Matthew 25:1-13

Introduction

English Standard Version Chapter 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

This week we’re moving on to Matthew chapter 25 to look at the Parable of the Ten Virgins. However, in doing so, it’s important that we don’t forget our broader context. We’re still right in the middle of Jesus’ famous Olivet Discourse, and the two parables in chapter 25 are rooted in what Jesus said back in chapter 24. In fact, if we miss how these parables flow out of chapter 24 we’ll miss much of their intended impact. We all know that words taken out of context is always dangerous, because without the context those words can be twisted in all sorts of ways, but it’s also true that when we take someone’s words out of context that we can lose or miss the impact of those words, even if we aren’t twisting them to mean something else.

In fact, that’s been my own experience with these two parables here in chapter 25. Most often we read the scriptures using something like a Bible reading plan without stopping to engage in studying what we’ve just read. And that isn’t to knock having a Bible reading plan at all, Bible reading plans are a great idea, and I encourage everyone here to get one, but merely reading the Bible from beginning to the end over and over again has its limitations. Without regular and concentrated study we’re prone to read blocks of Scripture in isolation from one another.

For instance, you might get up early in the morning, read the chapters you have planned for that day, and go to work, then the following morning you do that same, however, this time you start reading, and part way through you realize that you’ve forgotten where you are in the story, or what you read the day before. And without going back and reading what you read the day before your comprehension of that day’s chapters is going to be limited. You’re going to have a hard time seeing the author’s overall point, or the flow of his argument that started several chapters earlier. And to do that it’s likely going to take some additional work.

And I point this out for a couple of reasons, first, to simply encourage everyone to set aside some time (maybe once a week) to just study a portion of Scripture, to dedicate some time to reading a single book or NT letter, to deliberately look for connections, consult some of the Bible study notes in the margins, or to read a book on a particular biblical topic from a trusted Bible teacher.

Matthew 24 & 25 connected

And the second reason I point this out is because it’s relevant to us here in Matthew chapter 25. We can read this parable and study this parable in isolation, and even come to a correct understanding of it, but this parable gets it’s punch from the conversation that preceded it, when the disciples, at the beginning of chapter 24, ask, ‘What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ And when Jesus answers them (in v. 36), he tells them that no one will know the day or the hour of his coming, that his second coming will be purposefully unexpected, that no signs will accompany his return. And that sets the stage for all of the parables that come after, both at the end of chapter 24 and all of chapter 25. In other words, my coming is going to be unexpected, so you better be ready, and here’s some parables that articulate what it means to be ready.

Four parables

There are four parables, two smaller ones at the end of chapter 24 and two larger ones that consume most of chapter 25, and each one increasingly builds upon the other. They cumulatively paint a picture of what is means to be ready for Christ’s unexpected return.

Parable #1 (like a thief)

The first one is simply meant to describe the unexpected nature of Christ’s return, that it’ll be like a thief in the night, we read there in chapter 24, verse 43,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

We’re told to be ready, because Jesus is coming at an hour we do not expect, but what does it look like to be ready?

Parable #2 (faithful servant)

Well, in our last time together we also read the second parable that compares a faithful and wise servant to an unfaithful wicked servant, we read in chapter 24, verse 45,

English Standard Version Chapter 24

45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The admonition here is simply this, to remain faithful, and to remain faithful despite our master’s seeming delay. That despite scoffers, and despite the temptation to put off faithfulness we remain faithful, so that when Christ comes he might find us about our Father’s business.

Parables #3-4 (preparedness & responsibility)

Then we reach the parable that’s before us today, the Parable of the Ten Virgins. How is this parable intended to build upon the others before it? Well, in short, the point of this parable is simply this, preparedness, to be prepared, and a warning against being unprepared for Jesus’ second coming. So if you hold onto anything from these texts today remember what they’re intended to teach us, 1) to be ready, because Christ’s coming will be unexpected, 2) to remain faithful even when it seems like our master has been delayed, 3) to be prepared, not to think you’ll have time to prepare at his arrival, because you won’t, and finally 4) the Parable of the Talents warns us against slothfulness, it teaches us that God has given each one of us certain opportunities and gifts in this life and that we’re not to waste them, or to squander them, but that we have a responsibility to use them for his glory.

And, again, I wanted to summarized these four parables for you so that you could see how they’re not only connected to one another but that they flow directly from prophecies in chapter 24, that it’s Jesus’ teaching on the second coming that’s the catalyst for the parables that follow.

Historical background

So, that being said, let’s read together, starting in verse 1 of chapter 25,

English Standard Version Chapter 25

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

Now, before we read any further, I want to provide some historical context. Jesus, here, likens the kingdom of heaven (specifically his second coming) to ten virgins (which simply means ten unmarried women), who take their lamps to go out and meet the bridegroom. The parable paints a picture of a wedding celebration, and Jesus is portrayed as the bridegroom who has come for his bride, and there are ten unmarried women who are a part of the bride’s wedding party (think bridesmaids), and they have been waiting for the bridegroom, to meet him and escort him and his party to the begin the celebration.

And while we don’t know a lot about the marriage customs of first century Israel we do know that the bridegroom would typically travel to the bride’s house, and women, like these virgins, would have been tasked with greeting the bridegroom and his party, and ultimately escorting the wedding party through the streets of their town on their way back to the bridegroom’s home, where the festivities would usually continue for several days.

Oil = Preparedness

Now, let’s continue reading there in verse 2,

English Standard Version Chapter 25

2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

So, get this picture in your mind, there are ten women who are waiting for the bridegroom, to run out and meet him, to escort him on his way. They’re carrying lamps so as to light their way, and to light the way of his caravan, to begin the wedding celebration. These women have a distinct role to play, but the bridegroom seems to be delayed, so they wait, until they all fall asleep. Then at once, at midnight, they’re startled awake by a shout, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” They all scramble to light their lamps but five of the women realize their lamps are going out, they didn’t bring flasks of oil to keep them lit. So they ask the other women to share, but there’s not enough, and there’s no time to buy more.

Now, I’ve often heard the oil described as being analogous to the Holy Spirit, but I don’t see anything here that lends us to believe that this is the case. In fact, if we tried to make that analogy we might end up reaching some very strange conclusions. For instance, the Holy Spirit is not a substance that can be given away, or given to another person, the Holy spirit himself is a person. The Holy Spirit is also not something that we can purchase or acquire for ourselves, like goods and services.

Instead, the oil here is intended to illustrate preparedness. Some of the virgins were prepared and some of them were not.

Tsunami example

It wasn’t but a year ago that we experienced the consequences of being unprepared ourselves, and I’m sure we can all relate. I had parked the car one night knowing that I was low on fuel, but thought it could wait until the morning, but later that evening, maybe even after we had gone to sleep, we were startled awake by an unexpected tsunami warning. Our phones were blaring and my wife insisted that well all get up and head for the hills, so we jumped in the car to travel to higher ground. And it wasn’t long after that, that I realized we were idling on an empty tank. I could see that we would eventually run out of fuel long before even the tsunami warning had passed, so we were thankful that it wasn’t cold outside and shut the engine off. And, in fact, had there been a real tsunami we may have needed our car for a far longer period of time.

Too late

All that to say, the oil in this parable is not representative of the Holy Spirit but of preparedness. While some of the virgins had enough oil in their lamps to go out and meet the bridegroom the others did not. And we read there in verse 10, that they tried to go out and buy oil anyway, but that it was too late,

English Standard Version Chapter 25

while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Procrastination

This parable isn’t particularly challenging to understand, but its implications are profound. Many of us have deep habits of procrastination, whether it’s waiting to the last minute or putting something off and begging for more time after the time has come. So it’s important to that realize that it’s playing with fire to procrastinate our faith, especially since we do not know the day or the hour of our Lord’s coming. We must not put off obeying him, we must not put off following him, we must be ready for his return.

Dressed for action

Unpreparedness is also symptomatic of a lack of concern, a sign of negligence and carelessness. Therefore, our love and concern for Christ and his return ought to compel us to be ready, to be prepared. While this parable isn’t found anywhere else in the Gospels, Luke includes a parable that’s similar in Luke 12:35, Jesus says,

English Standard Version Chapter 12

35 “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, 36 and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.

The phrase “dressed for action” is particularly descriptive of what it means to be prepared. We should ask ourselves how we might live differently, or what preparations we might make if we knew that Christ was returning tomorrow. What phone calls might we make, what conversation might we have, what actions might we take? And so it’s important to think often about these things, because when the bridegroom comes it’ll be too late, there will be no time left to prepare.

Conclusion

And it’s important for us to remember also, in light of these things, that Jesus’ warnings are for our good and given to us precisely because he loves us. So often in our modern context the world’s idea of love has no room for the truth, as if the truth were contrary to love, but often the most loving thing anyone can do is speak truthfully, and Jesus loves us enough to do so here.

When you read this parable it’s hard not to recall Matthew 7:21-23,

Matthew 7:21–23 ESV

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Likely one of the scariest texts in the NT, Jesus reminds us here, and in the Parable of the Ten Virgins that we must be watchful of our lives, not to despair, but to be watchful. Remembering that the kingdom of heaven is more than responding to an invitation, or making a one time confession but it’s for those who endure until the end, and despite our Bridegroom’s seeming delay those who are prepared, and eagerly awaiting our Lord’s return.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for your Word. Help us to take these things to heart. To prepare our hearts to be ready at any moment. Let us not be deceived to think we can procrastinate our faith, let us not think we can procrastinate our obedience. I ask that your Spirit would give us endurance, to not grow weary in doing good, to continually forsake our sin and pursue righteousness. Lord, we ask that you would keep us.