Parables in Watchfulness Pt.2

In the light of the destruction judgment, in the light of His coming Jesus continues with another two parables and practical application in the next sections.

Parable of Ten Virgins (Mt25:1-13) - personal responsibility

Parable of Talants (Mt25:14-30) - personal stewardship

Practical application (Mt25:31-46) - practical servanthood

Palestine Culture

A wedding was a big celebration. It would be known the day of the wedding but not the time, so you needed to be ready all the time for it. The whole village would turn out for the wedding the virgins would be with the bride awaiting the groom to come from his parents home, from they they would be lead to what would be their home with much fanfare. Then they would go in parade style to the wedding site and the Rabbi would bless them and there was no honeymoon going away. They would stay there and be treated as royalty, even addressed as prince and princess during the wedding week.

When the ceremony happened all would enter who were there, but once it was going to start the doors would be closed and not opened again. So in Jesus speaking in this parable today it would make sense logically to the listeners in their culture.

Another point is that it was not common practice, or acceptable practice to be on the streets after dark without a lighted lamp. So one must always be ready if you were invited to the wedding for you know not the hour the groom is going to come and the wedding is going to take place.

So having said that, now let’s open our Bibles.

Open Bibles to Mt25:1-13

What do you see, what do you notice, what sticks out to you?

I. The Parable

In (v.1) what is being compared?

What can you tell about the 10 virgins (v.2)?

The word prudent means acting with or showing care and thought for the future (Wise, well judged, judicious, shrewd)

In looking at (vv.3-4) what do you learn?

What about (v.5), what do you notice about the bridegroom?

Remember Jesus is teaching about watchfulness so this story is not about the coming of the bridegroom but shows the delay in Him coming and why delayed. He was delaying (v.5)!

When did the bridegroom come (v.6)?

What did the 10 virgins do (v.7)?

What was the request (v.8)?

What was the response (v.9)?

I know just asking a lot of questions and not developing on this very much, as of yet, hold on we will dig deeper here in a few minutes.

What transpires in (v.10)?

What did the bridegroom say (v.11)?

What was Jesus reason for the parable (v.12)?

II. Digging deeper

Most of Jesus parables had immediate and local meaning, then a universal meaning. This parable is no different.

Immediate was for the Jews, they should have been looking, being fully prepared for the coming of the Messiah, they were not hence they were shut out.

As God’s chosen people with all the history they had, with all the prophesy they were not prepared for the coming of the Son of God, the Messiah, the chosen, the anointed One. They were keeping themselves out of the kingdom of God and they were keeping others out too.

Matthew 23:13 NASB95

“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.

Universally

There are things we cannot wait until last minute, because it will be too late

It also warns there are things that cannot be borrowed

All ten virgins had lamps, all were lite, all trimmed their wicks, but only 5 were prepared with oil. All had been together, they were all hanging out with the wedding party, just like many come and hang out around the church without really being in the church. Don’t wait, you cannot wait for you don’t know the hour that He is coming and then it will be too late. You need the oil which in scripture oftentimes represents the Spirit. For without the Spirit you cannot enter in.

We need to be prepared to meet God.

It was said that Mary of Orange on her deathbed the chaplain came to her to tell her the plan of salvation and her response was “I have not left this matter to this hour”. There is also a poem given to Queen Guinevere when Guinevere had too late discovered the cost of Sin.

Late, late, so late! and dark the night and chill!

Late, late, so late! but we can enter still. (change slide)

Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now.

No light had we; for that we do repent;

and learning, this the bridegroom will relent.

Too late, too late! ye cannot enter now. (change slide)

Have we not heard the bridegroom so sweet?

O let us in, tho’ late, to kiss his feet!

No, no, too late! ye cannot enter now.”

Waiting too late can hinder you being able to enter. Sure being around was great but that does not gain you entrance.

Even the foolish want to be a part of the kingdom, want to go to heaven but don’t want to do what God calls them to do by grace through faith and obey the gospel. People have to chose the right path, you can lead them to the path but you can’t make them take it, it cannot be given to too them, they cannot borrow the spirit from you.

All want to enter into heaven but many chose a lack of respect for the bridegroom and neglect their responsibility to be ready and to come prepared. How someone views Jesus has a direct impact on their eternal destiny.

The second universal point mentioned a few minutes ago, is there are things that cannot be borrowed.

Personal salvation is just that, personal, we cannot loan our salvation to others, we need to be prepared knowing the day of the Lord’s return is coming, we don’t know the hour, in this case, in this scripture it was at midnight. If a person does not prepare personally there is nothing for them but judgment. All things to prepare them have been given, every opportunity made, but they have to chose. You cannot save you children, your grandchildren, but you can share with them the truth of being ready.

In our passage He came at midnight, He was delaying, we know God is not slack in keeping His promise (2Pt3:9)

2 Peter 3:9 NKJV

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

It’s 2000 years later and we are still looking, longing, waiting, but let us not grow weary (Gal6:9)

Galatians 6:9 NKJV

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Let us not get lethargic and drowsy, let us not loose the urgency of preparedness in and for the Lord. We need to hold fast the word of life (Php2:12-16)

Philippians 2:12–13 NASB95

12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.

Philippians 2:14–15 NASB95

14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing; 15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

Philippians 2:16 NASB95

16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

I know this passage goes with our morning worship series right now, but it should fits doesn’t it? In this dark, wicked, perverse generation we need to keep the patience of His Word.

Revelation 3:20 NASB95

20 ‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

Not everyone who professes to be a Christian is a Christian. Without the Word of God leading to the Spirit of God there is no true salvation.

(Insert illustration here) - meeting of Satan and some of his demons and the question at hand is how to trick people into damnation.

Tell them there is no God? Satan say’s that won’t work for God has always made Himself evident in creation

Romans 1:20 NASB95

20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

2. Tell them there is no hell. Satan says that won’t work people know from history God is just and will pay out retribution and judgment, so that won’t work.

3. Instead of No God or No Hell, let’s tell them No hurry

We cannot lose our sense of urgency, be lulled into false safety by false doctrines that do not gain you entrance into the kingdom of heaven.

Think what Peter had to say (2Pt1:10)

2 Peter 1:10 NASB95

10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Be ready, be diligent, make election sure by being prepared.

Jesus had told them to be watchful before

Matthew 24:42 NASB95

42 “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.

(Conclusion)

Matthew 26:38–39 NASB95

38 Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”

Personal salvation comes with personal responsibility

You cannot just say you are ready, you need to be prepared

Your preparation cannot save anyone else, its personal

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