The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
Day 3 – The Parable of the Ten Virgins
By this point in our study, we should know to look at the context before and after the parable to help clue us in to what the point of the parable is. In the chapter before this Jesus is answering questions about his return at the end of time. This information is so helpful in interpreting this parable (and the parable that follows it).
Jesus’ main lesson in this parable is be prepared. He is coming back; he will return in glory, and we need to be ready.
To best understand this parable, we first need to define some of the terms. Bridegroom is the same thing as saying groom, and here, as in much of Scripture, is referring to Jesus. Virgins in this story should be thought of as bridesmaids. In this ancient Jewish culture, a groom would travel to the bride’s house, get married, and then they would travel back to the groom’s house. So, the bridesmaids having lamps is not just something Jesus adds in; the bridesmaids were the ones who lit the way for the wedding party to travel back to the groom’s house—they had a job to do.
Jesus, in saying that 5 of the bridesmaids were foolish, is pointing out that they would not have been able to do their job.
Fun fact: the Greek word used for “foolish” in this text is the word that the English word “moron” comes from. So, 5 of the bridesmaids are prepared for the task at hand, lighting the way for the wedding procession, and 5 of the bridesmaids are not (they are morons). Without extra oil one of these lanterns would only burn for 5-10 minutes, not nearly enough time for them to do their jobs.
The way Jesus explains the passage of time in the parable shows us that the 5 foolish bridesmaids had plenty of time to go and get extra oil.
They knew they didn’t have enough oil, but they chose to sleep instead of getting prepared. When the groom finally did come the 5 wise bridesmaids weren’t being jerks by not sharing; they knew that if they shared the oil then the wedding procession would not have the light it needed. With 5 working lamps they could make the whole journey. Eventually, the foolish bridesmaids arrived at the wedding reception, but the door was shut, and they were not welcomed in.
The most obvious truth in this parable is that Jesus is coming back, and we do not know the day or the hour, so we should always be ready. All the bridesmaids looked ready, they all had lamps, but only those with extra oil were truly ready. Also, the foolish bridesmaids were unable to borrow oil from the wise bridesmaids much like we cannot borrow faithfulness. The faith of your family, friends, or pastor cannot save you.
Let’s be people that don’t just have the appearance of readiness but are actually ready for Christ to return. Let’s be people that don’t borrow faithfulness from another but truly trust in the Lord and are faithful to him. Let’s be people that look expectantly for Christ’s return and are prepared, doing good work in the meantime.
Reflection
- Are you ready for Christ to return? If not, what can you be doing to get ready?
- Is your faith your own or are you “borrowing faith” from the people around you?
- Have you truly put your faith in Jesus or, like the foolish bridesmaids, do you only have the appearance of faith?