The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Jesus is entering his last few days on earth and he’s doing everything he can to advise and warn his disciples. For us to understand this parable, we need to know some of the traditions surrounding marriage in Jesus’ time. Couples would become engaged during a ceremony in which the groom would give the bride money or something valuable such as a ring. Then there would be a year of betrothal during which the groom would prepare a dwelling place for the bride while the bride would prepare her personal possessions such as clothing, lamps, etc.
While the bride might have a general idea of the date and time at which the groom would come for her, the groom’s father would decide when the groom should collect the bride. Not even the groom would know the precise details until his father would make the announcement. The bride-and her friends-had to keep their lamps ready in case the bridegroom came at night. Even after the wedding had been announced, those wishing to attend the ceremony might wait for several hours before the groom would finally appear. Nobody would want to miss the groom’s arrival because once the groom arrived and the guests entered, the doors would be locked for the sake of security.
Listening to this story, Jesus’ followers were probably snickering to themselves. Who in their right mind would be so stupid as to fail to carry along extra lamp oil? Of course, bridegrooms always arrived with very little notice and generally at night-this was a given. And no sensible guest would fail to make adequate provision, for once inside the marriage feast, the celebration would be worth all the time and effort spent on preparation. Inside the celebration, there would be delicious food and wine with singing and dancing. A wealthy family might even supply special clothing. Yes, wedding celebrations were worth any amount of work.
In these last few days, Jesus repeatedly warns his disciples that just as the bridegroom’s father controls the date and time of the wedding, so his Heavenly Father is the only one who knows the time Jesus will return. Just as the bridegroom arrives when he is least expected, so Jesus’ return will be equally sudden. Anyone refusing to prepare is as foolish as friends of the bride who assume their current oil will be sufficient.
At any point prior to the groom’s arrival, the five foolish virgins could have bought extra oil, but they did not. Those young ladies had plenty of opportunities to prepare, but they were complacent, sure that nobody would ever turn them away. Jesus is warning his followers that they too must not relax, assuming that they will be acceptable to a Holy God on their own merits.
During such celebrations, there would always be guests known to the bride or her family but not known to the groom. Those entering along with the bridegroom could easily be introduced to the groom so that he would know them; however, those trying to enter after the groom and the main group were inside could find themselves turned away. The final statement by the bridegroom is chilling,” ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’”
At this point, Jesus’ listeners might be gasping. How horrible! To be locked out of a wedding celebration and spurned by the bridegroom-how shameful! And now Jesus delivers a final warning: “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
What does this parable mean for us? When Jesus’ followers demanded to know when he would return, Jesus told them, ”And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.” (Acts 1:7) None of us knows how long we might live, and none of us knows the problems we might encounter. The only time we have is today, this hour, this minute. If we insist on depending on our own righteousness, we are doomed, just like those foolish virgins who were sure they had enough oil without making any additional provisions. But what we cannot do for ourselves, God has already done, sending Jesus to die for our sins. We can refuse to accept that sacrifice or we can humble ourselves to accept it. Once more, Jesus is warning all of us, “Be ready!”
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, we confess that we are sinners and that nothing we can do is enough for us to earn our way into heaven. Please help us to trust in Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. Thank You for Your promise of eternal life when we trust in Jesus. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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