Day 32 of 49
The Kingdom of God
Weddings today can be great extravaganzas. They take lots of planning, sometimes those involved get stressed out, and we’ve all heard the stories of bridezillas.
Weddings bring friends and families together. It’s a time to celebrate the creation of a new family unit. Hopefully the day is filled with joy and laughter and not too much drama.
First century Jewish wedding celebrations lasted a whole week. Community and family came together to rejoice with the couple.
The wedding began with the betrothal. The promises made at the betrothal could only be broken through divorce. After the ceremony, the groom returned home to his father’s house and prepared the a place for his bride. Only when the place was prepared and the father approved, would the groom go and bring the bride to his place for the wedding and celebration.
Families lived together in an insula. The mother and father lived in the main rooms. When a son married, he would build or fix up an extension to the insula where he and his wife would live. These rooms surrounded a central courtyard where life’s activities like cooking and cleaning, or getting together for songs and stories took place.
While the groom worked on the home for his bride, wedding invitations went out. They didn’t have a specific date or time, because it totally depended on the house being prepared for the bride. The people in the community had a general idea when it would take place because of progress on the house and the preparations for the celebration.
When the time came, servants would go out to the invited guests letting them know the party was starting. The groom would go and get the bride, who knew the time was near and so constantly watched and prepared for her groom.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,
4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’
10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.
11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Mt 25:1–13.
In this parable, we can assume the wedding feast is all set. The invited have been called to come. These virgins were invited guests, waiting for the bridegroom to come for his bride. I think the virgins were part of a group that accompanied the bride and groom from the bride’s house to the party at the groom’s place. The lamps may have been part of the celebration, drawing attention to the bride and groom.
It doesn’t say why he was delayed, just that he didn’t come when expected. All ten virgins fell asleep. Some virgins came prepared for a possible delay.
So the call came at midnight, “Come and greet the bridegroom”. Those who came with an extra supply of oil joined the party, while the others went to buy oil for their lamps…at midnight when a party was going on. By the time they arrived with their lighted lamps, it was too late.
Commentaries debate the lamps and the oil. Did they symbolize faith, good works, the Holy Spirit? Any one of those can work in applying this parable to our lives. We need to have faith in the Lord, and our good works glorify the Lord, and we can’t do any of it without the Holy Spirit.
Does it symbolize those that have trusted in Jesus as their Savior, and those just going through the actions of believing?
Perhaps this is just a simple warning to persevere in our faith and good works, because the Lord has delayed his coming. We don’t know when he will come, and we want to be found doing his will.
Lord, you know that I am going to fall asleep and fail as I follow you. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit who will continually work in our lives and nudge us awake so that we can rejoice with you for all eternity.
TRICIA LATHROP 