Holy Spirit Interactive: The Parables of Jesus

Please note that these parables have been adapted from a set of oral teachings and, consequently, retain some of the flavor of the spoken word. They have also been considerably abridged. The original teachings will be made available in audio and video format from HSI A/V Ministries shortly.

One day, shortly before his passion, Jesus was in the temple, and he fired the daylights out of the pharisees and the teachers of the law. He accused them of being hypocrites and really chewed them up. As he left the temple, he pointed to the buildings and said to his disciples: "Do you see all these things?" he asked. "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." (Matthew 24:2)

Later, when Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him and asked. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

He replied: "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come."

Jesus then presents four parables that speak of the importance of watchfulness and readiness for the coming of the Messiah. The Parable of the Ten Virgins is one of them.

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

As with all the parables that Jesus told, this image is borrowed from the practices and customs of Jesus's times. Let's take a brief look at an Israelite wedding. In an Israelite wedding, the focus was not on the bride, as it is in our weddings. The focus was on the bridegroom.

When the time came for him to be married, he would leave his house, or his parents house, and make his way across town to the house in which all prospective brides waited. In those days men could take several wives- where she would be waiting along with the bridesmaids - the virgins in our story. He would pick them all up and then make his way back to his house where the wedding celebration would be held.

It's night time. Israelite village. First century. It's very dark. We live with electricity. We have car lights. Street lights. Hall lights. We can negotiate darkness pretty easily because of the light around us. Not here. If you were operating in any capacity you had better have your lamp lit. And you better have plenty of oil to ensure it stayed lit. This is the setup for the story.

Keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour that your Lord will come.

Jesus has warned repeatedly about this and it is a warning that his disciples repeated. Paul in his first letter to the Thesalonians (5:1-6) said: "Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, "Peace and safety," destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.

"But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled."

It is a warning that Peter echoes in his second letter (2 Peter 3), and he also gives us a little clue as to why the coming of our Lord is delayed. It is so that we can all have a chance to repent, before it is too late. He then says in verses 10-12: "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat."

Jesus himself has this to say in Revelations 3:2-3: "Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."

Are we living like sons of the light and sons of the day? Are we living holy and godly lives? Are we awake?

Most of us believe that we will have time to put our lives in order. Most of us believe that we will have time to make a grand death bed confession. But Jesus says that he will come like a thief in the night when we least expect it.

What if he comes now? What if somebody suddenly rushes into the room in which you are sitting and says that Jesus Christ is at the main gate. Are you ready?

Let us take our lamps out and trim the wicks. Let us examine our lives now and see if we are ready for him?

If we do, we will need to correct it, but in the meantime Jesus might walk in and take all those who are ready and go to the feast! By the time we put all our affairs in order and get there, we might find the gates locked. What then?

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Peter 1:5-8)


	Friday, February 10, 2012

The Ten Virgins