Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.” (Matthew 25:24-25)

In the larger context of His return to judge the nations, Jesus told a parable about a master who, before leaving on a trip, gave his servants different amounts of money to be responsible for. When called to account, the servants responsible for five and two talents (amounts of money) made a good return on their master’s money. But the servant given only one talent made his report in these two verses.

Note that the master judged each servant individually. If they were taken as a group, they did very well: 8 talents given and 15 talents returned. Yet each one was judged on their individual faithfulness and effort.

This last servant, who merely buried his talent, tried to excuse himself because of his master’s great power. In fact, he believed his master to be in some sense omnipotent (reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed).

The third servant seemed proud of himself. Because the master was so powerful and (in the mind of the servant) didn’t need his help, the third servant thought that the master would be pleased that he did nothing and could say, Look, there you have what is yours. He seemed to have no idea how much he had displeased his master.

We can say of the work of the third servant:

He didn’t think.
He didn’t work.
He didn’t even try.
He made excuses.

The following verses give the master’s rebuke of this third, unfaithful servant. The master called him “wicked and lazy,” and denied the excuse that the master was a man of great power. The sovereignty of the master never excused the laziness of the servant. It condemned that laziness even more.

Those who don’t work for the Lord, or pray, or don’t evangelize because God is sovereign condemn themselves by their laziness. By their actions (or lack of action) they show that they are like the wicked servant in the parable. They do not know their Master’s heart at all. Their excuses won’t help at all. Like this unfaithful third servant, the excuses will make them more guilty, not less.

Many people are good at making excuses. If excuse-making ever became an Olympic event, they would probably win a gold medal. Some excuse-makers even try to do what this third servant did – hope to put the blame of God. They think that God’s sovereignty and limitless power mean they have no responsibility.

It doesn’t work that way. In the parable Jesus told, each servant was judged individually, properly, and with perfect understanding. If you have been successful fooling others, remember your excuses will not work before God.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 25

For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. (Matthew 23:4)

It was the last week of the earthly ministry of Jesus, and He was hated and hunted by the religious leaders among the Jews. Jesus showed remarkable courage and would not hide or back down before His enemies. Here, Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples about the scribes and Pharisees.

As Jesus spoke, His hardened opponents listened, but Jesus wasn’t really speaking to them. Instead, he intended to warn the people and His followers about those scribes and Pharisees.

According to William Barclay, the Jewish Talmud describes seven different types of Pharisees, and six of the seven were bad.

– The Shoulder Pharisee, who wore all his good deeds and righteousness on his shoulder for everyone to see.
– The Wait-a-Little Pharisee, who always intended to do good deeds, but could always find a reason for doing them later, not now.
– The Bruised or Bleeding Pharisee, who was so holy that he would turn his head away from any woman seen in public – and was therefore constantly bumping into things and tripping, thus injuring himself.
– The Hump-Backed Pharisee, who was so humble that he walked bent over and barely lifting his feet – so everyone could see just how humble he was.
– The Always-Counting Pharisee, who was always counting up his good deeds and believed that he put God in debt to him for all the good he had done.
– The Fearful Pharisee, who did good because he was terrified that God would strike him with judgment if he did not.
– The God-Fearing Pharisee, who really loved God and did good deeds to please the God he loved.

If the leaders among the Jewish people could see so much corruption among the Pharisees, it’s not a surprise that Jesus also saw it and pointed it out.

One big problem with the scribes and Pharisees was they would bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders. The heavy burdens of the religious leaders contrast sharply to Jesus’ burden. His burden is light, and His yoke is easy (Matthew 11:30). These religious leaders were burden bringers; Jesus is a burden taker. Even worse, the scribes and Pharisees often didn’t live by the same standards they put on others (they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers).

This accusation against these religious leaders could apply to many religious leaders today. Many teach as if the essence of Christianity was a set of burdensome rules to follow. There is real cost in following Jesus, but overall, our experience as believers is one of liberation, not one of oppression. Christians should reject the heavy, man-made burdens others try to put on us. Instead, we live in the liberty of Jesus Christ.

Walk in freedom. Don’t accept man-made religious burdens, and don’t put them on others.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 23

All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “Tell the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your King is coming to you, lowly, and sitting on a donkey, a colt, the foal of a donkey.’” (Matthew 21:4-5)

For most the ministry of Jesus, He did what He could to cool down the heat of Messianic expectation. There was a definite timing to the ministry of Jesus, and He did not want the crowds to gather as a violent mob and champion Him as Messiah and King. All would be done according to the schedule established by God the Father.

But on this day – what we call Palm Sunday or the Triumphal Entry – Jesus received and encouraged praise as Messiah and King. He did it in a public, deliberate day, and at a time when thousands of pilgrims came to Jerusalem for Passover.

We should notice how Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.

Jesus entered Jerusalem deliberately. He carefully planned and then carried out the plan. On that day, Jesus no longer told people to keep quiet about who He was and what He would do. He deliberately planned a great event.

Jesus also comes to us deliberately – special times, special seasons, for special reasons. There is a sense in which He is with us all the time, and of course He is. But there are other times when Jesus deliberately, with great care, says to us “Here I am – recognize Me in this time and place.”

Jesus entered Jerusalem unusually. They might have expected that Jesus would come secretly; He was a wanted Man and in a lot of danger – but He came publicly. They might have expected that Jesus would come walking; that was how He normally traveled, yet He rode a young donkey. They might have expected that He would come on a warhorse; many people longed for a Messiah to conquer the Romans.

Sometimes we are so set in our expectation that Jesus must do this or must be that for us that when He comes to us unusually, we miss Him. Don’t let that happen for you.

Jesus entered Jerusalem royally. He fulfilled the prophecy from Zechariah 9:9, saying Israel’s King would come on a young donkey. Receiving the titles and hosannas fit for a king, Jesus presented Himself to Israel as royalty. Their King had arrived.

Jesus came to Jerusalem royally, and He comes to us as a King, with all that implies. God is a Father, a Creator, a Shepherd, a Husband, a Judge – but don’t forget He is a King, and we owe Him royal honor.

We must take care that we don’t simply pick and choose among these titles and ignore the ones we don’t like. When King Jesus comes to us, we can’t simply say, “Can you please come back as a Shepherd? I’m far more comfortable with that.” No, honor and serve King Jesus.

Receive Jesus these ways: deliberately, unusually, and royally.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 21

Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. (Matthew 19:21-22)

A man came to Jesus and asked, “what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?” He thought the entrance to heaven was mainly about doing something, so he asked Jesus about what good thing he needed to do.

This man is often called, “The Rich Young Ruler.” Matthew, Mark, and Luke say he was rich. Matthew says he was young (19:22), and Luke 18:18 says he was a ruler.

Jesus eventually told this man what to do: Sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me. The call to forsake everything and follow Jesus was a call to put God first in all things. Jesus called the man to full obedience to the first table of the law, which dealt with a man’s relation to God.

We can make two mistakes regarding the answer Jesus gave this man. The first mistake is to believe this applies to everyone, when Jesus never made this a general command to all His followers, but especially to this one rich man whose riches were clearly an obstacle to his discipleship. Instead, many rich people can do more good by continuing to make money and using those resources for the glory of God and the good of others.

The second mistake is to believe this applies to no one, when there are clearly those today for whom the best thing they could do for themselves spiritually is to radically forsake the materialism that is ruining them.

Yet we notice that Jesus simply called this man to be His disciple, in saying, follow Me. He used similar language in calling many of His disciples (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; Mark 2:14). Jesus simply called this man to be His follower; but for this man it meant leaving behind the riches he had set his heart upon.

Yet, the man went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. In this, the wealthy questioner failed utterly. Money was his god; he was guilty of idolatry. This is why Jesus, knowing the man’s heart, asked him to renounce his possessions.

The principle remains: God may challenge and require an individual to give something up for the sake of His kingdom that He still allows to someone else. There are many who perish because they will not forsake what God tells them to.

The rich young ruler had a lot going for him: his youth, his wealth, his influence. Yet he knew these things didn’t satisfy. That’s why he asked Jesus the question. Sadly, he refused to put Jesus first in all things and went away sorry and empty.

Don’t be like this poor rich man.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 19

When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matthew 17:8)

Jesus gave Peter, James, and John a remarkable experience. Following Jesus to a high mountain, they saw Jesus transfigured, revealed in bright glory with Moses and Elijah beside Him. At Peter’s suggestion of building three tabernacles, God the Father spoke from heaven: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him! God the Father wanted to highlight the truth that Jesus was unique, not to be equated with even great men like Moses and Elijah.

At this, Peter, James, and John all fell on their faces and were filled with fear. Jesus spoke to them, assuring them to not be afraid. Then, looking up – they saw Jesus and Jesus only. Moses and Elijah had vanished.

It’s a wonderful phrase: they saw no one but Jesus only. It is significant that their entire focus was forced upon Jesus once again. The cloud was gone; Moses had left, and Elijah had disappeared.

It might have been that after the events of the transfiguration, no one remained for the disciples. Theoretically, when the experience was over, there would have been no Moses, no Elijah, and no Jesus. This is exactly the experience of many. They have some spiritual experience or receive some ministry from the Holy Spirit of God; but when it is over, it is over – done and gone. Nothing remains.

It might have been that only Moses remained for the disciples. Theoretically, when the experience was over, there would have been only Moses. Though Moses was a great man, compared to Jesus he was like the moon is to the sun. It would be sad to exchange the grace and truth that came by Jesus for the law that came by Moses; but there are those sad ones who see Moses and his law only.

It might have been that only Elijah remained for the disciples. Theoretically, when the experience was over, there would have been only Elijah. Elijah was a man great for the power of his word and the boldness of his national reforms. Yet all this doesn’t compare to the person and work of Jesus only.

It might have been that all three remained. At first, this might have seemed to be the best – why not all three? Yet now that Jesus has come, Moses and Elijah can fade into their supportive roles and never be put on the same level as Jesus.

Instead, they saw only Jesus. Him alone.

Brothers and sisters, ultimately we serve no one but Jesus Christ. He is our Master, and we don’t bow down to even the great men and women of Christian history. As wonderfully as God has used them, Jesus stands above and alone compared to them all. We thank God for those men and women but are more grateful that in some sense they fade from the scene, and we see no one but Jesus only.

Click here for David’s commentary on Matthew 17