IDEA: Parables give us lessons about God that relate to life.
TEXT: "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard, 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 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 shut.
Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (Matthew 25:1-13).
PURPOSE: To have listeners understand what the parable teaches.
Suppose you felt that I could tell you about the future. What would you like to know? How would you feel if, in answering you, I told you stories?
In Matthew 25, Jesus was talking with His disciples about the future and, in doing so, He told them some parables.
I. For example, He told them the story of ten young women who were invited to a wedding feast in their community.
The ten carried lamps to light the way for the bridegroom if he arrived for the wedding after dark. Jesus said that five of the young women were wise and five were foolish.
The wise women showed their wisdom by taking extra oil for their lamps in case the bridegroom was delayed. The foolish women neglected to do so. The bridegroom took his own sweet time, and the young women all fell asleep. Suddenly a cry went up that the bridegroom was coming. The wise women got up and trimmed their lamps. The others realized they were out of oil and asked to borrow some. "No," said the wise, "there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves." While they were gone, the bridegroom came, and the five who were ready went in with him to the feast. The door was shut. Later the foolish came and found the door barred. "Open the door for us!" they shouted. But the bridegroom said, "I don't know you."
Then Jesus concluded, "In the light of this story, you keep watch, because you don't know the day or hour of My return."
II. So that's the story. What are the lessons you can draw front it?
Not everyone who is invited to the wedding and wants to go will be there.
Like the bridegroom, Christ may delay His coming longer than people expect.
What did that mean for people in the first century?
What does that mean for us today?
Like the five wise young women, His followers must be prepared for such a delay. Discipleship may be more demanding than some would suspect.
Like the foolish bridesmaids, those who do not prepare adequately may discover that there is a point beyond which there is no return. When the end comes, it will be too late to undo the damage of neglect.
"To keep watch" [dragoreo] doesn't necessarily mean "to stay awake" but merely to "be prepared." This is the major lesson of the parable, but not the only lesson. Are these "lessons" better than the parable itself in communicating truth to us