Matthew 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this..."

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 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, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look, Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour" (Matthew 25:1-13 NRSV).

Question:

My multidenominational Bible study group will be talking about these verses during out next meeting.

Comment:

First of all, how exciting to know that you're part of a multidenominational Bible study group! What a great way to find clarity and common purpose, instead of confusion and conflict.   We are in the final days of Jesus' earthly ministry, and he is clearly intent on reinforcing in his disciples an understanding of what exactly he means by “the kingdom of heaven,” and what they should expect once he has left them in physical form. The disciples have “come to him privately” (Matthew 24:3) to ask for a clearer indication of what is going to happen, and when. This parable is part of his response.   The message can really be summed up in two familiar words: Be Prepared! Jesus warns his followers to make no assumptions about the coming of the new consciousness he calls “the kingdom of heaven.” All ten of the bridesmaids were honored to be so chosen, and all of them received the same tools and materials—lamps and oil—to work with. The five wise maidens realized that they didn't know exactly when to expect the wedding party, and decided not to squander their supply. The five others assumed everything would unfold at once, and so brought no extra supplies of oil.  In both cases, those choices had immediate consequences. Those who were prepared were welcomed into the kingdom. Those who were unprepared were not admitted. This isn't a question of punishment, but of the spiritual truth that choices have consequences.   I think all of us have both wise and foolish bridesmaids in consciousness all the time. The foolish are those thoughts that assume we know how and when the new dimension of consciousness known as the kingdom will arrive, and that we have already “earned” the right to be included. The wise are those thoughts that “know what we don't know” and make no false assumptions. Being “invited”—being awakened to our innate Christ Presence and the possibility of expressing that Presence as the kingdom of heaven—is only the first step, not the final qualification. We have to continue to live our lives in such a way that we are prepared to step into that new consciousness at any moment. If not, we'll be left behind, forced to wait for another wedding.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed