The Gospel of Matthew has been read and loved by the church for almost two thousand years. In the early centuries of church history, it was the most quoted of all four Gospels. Its influence among New Testament scholarship has waned in the modern era, but it continues its profound influence on the life of the church. From Matthew’s Gospel come the Sermon on the Mount, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Great Commission. Thus the mission, worship, and the educational ministry of the church are all in profound debt to the first Gospel.
“What that parable affirms is faithfulness in pursuing the Lord’s work until He comes. The faithfulness required is not consistency of one’s private devotional life but the practice of investing in people’s lives like Jesus invested in people’s lives.” (Page 299) |
“The point of the parable here is not to justify selfishness by the example of the wise virgins. Rather, the point is that being prepared is an individual responsibility. One cannot be prepared for someone else, only for oneself.” (Page 296)
“To describe purity as a matter of the heart means that it deals with the intentions or the will of a person. The pure in heart are those who motives or intentions are unmixed. The promise of these people is that they will see God.” (Page 86)
“The problem of the five foolish virgins was not that the bridegroom came quickly; their problem was that he delayed and they became lackadaisical. Readiness for Christ’s return cannot be based on the nearness of that return. Disciples must be ready because they do not know and cannot know when the Messiah will come again.” (Page 297)
“Thus the symbolism, most likely intended by Matthew and understood by the crowds in Jerusalem that day, was that by riding on the donkey Jesus laid claim to the title Son of David, King of Israel.” (Page 247)