Storyteller: The Parables of Jesusනියැදිය

Be Ready! (The Parable of the Ten Virgins)

In Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus teaches about His Second Coming from the Mount of Olives; this teaching is also known as the Olivet Discourse. Within the Olivet Discourse, we find a series of warning parables. There are various interpretations regarding these passages because they involve future events.

Although scholars and theologians debate about how to decipher the end times—and there is a lot we do not know as followers of Jesus—what we do know is that He will return and He will come in judgment. There are indicators that point to His coming, but we do not know the day or time. This is not to scare us or frustrate us, but to motivate us to be righteous, be ready, and be responsible.

Righteousness comes as we walk in the light of Christ, pursuing holiness as He is holy. To be responsible is to be on full alert, awake, and passionate for the cause of Christ. And being ready means knowing that He could return at any time and so continually fleeing from sin.

This is why Jesus tells the Parable of the Ten Virgins in the context of a Jewish wedding. In the ancient Near East, weddings were drastically different from those today. Marriages were arranged by the fathers of young children. As they came of age, they were betrothed to one another for a year without any contact, giving the groom time to get his affairs in order. At the end of the year, a wedding feast would be held to celebrate the couple’s marriage. The wedding feast was a week-long celebration that included the entire town coming and going from the house to enjoy the festivities.

A parade would kick off the wedding feast, and the bride and groom would march through the streets as people cheered for them and threw coins at them as gifts. The route for the parade was as long as possible, and it generally took place at night. Bridesmaids would line the streets with torches, not lamps, to light their way. It was important to keep the torches burning so they could see and be seen; therefore, olive oil was carried in a flask for refilling them when the flame started to go out.

In this parable, there are ten bridesmaids with torches. Five of them are wise; they planned ahead and knew what to expect, but five are foolish, knowing what to expect but not coming prepared. On the outside, they looked ready, wearing the wedding garments and carrying the torch, but when the time came, they were not. Jesus is not concerned with appearances—how we keep traditions, go to church, or even sing Christian songs—if we have an unrepentant heart that frequently and willfully chooses to sin.

Every bridesmaid fell asleep waiting for the procession, but at midnight, the news of the bridegroom coming stirred them awake. This is a warning from Jesus not to get drowsy and nod off while we await His return; instead, we need to exercise the virtue of endurance to wait well. In part, waiting well means we choose to stay closely connected with Him in relationship, trusting His Spirit, centering our lives on His truth, walking it out in obedience, being continually transformed, persevering in faith through hardship, repenting often, and loving others the way Christ would. Every day is an intentional choice to choose Christ above everything else. It will not be easy, but it will be worth it.

When the bridesmaids wake up, those who are foolish realize they do not have enough oil for the occasion. They beg with those who are wise to lend them some, but they are unable to share because they have just enough to keep their own torches lit. The foolish bridesmaids are forced to leave and buy more, but as they do, they miss the big event, the parade passes, and they are later refused entry to the party.

Again, Jesus offers another warning, saying there are certain things that cannot wait until the end of our lives because we do not know when that will be. There are no assurances about how long we will live, and leaving it to chance is foolish. It is literally a matter of life and death, and the decision to surrender our hearts and put our faith in Christ cannot be put off until the last minute because we may discover it will be too late.

The time is now. Be ready!

Prayer:

Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2, ESV)

Jesus, I confess I have put off deciding to put all my trust in You, but I say that I choose You. I choose You as the King over my heart and life because I do not want to live life on my terms anymore. I repent of my sin and acknowledge that there is nothing I can do to save myself. Thank You, Jesus, for dying so I could live. Thank You, for Your shed blood that cleanses me, and thank You, for the hope of abundant life and eternity spent in Your presence. Let me long for You, Lord, I ask that You use me to share Your hope with others so they too will long for You. Amen.