The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25 is a masterpiece. It is realistic in its details and poignant in application, and the deeper a person explores it, the more profound its lessons become.
Jesus tells about ten young women who are invited to a marriage feast. Five are wise and five are foolish. The wise women show their wisdom by planning for the possible delay of the bridegroom. They take extra oil for their lamps so they will be ready when he comes. The foolish women neglect to do so. While the women wait, they all fall asleep. Suddenly a cry goes out that the bridegroom is coming. The wise get up and trim their lamps. The others recognize that they are out of oil and ask to borrow some. “No,” say the wise. “There may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.” The women who are unprepared start off for more oil, but while they are gone the bridegroom comes, and those who are ready go in with him to the feast. After a while the foolish virgins return and find the door shut.
“Open the door for us!” they cry.
But the bridegroom says, “I don’t know you.”
The Lord concludes, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour [of my return].”
It is not difficult to see the story’s main point: Five were ready and five were not. But it is also worth seeing the ways in which the women are alike.
The first thing we notice is that all ten had been invited to the banquet. Each of these women had received an invitation and was anticipating a banquet when the bridegroom came. This feature singles out the people who have heard the Gospel invitation.
Secondly, all responded positively to the invitation. Some may have disregarded it or scorned it, as the townspeople did in one of Jesus’ other parables. But that was not the case with these women. They had received the invitation and had responded positively, which they demonstrated by waiting for the bridegroom’s appearance.
Next, all were part of the visible Church. They had joined the fellowship of those who were waiting for the Lord.
Fourth, they all had some affection and even love for the bridegroom. They were not indifferent participants. This was a happy occasion, and they were happy for the bridegroom.
Fifth, each confessed Jesus as their Lord.
Sixth, all believed in and in some sense were waiting for Jesus’ second coming. This is all highly commendable. Here were people who had heard the Gospel invitation, responded to it, professed love for Christ, joined the Church, acknowledged Jesus as Lord, and were now waiting for Christ’s return. Could anything be more desirable?
Finally, all ten virgins became drowsy and fell asleep when the bridegroom’s coming was delayed. Unbelievers sleep, but so do the elect at times. But suddenly the bridegroom came, and immediately the similarities vanished and the critical difference emerged. Five were ready and five were unprepared.
Maranatha!
(mar-uh-nath-uh – “Our Lord Comes”) Pastor Steve can be reached at PastorSteve@MaranathaBibleChurch.org