Matthew 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Jesus tells us the parable of the ten virgins...The parable is about us being prepared for the kingdom of heaven, the second coming of Jesus...None of us, know when Jesus will return or when the end of times will be, except God...
Marriage is a great time and to be in a wedding party was a great honor...The weddings, in these times, normally had the groom feasting with his friends at his (the groom's) house and the bride waiting at her house...There would be a part of the wedding that when the gifts given to the bride would be haggled about by the relatives for the value of the presents...Her gifts to the bride would have to be of great value, because she had such value and didn't she just choose a handsome and a wise partner...Sometimes this deal making and haggling could take time and delay a group of the wedding party...Also, when a feast and long party is going on, other things could delay the groom...Eventually the groom and his friends would go to the bride's and claim her and take her back to the groom's house for more celebration...This wedding trek to the groom's house would be a part of the wedding celebration...They would need some,who would be providers of the light...
Throughout the parable the bride is not mentioned...
In the parable the ten virgins need to be prepared...It is a very important night...Some Jewish traditions have ten witnesses at the weddings... The ten virgins are holding the lamps, so the bride can visit inside the bride's house and make a lighted trip back to the groom's... It is not a problem the virgins fell asleep...All the virgins, wise and unwise have fallen asleep...The first of the groom's wedding party comes to meet the wedding party and the foolish virgins are unprepared..The wise virgins had taken extra oil, while the foolish virgins had taken no extra oil...The lamps of the foolish virgins were out...They needed oil...Part of the people are now in the dark...They need light to find there way in this late hour to the groom's house...The nearest oil was held by the wise virgins, but they needed it to make the trip back to the groom's house for the continuing celebration...The foolish virgins ask the wise for some oil, but they have none to spare...The wise are prepared, the foolish are not..The party would need light for the trip to the groom's....
The groom now makes it to where the bride at her house (or where she was staying)...The foolish virgins are out looking to buy or get oil, in the middle of the night...The prepared, wise virgins meet the groom with their bright lamps burning...They can show the groom in to see his new bride...The wise are ready to make the trip back to the groom's house with the bride...The groom's party and wise virgins and the bride make it back to the groom's house for more celebration...
Later the foolish virgins arrive at the groom's house...The wedding party tells the late, foolish ones "I tell you the truth, I do not know you"...The person or person at the door would have known this important part of the wedding party...They had insulted the bride and groom and were now not going to be part of the celebration...Maybe, it would be how they would handle their own future weddings...The late arrivals had insulted the host...
Jesus said I am the light...We cannot get through, an especially dark night, without the light...We need the light...We need the Word of God...
The groom in the parable is Jesus...Many thought after Jesus was resurrected, judgment day would soon be coming...We should be ready, even if He runs late in our eyes...Regardless of the day, Jesus wants us to be prepared...Time can pass, we can fall asleep, but when we wake up, we must be prepared...Others maybe close to us and have what we need, but it is personal, and we all have to be prepared individually...If we are unprepared, we will face judgment...We can knock on the door, and announce ourselves, but if we have insulted the Host, we will not be let in...Keep watch, be prepared...