PARABLE OF THE 10 VIRGINS

Matthew 25:1-13

Introduction
Today, as we continue our journey through the parables of Jesus, I just want to
remind you of an important principle when interpreting parables, which is that we should not interpret them
excessively. It is tempting for many scholars and pastors to start reading all kinds of
allegorical meanings in parables like the one before us today, but I will try to resist
this temptation is to highlight only the characteristics of the parable that can clearly be seen
meaning in the context in which the parable is given. I will try to emphasize only the aspects of the parable
that Jesus Himself seems to emphasize in the way He relates the parable in context.

Thus, for example, we will not be entering into fanciful interpretations of what the
numbers ten or five can mean with respect to the virgins, or talk about whether the oil represents or
not anything. Jesus clearly did not attach any significant meaning to such details, and we
we should not either.

Thus, without further ado, let us go through this parable verse by verse.

THE PARABLE
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet
meet the groom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish, upon
they took their lamps, but did not take oil with them; however, the wise ones, in addition to
lamps, they took oil in their vessels. And as the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and
they fell asleep. But at midnight, a shout was heard: Here is the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! Then, if
they raised all those virgins and prepared their lamps. And the foolish said to the
wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the
the prudent answered: No, so that we do not lack for ourselves and for you! Go, rather, to those who
sell it and buy it. And, as they went out to buy, the groom arrived, and those who were prepared
they entered with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Later, the foolish virgins arrived,
crying out: Lord, lord, open the door for us! But he answered: Truly I say to you, I do not know you.
I know. Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Matthew 25:1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps...
lamps, went out to meet the groom.

As He had done in the Parable of the Wedding Feast (in Matthew 22: 1-14), so here
again Jesus makes use of the metaphor of the bridegroom to refer to Himself as the Messiah. The metaphor
is used this way in various places in the Scriptures. For example, in the Old Testament, Hosea
he spoke of the days of the coming of the Messiah through this metaphor:

Hosea 2:19-20 I will betroth you to me forever; yes, I will betroth you to me in righteousness
and justice, in kindness and mercy; I will betroth you to me in faithfulness, and you will know the
Sir.

Later, John the Baptist, the forerunner of the Messiah, used this image to describe both the
the ministry of the Messiah as his own relationship with that ministry:
NKJ John 3:25-30 Then a dispute arose between some of John's disciples and the Jews about the
purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the
John, to whom you testified - behold, he is baptizing, and everyone is coming to him!
John answered and said: A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.
28 And you yourselves say to me that I said: 'I am not the Christ,' but 'I was sent before him.' 29
He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly.
greatly because of the voice of the bridegroom. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. 30 He must
increase, but I must decrease.

And then, of course, Jesus also used this image elsewhere to refer to himself:
Matthew 9:14-15 Then John's disciples came to him [Jesus], saying, 'Why do we and the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?'

The Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?” 15 And Jesus said to them:
Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn while the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come.
"when the bridegroom is taken away from them, then they will fast."

This image can also be found in the teachings of the early Church. For example,
the apostle Paul used this image in a manner similar to that of John the Baptist to describe his
own ministry for Christ:

For I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband...
a husband, so that I may present you as a pure virgin to Christ.

This image was also used in the revelation received by the apostle John while he was in
island of Patmos, where he had a vision of the return of Christ:

And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of

many waters and like the sound of powerful thunder, saying: 'Hallelujah! For the Lord God reigns
Almighty! 7 Let us be joyful, let us rejoice and give him glory, for the wedding of the Lamb
They arrived, and his wife got ready. "8 And it was granted to her to be dressed in fine linen,
clean and shimmering; fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me: "Write:
Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' And he said to me: 'These
they are the true words of God.

Of course, in the passage that we have before us today, Jesus is also making use of images.
additional ones created that await the arrival of the groom and the subsequent celebration.

DA Carson describes with interest the first backdrop of the century for this image:

The scenario is quite clear based on what we know about the customs of the day's wedding.
Usually, the groom would leave home with a few close friends to go to the bride's house, where
various ceremonies took place, followed by a procession through the streets - after dark - until their
house. The ten virgins can be bridesmaids who helped the bride; and they expect to meet the groom.
as he comes from the bride's house, although this is uncertain. It was expected that everyone in the procession
they would carry their own torch. Those without a torch would be assumed to be intruders or even
bandits. The festivities, which could last several days, would officially begin at the house of
groom. (EBC, Vol. 8, p. 513)

In the context of this passage, Jesus is using images that reflect these practices to
refer to His second coming. Thus, the ten virgins represent those who are waiting for His return in
end of times, when the celebration will begin.
 Matthew 25: 2-4 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were
foolish, took their lamps and did not take oil with them, 4 but the wise took
oil in your vessels with your lamps.
Note here that the important point is not how many virgins there were - ten - or how many virgins
they were wise in contrast to how many were foolish - five each - but rather simply that some
there were wise and some were foolish. And the difference between the wise and foolish virgins is seen in how they
they were prepared for the coming of the groom. Those who were wise cared about the role that
they had received, which should be ready to turn on the lights when the groom arrived, so that
they made sure that not only did they bring their lamps, but also that they brought oil
to place them. Those who were foolish, however, really did not care enough to
they were ready, so they brought their lamps, but they did not bring any oil to put in
in them.
Now, it seems that they all claimed to be worried about the wedding and the arrival of the groom.
Otherwise, why were they there in the first place? And why did they bother to bring
your lamps? But, as we will see later, not everyone who claims to be a friend of the bridegroom is
true.

Matthew 25:5 But while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
There are two points in this verse that we must pay special attention to.

First, Jesus says that the bridegroom was 'delayed'. This is important because Jesus is telling the
His disciples in advance that His return will be delayed from their point of view. In doing so,
He warned all of us that this would be the case, so we should not be surprised that Jesus still
he had not returned. This is one reason why, later in his ministry, Peter did not want that
the believers of the early Church would be surprised that Jesus had not returned yet, and we are too
we would do well to remember your words:

Dear ones, this is now the second letter I am writing to you; in both,
I seek to awaken your enlightened mind with memories, so that you may remember the words.
which were previously said by the holy prophets, as well as the command of the Lord and
Savior, taught by your apostles, taking into account, first of all, that, in the last days,
mockers will come with their mockery, following their own desires and saying: Where
Is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were.
as since the beginning of creation. Because, deliberately, they forget that, for a long time,
there were heavens as well as earth, which arose from the water and through the water by the word of God, by
which came to perish the world of that time, drowned in water. Now, the heavens that exist and the
earth, by the same word, have been stored up for fire, being kept for the Day of
Judgment and destruction of the wicked. Yet, beloved, there is one thing that you should not forget:
that, for the Lord, one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years, like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise.

promise, as some judge it to be delayed; on the contrary, he is patient with you, not
wanting that none perish, but that all come to repentance. He will come, however,
like a thief, the Day of the Lord, in which the heavens will pass with a loud noise, and the elements
they will be destroyed by fire; also the earth and the works that are in it will be affected. Since
All these things shall be undone, you must be like those who live in holiness.
procedure and piety, waiting and hastening the coming of the Day of God, .....
However, Pedro was simply repeating the lessons he learned from Jesus, who us
He prepared us for this delay, and He warns us in this parable to be ready for His return.
over the period of delay.

Second, note that "all slept and slept." That is, both the wise and the foolish virgins.
they were sleeping. This means that we cannot read anything negative into this detail, especially because
Jesus does not indicate anywhere in the parable that this was a problem. As John Piper observes
in your treatment of this verse:

All ten slept, not just the fools. This is not sleeping on the job of life. Sleeping is
part of the work. What it means to sleep in this parable is simply the ordinary activities of
life. We are not called to climb a mountain and idly contemplate the sky
while we wait for Jesus. We are called to do our work. So rest. So
do more work. Blessed is the servant whom the master finds doing his work when
he comes (Matthew 24:45). All ten fell asleep because sleep is part of the normal rhythm of life.
what we should follow while we work, rest, and wait for Jesus. ( Jesus Christ, the
Groom, Past and Future

I agree that the question is not whether they slept or not when they were tired. The question is whether
they were or were not ready and if they were or were not ready all the time, even when they were
awakened by the arrival of the groom. This becomes clear when we look at the rest of the parable.

Matthew 25: 6-9 And at midnight a cry was heard: "Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him."
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish ones...
they said to the wise: Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. 9 But the wise
they answered, saying: No, so that there is not enough for us or for you; but go more to those who...
sell and buy for themselves.

The wise virgins should not be seen here as being selfish, but rather as being exactly the
that Jesus called them - wise. And this can be seen in the fact that they are prepared to shine
his lights. The reason they will not share with the foolish virgins is that they cannot
share with them. For they must be prepared for the bridegroom, and if they allow that the
foolish virgins create the same problem for themselves that they are facing, then
no one will be ready for the bridegroom. In other words, the wise virgins are not moved by
selfish interests, but for the interests of the groom. And they will not take part in the madness of those.
who are not worried about the groom and therefore are not ready to meet him as
they should.

This teaches us that each one of us is individually responsible for being ready for the return.
of Jesus. And, no matter how much we like to prepare others, we cannot. Each one is responsible for
be ready for yourself. This responsibility is also clearly emphasized by our
Lord Jesus in what He says next, for He continues to describe what happens to the virgins
wise and foolish.

Matthew 25:10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to
the wedding; and the door was closed.

Those who are ready can participate in the celebration, but those who are not ready
they will be excluded. I think Vernon C. Grounds captures well the application of this passage when
write:

George Morrison, one of the most popular preachers in Scotland in the early 20th century, was
known for a sermon titled 'The door always open'. And on his deathbed he exclaimed:
It is open for me now, and I am going through. As a believer, he certainly passed through the door.
for the glory. This door will not always be open, however. Someday the door of grace will be
closed and the unbelievers will be excluded from the presence of God forever.

The eloquent English evangelist George Whitefield (1714-1770) once preached on the text: "... and the
the door was closed” (Mt. 25:10). A man in the audience was heard saying to another: “And then? Another
the door will open. "But when Whitefield continued preaching, he said: "There may be someone here
to be careless and satisfied with oneself, and to think: 'What does it matter if the door is
Closed? Another will be opened. Yes, it will be - the door of the abyss well, the door of hell!

When time is up, and God closes the door of salvation, the door to misery, darkness and
Despair will open up. But today, if you trust in Jesus Christ, you enter through the still open door.
for eternal life. Have you passed through this door? (February 7, 1996, entry of Our Bread
Diary

This is a point that I hope everyone will seriously consider when we think about this parable,
for the Lord Jesus is telling the parable to warn us, even now that, although His second
Blessing may be postponed, we never know when that will happen, or when our time will run out.
while we are waiting for this. That is why Jesus is as loving as he continues to us
warn and continue to tell us about the suffering of fools.

Matthew 25: 11-12 Then the other virgins came also, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us! 12
He replied: Certainly, I tell you that I do not know you.

This verse reflects a similar earlier teaching of Jesus, which is found in the Sermon on the
Mountain. And it is one of the most frightening passages in the Scriptures!
 Matthew 7:21-23 Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
he who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day: "Lord, Lord,
Did we not prophesy in your name, did we not cast out demons in your name, and did we not do many
wonders in your name?” 23 And then I will declare to them: “I never knew you; depart from me, you
practices iniquity!

The point of both passages is that many may claim to know the bridegroom - the Lord Jesus Christ.
- but that doesn't mean they really know Him. And the difference between those who really know Him
they know and those who do not know him in this parable is seen in their readiness for His coming.
There will be many professed believers who will be surprised on that day!

I remember a saying by John Newton, the writer of the classic Christian hymn 'Amazing Grace':

If I ever reach heaven, I hope to find three wonders: first, to find some that I
I didn't think I would see it there; second, to miss something that I was expecting to see there; and third, the biggest
wonder of everything, find me there. (As quoted here)

I agree that it will indeed be a wonder for any of us to be there, but I don't think that
we need to worry about whether we will be there or not, as long as we are trusting in Christ and
looking for His return. To be sure, He gives us this parable as a warning, but it is also
an encouragement for those of us who truly trust in Him. For we will also carry the
seriously the main lesson of this parable, as Jesus continues to affirm.

Matthew 25:13 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour in which
The Son of Man is coming.

Once again, Jesus emphasizes what He had previously told the disciples, namely, that no one
You know the day or the hour of His return (remember Matthew 24:36). And here is an important reason.
to "monitor" your return.

The translated word watch here is grēgoreúō, which means "literally to watch, to be or to remain".
awakened (MK 13.34) and figuratively being attentive, watchful, alert (MT 24.42) (Friberg # 5683,
BibleWorks.

Thus, Jesus is saying that His true disciples will live their lives like those who are
ready for Your return, always vigilant, always alert, always seeking to do what He
called us to do while we wait. And this includes, more specifically, seeking to fulfill the
Great Commission, taking the Gospel to a lost and dying world.
As Richard Bauckham wrote: 'The delay of the parousia [the second coming] is filled with the
mission of the church" (as cited by Klyne Snodgrass, Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide
the Parables of Jesus, p. 518).

Conclusion: Just as the virgins should have their lamps ready to shine, so we must
shine for Jesus. As He also said to the disciples in the Sermon on the Mount:

NKJ Matthew 5:14-16 You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot
be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a
candelabrum, and gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light shine before men, so that
let your good works be seen and glorify your Father in heaven.

This is how we should live to be ready for His return! And if we are living this way
In this way, we will await your return with joy! Let us, therefore, trust in His grace.
to empower us to become faithful servants as we await His coming. Let us pray that He
make us those who can say with faith and joy: 'Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!' (Rev 22:20).