March 11: Parable of the Ten Virgins
♫ Music:
Friday, March 11
Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose 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, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 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. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS
The parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25: 1-13) is one of the parables I remember vividly from my childhood. I am sure I am not alone in being captivated at a young age by the powerful stories Jesus told. Jesus turned to parables because of their ability to make a lasting impression on people of all ages and to keep people challenged in seeking their true meaning. Great stories like the parables have an enduring impact.
In this particular parable we are at a wedding, an important event for Jesus, for he uses weddings several times in his ministry to make key illustrations. Ten virgins in the wedding party hurry out to greet the bridegroom. Half of them bring sufficient oil for their lamps and the other half do not. The bridegroom tarries until late at night before setting forth to the wedding celebration. The virgins wait so long they fall asleep. When the call goes out announcing that the bridegroom is coming all the virgins rouse themselves and trim their lamps to light his way in the darkness. Sadly, those virgins who did not bring sufficient oil soon exhaust their supply. Realizing their folly they implore the wiser virgins to share their oil with them. They cannot, of course, for it is better to have five brightly burning lamps than ten that are dim and could go out at any time. The foolish virgins hurry off to buy more oil but while they are gone the bridegroom comes and leads the wise virgins, who were prepared, into the banqueting hall and shuts the door tightly behind them. When the five foolish virgins return they cannot enter the feast and their cries of "Lord, Lord!" are met with the response, "I do not know you."
It is easy to relate to the poor, foolish virgins. How often have we let some detail slide only to regret it later? It is usually all the more aggravating because we knew better and we beat ourselves up saying "if only I had taken the time to prepare properly." This happened to me on a recent trip to a conference. I had laid out my things to make sure I would be prepared but in my haste to get on the road I rushed off without my laptop. I kicked myself repeatedly for not paying more attention. It was inconvenient to go through the conference without my computer but I made do and no great harm was done.
The lack of oil for the lamps, or forgetting my laptop, are all examples of being ill prepared but the consequences are minor compared to the true meaning of Jesus' parable. As with many of his parables, Jesus begins by telling us that "the kingdom of heaven is like . . ." This makes all the difference for the consequences in the kingdom of heaven are eternal. There will be no "making do" if we are not prepared for our Lord's return. Let us remind ourselves each day to prepare our hearts, minds, and lives, to be ready for the Lord's return for we know not the day nor the hour when He will call us to His Kingdom.
PRAYER
Father, may I hunger and thirst for righteousness, be made perfect in holiness, and be preserved "whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Come, Lord Jesus.
Amen.
Gregg Geary, Dean of the Library
Study for the Parables
Christopher Le Brun
Oil on canvas
Collection of Howard & Roberta Ahmanson
About the Artist and Art
Christopher Le Brun (b. 1951) is a British painter, sculptor, and printmaker. He helped to establish the Royal Drawing School in 2000 and was elected Professor of Drawing at the Royal Academy the same year. In December 2011, he was elected as the 26th President of the Royal Academy of Art. Study for the parables is one of four paintings Le Brun created for Liverpool Cathedral. The commission was based on Mark 4:2 “He taught them many things by parables.” This oil sketch contains the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and the Ten Virgins. British art historian Lyrica Taylor states, “Le Brun’s dream-like images create a counterbalance between tension and repose of figures in a poetic landscape and a rich dialogue between figuration and abstraction.”
www.christopherlebrun.co.uk
About the Music
“Behold, the Bridegroom Cometh”
Lyrics
Behold, the Bridegroom cometh at midnight
And blessed is the servant whom He shall find watching;
And again, unworthy is the servant whom He shall find heedless.
Beware, therefore, O my soul, do not be weighed down with sleep
Lest you be given up to death and lest you be shut out of the Kingdom;
But rouse yourself crying: Holy, holy, holy, art Thou, O our God.
About the Performers:
The Choir of the Moscow Patriarchate was founded by Anatoly Grindenko in 1983. The Choir consists of thirteen members. The singers are dedicated scholars of the repertoire for male voices who led the way in the recovery of Orthodox church music in the late years of the Soviet Regime. At that time--when the government did not support the Choir’s efforts--the group spent years decoding ancient manuscripts and giving the first performances of works that had not been sung for centuries. The choir has appeared throughout Europe and the United States.