Summary: Waiting for Jesus return can make people grow complacent about the fact that He IS indeed coming back, and it really will be soon.
Jesus is telling a story about ten virgins who are like
bridesmaids at a wedding. In order to make sense of
Jesus' story, we need to understand a bit about Jewish
Traditionally, the groom would leave from his house
and travel, after sun-down to the bride's home, and
then he would take the bride back to his house, where
the ceremonies and celebrations would continue for a
couple of days.
The ten virgins in this story would be waiting outside
the bride's home for the arrival of the groom but
would not know exactly at what hour he would arrive.
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten
virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were
prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they
took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks
along with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom was
delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at
midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom!
Come out to meet him.'
Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your
oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the prudent
answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you
too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for
yourselves.' And while they were going away to make
the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who
were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and
the door was shut. Later the other virgins also came,
saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' But he answered,
'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' Be on the alert
then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."
Procrastination. It's a universal part of the human
experience isn't it? We put off doing the things we're
supposed to be doing because we figure we have time
to get to it later. Some people seem like professional
For some reason, when we think we have lots of time,
it creates in us a feeling of laziness and a bad habit
that can be hard to snap out of when it is time to get
Jesus lived and walked this earth about 2000 years
ago. That's a long time ago.
When He was on the earth, one of the things He talked
about with those who were closest to Him was the fact
that he was going to leave them, but then would soon
return again and receive them to Himself, that where
He is, there they may be also.
You find this throughout His teachings in the gospel
and throughout the New Testament.
But another thing that Jesus taught was that no one
really knew when this soon return was going to take
place. And so, for 2000 years now, believers have
been in the difficult position of having to live life as if
Jesus might return at any moment, and yet with each
passing year having the knowledge that it's been
another year and He still hasn't returned.
My Grandfather was a preacher and my Mother was a
church planter so since I was a young boy I've been
hearing people say that Jesus is coming back any day.
You've got to be ready. I'm sure that those of you who
are older than me have heard such statements for
History shows that for 2000 years people have looked
at what is going on and felt sure that the 2nd coming of
Christ was imminent.
This waiting can make people grow complacent about
the fact that He IS indeed coming back, and it really
could be soon.
Jesus knew this would be difficult for those He walked
the earth with, as well as for those of us who would
follow thousands of years later. And He told stories or
parables to help us think through the way we should
live our lives in the light of His mysteriously long
His point which He makes throughout these stories, is
that people need to be living as if they are ready and
waiting for His return.
"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which
day your Lord is coming. But be sure of this, that if the
head of the house had known at what time of the night
the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert