Getting Ready For Jesus

Matthew 25: 1-13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘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.’
10 “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.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Psalm 37:27-33

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.
28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[a];
the offspring of the wicked will perish.
29 The righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;
their feet do not slip.
32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;
33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

Reflection

Have you ever waited for something you were really looking forward to?
I have: Katie and I dated for almost 5 years before we were married. That is a long time!
Katie and I decided to wait to be married because we wanted to both have jobs and wanted to be done with school. While we were dating, there were many times that Katie and I, even our good friends, joked that we should just forget our convictions and get married. Even though we joked and our patience was exhausted, we waited because we new that the prize was worth it, that one day we would be married.
While on our honeymoon, Katie and I were talking at breakfast one morning about how long we had to wait to be married. After a while Katie looked at me and said, “I am glad we waited. I think everything worked out perfectly.”
I looked at her and said, “I could not a agree more.”
In Jesus’s parable in Matthew 25, the brides are in a similar situation to what Katie and I were in; well maybe just Katie. The virgins of Jesus’s parable are waiting for this groom to come for them. Five of the virgins are wise and make sure that if their groom comes at night that they will have enough oil in their lamps to find their way. The other five become impatient and lose faith that their groom will come. Soon the five unwise virgins run out of oil, so that if their groom came at night they would not be able to find their way.
Soon the groom comes and the five wise virgins are prepared for their grooms, but the five unwise virgins are not. The five unwise virgins are soon left outside of their own wedding ceremony because they were not prepared.
Throughout scripture, God’s people are called “the bride of Christ” and God is called “the groom.” Jesus’s audience would have understood who was who in this story. The virgins were the people of God and the groom was God.
In Matthew 25, Jesus is preparing his followers for what is about to happen, Jesus is about to be crucified, resurrect, and then ascend into heaven, leaving his followers. Jesus does not leave without a promise, “I will return again.”
Therefore, Jesus encourages his followers to not lose heart, become impatient, and or unwise. We might not know when Jesus will return; we are always to be ready, for the Kingdom of God will come like a “thief in the night.”
This parable begs a difficult question: Are we ready?

Questions

1. Who are the virgins supposed to represent in Jesus’s parable?
2. Who is the bridegroom supposed to represent in Jesus’s parable?
3. Why do the unwise virgins stop storing oil for their lamps?
4. What happens when the unwise virgins are unprepared?
5. What does this parable tell us about how you are to wait for God’s return?
6. What are some ways you can make sure that you are prepared for God’s return?
7. Think of ways you can prepare for God’s return as a family.
8. Pray for each other.