Of Bridegrooms and Virgins

11.26.12

Matthew 25.13 13 Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. NASB

The Disciple’s Sermon is the last recorded teaching of Jesus in Matthew. Jesus shared as much as He could with His men and the others who followed Him. He knew His time was limited so He made the most of His time with them. But one thing Jesus always hinted at: there’s more.

There’s more to this life than what meets the eye. There is a depth of life that escapes the shallow glance of the casual observer. In this particular instance Jesus spoke of the Kingdom of God being comparable to 10 virgins who awaited a bridegroom. The issue of the comparison wasn’t virgins, it was preparedness. Are you and I prepared for the Kingdom of God? Jesus said, Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. The problem with at least half of the virgins was they weren’t, according to the story, prepared.

What does it mean to be alert? What does it mean to be prepared? What are we to be doing now until the Second Advent of our Lord? These are questions that ought to arise in our minds as we read the words of Jesus.

I’m not sure about the cultural implications of the virgins – to me, a twenty-first century disciple, I don’t understand first century bridegrooms and virgins, but I do understand preparedness. I do understand what it means to be alert and pay attention…I think. I do know that the expectation of my Lord is that I am called to be about His business; and that business, until He comes, is to be telling people about Him and living the kind of life He describes.

There were ten virgins – the quantity is not important to me – the problem was that five of them were unprepared and when their time came to do whatever it was they were supposed to do the weren’t able to do so. And the consequence was they was they were barred from the Bridegroom’s party. Permanently.

So, today as I muse bridegrooms and virgins, and preparedness, I ask, Paul, how prepared are you? If the Groom was to show up tonight, would I be ready, or would I be scrambling to get there? Every day is a day of getting ready for what’s coming. Every day ought to be just another opportunity to expect the unexpected. It’s coming. There is much in life that is unexpected – that means I need to live with that understanding and with that expectation.

To live any other way is foolish and only fools get turned away from the Party…