Postkiwi

A Story about Ten Girls

The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten girls took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps. The groom was late arriving, and the girls became drowsy and fell asleep. Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here’s the groom! Come to meet him!”
When the girls got up and started getting their lamps ready, the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
The girls who were wise answered, “There’s not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
While the foolish girls were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The girls who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed. Later the other girls returned and shouted, “Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
But the groom replied, “I don’t even know you!”
So, my disciples, always be ready! You don’t know the day or the time when all this will happen.

Matthew 25:1 to meet the groom: Some manuscripts add “and the bride.” It was the custom for the groom to go to the home of the bride’s parents to get his bride. Young girls and other guests would then go with them to the home of the groom’s parents, where the wedding feast would take place.

Matthew 25:1-13 (Contemporary English Version) (CEV)
© 1995 American Bible Society

I’ve heard a few strange interpretations of this parable. Like the one where we’re told we shouldn’t sleep. ‘It’s a sign of disloyalty and laziness’. I don’t think so. After all, sleeping is an excellent way to prepare for action. When the time for action comes, don’t sleep.

What does make sense though is the call to invest in relationships with God and with one another now - while we have the opportunity.

From the context of Matthew 24 and 25, Jesus appears to be asking his followers to be prepared for his second coming. If that’s the case, we need more than an individual preparation for the contingency of Jesus returning in our lifetime. We need a ‘Body of Christ’ approach that keeps the fire burning over many lifetimes.