New article published in Interpreter “Matthew 25: Preparing for the Kingdom of Heaven.”
“Imagine walking into a packed theater at a moment when the show is most dramatic and exciting. Everyone sits on the edge of their seat, ears attuned to every uttered word lest they miss something of great importance. The intensity of the moment is palpable. But alas, you, my friend, missed the first act and so you have no clue as to why this moment, this dialogue on stage is of such import and intensity. Yet you dare not interrupt anyone to receive contextual clues or for a review of the first act lest you or they miss the climax of the performance.
“Luckily for us we are not walking into a live performance of Matthew 25. We have the benefit of taking the necessary time to review the first act (Matthew 24) so that the immensely relevant parables and exhortations of Matthew 25 pack their full intensity. If we stepped into Matthew 25 without the requisite preparation that context brings by reviewing Matthew 24 we certainly would be left to feel the palpable intensity and urgency of the Lord’s message without fully understanding the importance or reasons why.”
