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250. The Parable of The Ten Virgins

Key Verse: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or hour."
Matthew 25:13

It is a bit unclear exactly when these next teachings actually took place. Were they a continuation of Jesus' conversation with His disciples on the Mount of Olives? Did these conversations spill into the next day? This may be the case since much of what Jesus had to say was aimed, once again, at the religious leadership. But what he says is more important than when he said it. Jesus is continuing His theme of the importance of being ready, no matter when, for His return. Again, He wisely draws from a common experience of everyday life, to convey truths.

Jesus draws on the practices of the day, of the marriage ceremony, to once again illustrate how it will be when He returns. This is not the last time Jesus will use the wedding and the betrothal practices of the day to relate the kingdom of God to His listeners. This would actually make sense since He is the bridegroom and the church is His bride.

In our day, a couple announces their engagement, works together to select the right date for the wedding to take place, and works together in great detail, to provide the perfect, matrimonial experience. Everyone is made aware of the date and given invitations. Friends give parties in the couple's honor. Everything is focused on a one day experience and then, the couple enjoys a small vacation, or honeymoon, together.

In Jesus' day, the groom, accompanied by his parents, would go to the maiden's house to talk with her parents, especially her father, to ask for her hand in marriage. We will discuss this more during the Lord's Supper. For now, let's just say that if she accepts, they are considered officially betrothed. The groom then returns to his father's house to prepare a place for the wedding week to take place.

He may work on the accommodations for up to a year and he will not come for his bride until it is ready. No one knows in advance when that will be. It is necessary for the bride, and her friends, to be vigilant because the groom could come any night to bring his bride home. They will know he is coming when the groomsmen begin shouting and announcing his approach.

For the sake of making the point about some who are ready and some who are not, in the parable the ten virgins are not the bride herself.  Who knows how many nights they had waited together for the big day?  They are the attendants who will accompany her to the groom's home. However, in reality the bride of Christ is made up of all believers who are part of the Church, and some will be watching and waiting, while others fall asleep. 

Obviously, however, five of the virgins in the parable grew careless in their vigilance. "Aww, he hasn't come up to now. He probably won't come tonight either so I'm sure I can sleep. I'll pick up more oil tomorrow." It's like so many of us who begin to get lax in our own spiritual journey. "Jesus hasn't come for 2,000 years! Why should He come today? I'm sure that I can give in to this distraction or temptation and it won't hurt." Sound familiar?

Jesus is warning us here that we can't give in to thinking that way. The five virgins who grew careless lost out on the big celebration. Jesus doesn't want that to happen to us. His return for us is a certainty! It is as much a certainty as the bridegroom returning for His bride. He wants us to be dressed and ready to go. "For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with Him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) Be assured, He is coming!

Hymn: Traditional: “Rejoice, Rejoice, Believer

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