch and being ready for Him, no matter how late the hour.

The last parable is the parable of the talents.  Two of the servants were wise with their talents and made a return on the investment, planning for the return of their master.  One servant buried what was given to him, failing to plan for the master’s return.  The primary message in this parable is that we need to serve the King while He is away.  We should be diligently working while we look for Him and continue to work and plan with and eye for the future.

There are five points to all of the parables.  The first is that Christ will return, there is no question about that.  The second is that there is to be a judgement by works.  We are not justified by works, but if we do not have works, we are not justified.  We are not Christians.  The third point is that all excuses fall flat before God.  They all fail.  The next point is that many will be absolutely astounded at Christ’s judgement.  Lastly, there is a division for all eternity.  It is a division between heaven and hell, joy and suffering, misery and the happiness of the Lord.

We must be ready, whether He returns right away or waits another thousand years.  While we wait, we must remain faithful to our commitment to the Lord and our God-designed responsibilities.