[Matthew 25:1-13]
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The 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. 8The 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, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
[Commentary/Background]
Wise disciples remain vigilant for Jesus’ return. In this parable the bridesmaids, rather than the bride herself, constitute the primary characters. Wedding processions from the bride’s to the groom’s home, accompanied by singing and dancing, normally happened at night and hence required light. The lamps in ancient weddings were not the small, hand-held lamps used under normal circumstances, but torches (as in Plut. Roman Questions 2, Mor. 263F; Ach. Tat. 2.11.1), perhaps sticks wrapped with oiled rags, as in traditional Palestinian Arab weddings (Jeremias 1972:174-75). Women torchbearers probably led the bride to the bridegroom’s home, joined by the groom and his male friends (Jeremias 1972:173). Presumably the bridesmaids are thus waiting outside the bride’s home for his coming, to escort her to his home (Argyle 1963:189).
In this particular parable (in contrast to 24:42-44) the issue is not that the virgins went to sleep–both the wise and foolish did so; this detail is merely part of the narrative’s setting. The issue is that some were not watchful enough to have sufficient oil (Beare 1981:482; Schweizer 1975:467)…
…Those unprepared for Christ’s banquet insult him and warrant judgment. The wise virgins’ unwillingness to share their oil reflects their concern for their friend’s wedding; since they had only enough for their own torches, sharing would cause all the torches to be extinguished, ruining the whole procession (Meier 1980:295; Gundry 1982:500). Bridal processions were so important that later rabbis even suspended their lectures so they could hail a passing bride (ARN 4A; 8, Section 22B); for the groom and (some held) for the attendants, weddings even took precedence over some ritual obligations (as in t. Berakot 2:10), so a breach of etiquette was serious.
Thus the foolish virgins were not excluded simply because the door was locked (25:10-11), nor because the host actually did not recognize them (v. 12), but because they had insulted the bride and groom as well as all their relatives! They would never be allowed to forget such an offense. To participate in their friend’s wedding was a great honor; as virgins, these young women were in a sense practicing for their own impending weddings around the age of twelve to sixteen. To have spoiled the wedding for their friend by failing to do their part was a great insult to everyone else at the wedding. That they would be shut out of the feast in punishment suits their case, but the language used to depict this nightmare points beyond itself to severer, eternal judgment, probably echoing the sayings in 7:21-23. Wedding feasts epitomized joy (as in Jn 3:29); the transgressors have been shut out. (Commentary from IVP New Testament Commentaries as provided by BibleGateway.com)
1. The commentary points out that the main issue with the foolish virgins was that they didn’t bring any oil for their lamps, and because they didn’t bring any they offended the bridegroom by ruining the bridal processional. Is there anything that you lack or that you aren’t doing that may be offending Jesus (think of this in the context of a love relationship in which you do anything you can to not offend the one you love
2. Knowing the context, does the story make mores sense to you?
3. We don’t know the day or hour of Christ’s glorious and awesome return. Remember that wedding banquets spoke of joy! This is something that we should want to look forward to! So, how can you keep watch, in the here and now, for Christ’s return? How can you get ready?