“What is the meaning of the Parable of the Ten Virgins?”……Answer: As we take a good look at the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), we must acknowledge up front that there has been much debate as to the meaning of these words of our Savior. At least one aspect of this parable can be known with absolute certainty. The bridegroom is Jesus Christ, and this parable describes His return. Both the Old Testament (Isaiah 54:4-662:4-5Hosea 2:19) and the New Testament (John 3:27-30Matthew 9:15Mark 2:19-20) represent the Messiah as a bridegroom. Both God’s people Israel and the Church are described in Scripture as the bride (Ephesians 5:25-32) for the Messiah.……The historical setting can also be known with a fair amount of certainty. In describing a first-century Jewish wedding, D.A. Carson in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary describes the setting this way: “Normally the bridegroom with some close friends left his home to go to the bride’s home, where there were various ceremonies, followed by a procession through the streets – after nightfall – to his home. The ten virgins may be bridesmaids who have been assisting the bride; and they expect to meet the groom as he comes from the bride’s house…Everyone in the procession was expected to carry his or her own torch. Those without a torch would be assumed to be party crashers or even brigands. The festivities, which might last several days, would formally get under way at the groom’s house.” The torch was either a lamp with a small oil tank and wick or a stick with a rag soaked in oil on the end of it which would require occasional re-soaking to maintain the flame.……Of interpretive significance is which return of Christ is this? Is it His return for the rapture of the Church, or is it His return to set up the MillennialKingdom at the end of the Tribulation? Dispensational scholars divide over this issue, and no attempt will be made to answer that question here. Regardless of which return it is, the lessons to be learned are relevant to both.……The overall and easily seen thrust of the parable is that Christ will return at an unknown hour and that His people must be ready. Being ready means preparing for whatever contingency arises in our lives and keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus at all times while we eagerly await His coming. As seen in the fact that all the virgins were sleeping when the call came indicates that it doesn’t matter what we are doing when Christ returns. We may be working, eating, sleeping, or pursuing leisure activities. Whatever it is, we must be doing it in such a way that we don’t have to “make things right” (get more oil) when He comes. This would apply to either the coming of Christ for His Church or for the Tribulation saints as they await His second coming.……Being ready for Christ’s return ultimately involves one major thing which manifests itself in several areas of our lives. If we would be ready for Christ’s return, we must be born again through saving faith in Jesus Christ…His death, burial and literal resurrection from the dead (John 3:1614:6Romans 10:9 and 101 Corinthians 15:1-4Ephesians 2:1-10). Saving faith in Jesus Christ will manifest itself in every aspect of our lives. The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) will begin to show. A desire for greater holiness and less sin will be apparent. And a consistent looking for His coming will mark our lives. One of the best passages articulating what saving grace and faith look like in a believer’s life is Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”……The five virgins who have the extra oil represent the truly born again who are looking with eagerness to the coming of Christ. They have saving faith and have determined that, whatever occurs, be it lengthy time or adverse circumstances, when Jesus returns, they will be looking with eagerness. The five virgins without the oil represent false believers who enjoy the benefits of the Christian community without true love for Christ. They are more concerned about the party than about longing to see the bridegroom. Their hope is that their association with true believers (“give us some of your oil” of verse 8) will bring them into the kingdom at the end. This, of course, is never the case. One person’s faith in Jesus cannot save another. The “Lord, lord” and “I do not know you” of verses 11 and 12 fit very well with Jesus’ condemnation of the false believers of Matthew 7:21-23, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’”……May we not be found “going away to make the purchase” (v. 10) when Christ returns. Take the time now to fill your lamp with oil and take extra along. Keep waiting and watching with joy and anticipation.

The Cry At Midnight (The Meaning Behind The Parable of The 10 Bridesmaids)

Parable Ten Virgins, Discipleship, Parable, Bridegroom, Bridesmaids, ……Let us pray: Dear Heavenly Father, through our baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, you have claimed us as your sons and daughters, and made us heirs of your eternal kingdom. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, inspire us to live our lives in faith. Shatter our complacency, break open our consciousness to your presence among us, and enable us to prepare for our future life in your glory. This we ask in Christ’s holy name. Amen.

…The Scripture Readings this morning:

Psalm 78:1-7

1 O my people, listen to my instructions. Open your ears to what I am saying, 2 for I will speak to you in a parable. I will teach you hidden lessons from our past— 3 stories we have heard and known, stories our ancestors handed down to us.…

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

15 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. 17 Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. 18 So encourage each other with these words.

Mathew 25:1-13.…“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’7 …“All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’ 13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

There’s a difference between a parable and a metaphor. …Jesus often taught with parables, which were short stories that had one single point with a deeper meaning.

A metaphor, on the other hand, often has more than one point, and is usually the creation of the author, in addressing a situation and in the parable of the 10 brides maids, He was confronting the early church.

As a result, in the metaphor, the church was able to draw similarities between their current situation and the story, as a means of understanding their faith and the fact that they needed to be ready for the second coming of Jesus who promised that He would return .……Almost all of the commentaries that I read on our Gospel lesson for this morning, pointed out that the “Story of the Ten Bridesmaids” is a metaphor, rather than a parable.

As a result, I cannot help but believe that the impact of this story is quite different for the church of today, than it was for the early church to which Matthew first addressed his Gospel.

We need to set the scene, to grasp the historical context in which the action takes place, to better understand its significance for those of us who live in a different age.……The time is 80 AD, some fifty years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. …Rome just defeated an uprising in Jerusalem, and destroyed the temple (for centuries, the center of worship for the Jews).

It was the place where God’s presence was thought to dwell.

As a result, many of the Jews lost their center of hope, questioning whether God had abandoned them and their pleas for deliverance.……At the same time, the early Christians, who believed that Jesus was the Christ, who had risen from the dead and ascended into heaven, who promised to return to establish God’s kingdom, and hadn’t done so yet. …Not only had the temple been destroyed, but even those who had faith in Jesus, were being persecuted and dying, longing for his return. …Some of these early Christians were also beginning to lose hope, for they expected that his return was about to happen. ……This is what prompted Paul to write to the people in Thessalonica

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15…13 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died[a]so you will not grieve like people who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.…In other words, Paul was assuring the early church that the dead would not miss our Lord’s return and his establishment of God’s righteous kingdom.…Thus, it was a time in which both Christians and Jews believed that God would soon act to bring his judgment upon the earth, and justify those who had faith in him. …This is the scene, the historical context of the people to whom Matthew addressed his Gospel with this message of hope. So let’s consider the story.

A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an old Indian went up to the director and said, Tomorrow rain. The next day it rained. …A week later, the Indian went up to the director and said, Tomorrow storm. The next day there was a hailstorm. ……This Indian is incredible, said the director. …He told his secretary to hire the Indian to predict the weather for the remainder of the shoot.……However, after several successful predictions, the old Indian did not show up for two weeks. ……Finally the director sent for him. I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow, said the director, and I am depending on you.

What will the weather be like?……The Indian shrugged his shoulders. Don’ t know, he said. My radio is broken.……Appearances are deceiving. 

…The foolish virgins in the Gospel reading looked, dressed and marched like bridesmaids. ……They were pretty, radiant and even charming on the outside, but dreary, dim and dull on the inside.……The word foolish is none other than the Greek word moros, which is the root word for the politically incorrect English word moron. ……Now, The scene of this parable of the 10 Bridesmaids focuses on preparations for a wedding banquet that is to take place in the home of the groom. …A great crowd of family and friends fills the grooms home and even filled the street in front of the dwelling. ……As the crowd is gathering, the groom and several close friends are making their way to the home of the bride, which is assumed to be across town or in a nearby village. ……From there the groom collects his bride and escorts her back to his family home, where the crowd awaits and the marriage feast will be held. …When bride was ready, she would be placed on the back of a riding animal, and the groom, with his friends, would form a disorganized but lively parade.……This happy group would take the longest possible route back to the grooms’ home. ……Deliberately, wandering through as many streets of the village as possible so that most of the people could see and cheer them on as they pass.……At the grooms home some of the crowd would wait in the street as they anticipate the arrival of the strolling wedding party. (Pause)……The parable takes place at night, 10 young women are among the guests, each of them has a lamp, and of course all 10 lamps are lit.……For young unmarried women, in the Middle East, to move around in the dark without carrying lamps is unthinkable!……(Slow) What might they be doing in the dark and with whom? ……The 10 young women are very cautious in their behavior. …All have lamps and each of the lamps is burning. …But there are differences among them. …Half of them have brought extra oil with them in a small flask, while the other half had not taken this precaution.……The parade, winding slowly through the village, takes a bit longer than these 10 young women, in their youthful enthusiasm, anticipate. ……(Slow) Such things usually do. ……The Young woman became drowsy so they carefully placed their burning lamps on a window ledge or some other appropriate place and dozed off outside the house. (Pause)……Finally the front of the parade enters the alley and the cry goes out, “Behold the bridegroom. Come out to meet him.”……Guests and the family still in the house rushed out into the street.……The 10 young woke up suddenly, realizing that some time had passed and began to “service their lamps.”……To their horror, five of the women suddenly realized their lamps were almost out of olive oil and they had no reserves. ……The other five took out their little clay flasks and calmly filled their lamps.…The Five foolish women gathered around them demanding them to fill their lamps. ……But they were told, “We do not have enough for you and ourselves-go to the dealers and buy more!”……Irritated and anxious, the five decided to go get some oil, perhaps to beg, borrow or buy a bit of oil.……Everyone knows everyone in such villages, so to get a little oil from someone wasn’t really a problem-even in the middle of the night……In the meantime, the groom and his new bride arrived and the entire crowd followed them into the house upon which the door was closed and bolted. ……After all, it is the middle of the night.……The shortsighted five women finally acquire some oil, got their lamps working again and arrived back at the house. ……“Sir/Lord! Open up!” They shouted through the door.……The groom replied “I do not know you.”……In the Middle East the word no is never an answer, rather it is a pause in the negotiations.……But in this instance it seems I do not know you is the last word.……What then is the story all about?…On the ethical level Jesus appears to be saying four things:……First. The importance and worth of women is implied in this parable. …This could have been a parable about 10 young men. ……The Previous story in Matthews Gospel is an account of a master and two male servants one noble and the other shameful. …By contrast this story is about women, not men, and there are 10 of them, not 2. ……Why so?…Well. in the Gospels, the church is always feminine: the Bride of Christ. ……Therefore it is appropriate that Jesus chose women to act the part of the membership of the church both wise and foolish.……According to some Rabbinical Historians;

At that time in the Middle East they required 10 Jewish males to form a company for the celebration of the Passover.……And 10 males were also required for a valid wedding ceremony.…By choosing 10 women, Jesus is trying to compensate for the gender gap in the religious culture of his day. …The worth of women is clearly affirmed by the composition of the story.……Second, there is the question of borrowed resources. ……The faithful borrow many things from each other.…But they cannot borrow their own preparations for the coming of the kingdom. …Commitment and the discipleship that follows can be neither loaned nor borrowed. …Each believer must participate in the kingdom with his or her own resources.……Thirdly, The long haul or journey as a Christian. …Life in the kingdom of God requires commitment to the long haul. …Advance planning is necessary and reserves must be on hand. …There is neither instant discipleship nor instant maturity as a believer

The 5 wise woman knew it might be a long night and prepared accordingly.……Fourthly The reactions to failure. …When things go wrong, due to poor judgment and other inadequacies, the resulting problems cannot be resolved by shouting orders at neighbors or at the Lord. ……As exhibited by the foolish women. ……When short of oil they demanded from their friends, “Give us some oil!” ……When they arrived late and found the door locked they cried to the bridegroom “Lord! Lord! Open the door!” ……These five women are like the rich man in the story of Lazarus, who in life mistreated Lazarus day after day. ……They both died and the rich man found himself in Hades while Lazarus was taken by the Angels to the side of Abraham.……The rich man then began giving orders. ……He commanded Abraham to send Lazarus down with a drink of water because he was thirsty. ……When that did not work, he made a second demand, which was, “Send Lazarus to my brothers to warn them.” ……The rich man expected Abraham to carry out these orders. ……(Slow) Lazarus was expected to jump at the chance of becoming either a table waiter or a messenger boy for the very man who had neglected him for years!……In the kingdom of God, barking orders at others is not an acceptable way to try to resolve problems created by our own inadequacies. (Pause)……(Slow) That is the Ethical Level of the Parable. ……But there is a more distinctively theological level to the story as well. …On that level Jesus appears also to be sharing with us these things:……1. There is a challenge and a warning related to his second coming.……The story clearly looks forward to the consummation of all things; when the Messiah comes to his own and his own receive him at the marriage supper of the Lamb.…Jesus knows that some who come to the banquet, who are deliberately waiting for his arrival, will not be ready when it happens.……For each believer, on a personal level, that meeting with the Lord will occur (P) at the time of death. ……2. The kingdom has a door that can and does close.……For all who are committed to the host of the banquet, the door to the banquet is open. …But near the end of the parable that door is closed. ……The Lord shares this truth with us concerning the last days. …Many will say to me on that day and �Lord, Lord did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles.……And then I will declare to them. “I never knew you”…The foolish virgins who stand for unfaithful disciples reveal that religious failure will suffer eternal punishment.……3. This parable is also a warning that the time of the arrival the bridegroom is unknown and that speculation regarding the hour is pointless. ……The enormous amount of energy (P) that in certain Christian circles is poured into such speculation (P) is here declared misguided. …The Scriptures tell us: “Of that day or that hour no one knows” (Mark 13:32).……4. Finally there is Christology. The parable also provides information about the person of Jesus.……Jesus is the returning bridegroom who will arrive triumphantly at the end of the age.…Be mature in the Faith……Beloved (P) Blessed are those whose lamps are faithfully kept burning as they watch and wait for his appearance.……Be Prepared. ……Let your light so shine that your Father in Heaven is glorified.……Be Ready (P) Be Ready (P) for The Cry at Midnight.……Amen and Amen!…

…Ten bridesmaids took their lamps, according to custom, and went to meet the bridegroom to usher him to the wedding banquet. Five of them were foolish, in taking no extra oil for their lamps, thinking that the bridegroom would not be deterred. But the others took an extra flask of oil for their lamps, in case their wait would be longer than expected.……So the bridegroom was delayed, and all ten of the bridesmaids became drowsy, and fell asleep. But then came the cry, “Awake, for the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him.” But as they got up and trimmed their lamps, the foolish bridesmaids discovered that they were nearly out of oil. Their lamps were going out.……So they asked those who had brought the extra oil if they might borrow some for their lamps. But the wise said, “No, we still don’t know how long we might need to wait. Go and buy some for yourselves.” And while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and they missed the opportunity to escort him to the wedding banquet. In fact, they were later even denied admission to the feast.……Now, considering the historical context, the scene in which this story originally unfolded, it is not difficult to see the symbolic meaning it presents. Clearly, the return of the risen and ascended Christ, the church’s bridegroom, was taking longer than the early Christians had anticipated.……And in the midst of their persecution, in the midst of the injustices that they were sustaining, this parable challenged them to keep their lamps of faith burning. I believe that they heard this story as a call to be vigilant in their hope that Christ would soon return, bring to an end their suffering and judge the world in righteousness.……But for those of us living today, the scene has changed. Nearly two thousand years of history has elapsed since this drama first hit the stage, expressing Christian hope. Over these years, there have been numerous wars, numerous periods of persecution, millions of people unjustly killed because of their faith. And still, the bridegroom has not arrived.……As a result, I doubt that there are many Christians today who anticipate that Jesus will return in their lifetime to judge the earth and right the injustices that diminish human life as God intended. As Michael L. Sherer points out in his commentary on our text, “Today, we are more inclined to interpret the call to readiness in a second, equally appropriate way: Be ready for the end of your world, when death comes… It can prove helpful as a preparation and a word of caution for us to be ready for the grave… Like the bridesmaids in this story, we must be ready, even when we’re sleeping, for the possibility of death to arrive.” End quote. [And God Said…Yes!, C.S.S., 1983]……Thus, even today, we need to be prepared to meet our crucified and risen Lord at any time, by keeping our lamps of faith lit. And I believe that it is by the grace of God, that we continue to have the oil that fuels our lamps of faith in plenty of supply. For the oil that keeps our light of faith glowing, is still the same oil that fueled the lamps of faith in the first century. It is the church, and the means of grace that it holds in its treasury.……First that oil, is the Word of God. It is a word that not only describes the history of people of faith, but through this sacred history, we can discern God’s promise of redemption and victory over sin and death, culminating in Christ’s death and resurrection. It is a Word that has been interpreted, and found to provide inspiration and meaning for life for thousands of years.……That oil is the sacraments – those rites which we celebrate in worship at our Lord’s command, that convey to us God’s gracious promise of new life. In baptism, God claims us as his own, uniting us to Christ’s death and resurrection, making us heirs of his eternal kingdom. And in Holy Communion, our Lord has promised to be present to us, to fuel our lamps of faith through the assurance of the forgiveness of our sins.……That oil is prayer, where we enter into conversation with God, and enable him to strengthen our relationship with him. As Jesus taught us, we can approach God in prayer as a loving parent, who truly cares for us, loves us, and is always willing to listen to us – to hear our joys and concerns with a caring ear.……That oil is the fellowship we share with other Christians, who share our faith and support us as we grow to walk with our Lord throughout our lives. That fellowship is shared as we study God’s Word, work together in the ministry of our congregation, and simply enjoy each other’s company over coffee or at play.……The truth is, the oil that fuels our lamps of faith is no different than the oil that fueled the lamps of faith for those who first read Matthew’s Gospel in the first century. Although their expectations of when and how they would meet the crucified and risen bridegroom of the church may differ from our own, it is the same oil that fuels the light of faith from one generation to the next.……Thus, this parable suggests to me that we should not regard our participation in the life of the church, and the means of grace that God offers to us, with complacency. It is a treasure that not only helps us to prepare for his coming to judge the world in righteousness, but also to prepare us to meet the end of our life, where the faithful will be with Christ forever. Amen.