Selie Visa
Scripture passage: At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.” “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.” 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. Later the others also came. “Sir! Sir!” they said. “Open the door for us!” But he replied, “I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.” Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.(Matthew 25:1-13 NIV)
The delay of the Parousia
This parable speaks of the time of the Lord’s Second Coming to reward his faithful servants and take vengeance on the faithless. The kingdom of heaven is likened to the ten virgins, five of whom were wise, and five foolish. The virgins denote the purity of the Christian doctrine and character.
The Messiah as a bridegroom springs from such Old Testament passages. There the Lord is portrayed as the “husband” of his people. In the New Testament, both John the Baptist and Jesus himself made the equation that Jesus = Messiah = Bridegroom. The plot in the Parable of the Ten Virgins turns on the bridegroom’s delay and the need for preparedness for the Son of Man. The foolish virgins do not forget to bring oil; rather, the delay of the bridegroom shows they did not bring enough. The delay of the Parousia requires certain types of behavior, especially in light of the unexpectedness of Jesus’ return.
The words “became drowsy and fell asleep” speak of the two stages of spiritual decline or moral deterioration. First, the half-involuntary lethargy or drowsiness that is apt to steal over one who falls into inactivity. This is followed by a conscious, deliberate yielding to it with little vain resistance. Such was the state of the wise and the foolish virgins, till the cry of the Bridegroom’s approach awoke them.
In the Parable of the two servants, the wicked servant uses the delay to abuse his fellow servants and celebrate in the absence of the master. But the wicked servant, surprised and unprepared for his master’s return, is put with the “hypocrites.” The wicked servant is “worthless,” for to fail to do good and use what God has entrusted to us is grievous sin, which results not only in the loss of neglected resources but in rejection by the master, banishment from his presence, and tears and grinding of teeth. Thus the parable of the virgins stresses the need for preparedness in the face of an unexpectedly long delay.
The wise and the foolish virgins
At the time of the return of the Son of Man, this parable will become relevant; the kingdom of heaven will become like the story of the ten virgins. The setting is fairly clear from what we know of the marriage customs of those days. Normally, the bridegroom, with some close friends, left his home to go to the bride’s home, where there would be 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 could last several days, would formally get underway at the groom’s house.
Jesus refers to ten virgins or maidens, a favorite round number in scripture, who were invited to the wedding. The “lamps” are either small oil-fed lamps or, more plausibly, torches whose rags would need periodic dowsing with oil to keep them burning. In either case, the prudent would bring along a container with an additional oil supply.
The “wise” are called such because they are prepared for the bridegroom’s delayed coming. Both wise and “foolish” wait and doze; no praise or blame attaches to either group for this. The sole distinction between the two groups is this: the wise bring not only oil in their lamps but an extra supply in separate jars, while the foolish bring either no extra oil or no oil at all. The wise are prepared for delay. They took care to make a proper provision beforehand and left nothing to be done at the last moment. The foolish expect to meet the groom, but are either utterly unprepared if he is delayed. They were careless and foolish who did not see what was proper or necessary. They did not see that it was necessary to have oil in their vessels, (the salvation of God in their souls), as well as a burning lamp of religious profession. And the bridegroom is a long time coming.
At midnight (a symbol of the end of time) the cry rang out, “Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” All the virgins wake up and trim their lamps, but the lamps of the foolish virgins quickly go out. The wise virgins cannot help them. The foresight and preparedness of the wise virgins cannot benefit the foolish virgins when the eschatological crisis dawns.
Do not fall into Spiritual Carelessness
The bridegroom comes, the wise virgins enter, and the door is shut. The intense cries of the ill-prepared and foolish latecomers are of no avail. They had once hearts illuminated and warmed by faith and love. But over time they had backslidden from the salvation of God, and now they are excluded from heaven. Through their carelessness, they have let the light that was in them become darkness, and have not applied in time for a fresh supply of the salvation of God. This parable of an oriental wedding concerns the consummation. The refusal to recognize or admit the foolish virgins must not be construed as a calloused rejection of their lifelong desire to enter the kingdom. Far from it: it is the rejection of those who, despite appearances, never made preparation for the coming of the kingdom. The final verse reiterates the watchfulness that must mark all believers. It gives the main theme of the parable, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Be watchful! Be Ready!
At no time, Jesus said, would the actual day and hour of his coming be made known to us. This would remain hidden in the depth of his counsel. Jesus sought to emphasise two things regarding this great prophecy of his return. First, his people should be ever watching for him, and secondly, they should be ready to meet him when he comes. Watchfulness underscore the necessity for believers to remain spiritually alert. The second emphasis is the importance of preparedness. The dual themes of watchfulness and readiness are vital components of a vibrant Christian faith. They encourage believers to remain active, purposeful, and hopeful as they navigate life, knowing that they will ultimately see their Lord in all his glory.
