Matthew 25:1-13
Let’s continue to pray for Jim and Marty.
“Notice what you notice.” An insignificant, but interesting item… Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. (v. 7) My Study Bible guided me in understanding this sentence. The ten virgins were going outside to meet the bridegroom, so they probably would have been using torches as “lamps” instead of typical oil lamps (to withstand the night air). The torches were rags soaked in oil and mounted on a stick. The outer edges of the rags burned while the torches were lit, and those outer edges needed to be “trimmed” and new oil added when the torches were lit again. So that’s some understanding for “trimming their lamps”. I had always wondered!
A couple of items of note… When Jesus is telling parables, some items might seem unlikely for real life. There are two of those items in this parable. First, when the bridegroom is coming at midnight and the five foolish virgins have no oil, the wise virgins tell them to go buy oil from the dealers. At midnight…?? Maybe not. The second item is that the foolish virgins were shut out from the wedding when they arrived late. If they were like bridesmaids I would expect that they would have been known to the bride and that they would have been admitted. Again, strange…! However, Jesus is telling a parable and making a point that the Kingdom will be shut to those who are unprepared when He returns.
Finally, once again we have those fearful words, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. (v. 12) Lord, help us to be known to You!
Slava Bohu!
I wondered about finding oil sellers at midnight!
This is another parable about what we are to do while waiting. Talents parable, use the gifts God has given you. Sheep and goats, serve others in need. But this one is about preparing what you cannot borrow or buy at the end, your own relationship with God. I am in the spirituality class and this is serious stuff.