Matthew 25: 1-13 - The Parable of the Ten Virgins [NIV]
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘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.’
10 “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.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
1/17/2023 Matthew 25 (the dangers of dabbling in Jesus)
ReplyDeleteDabbling in Jesus can send one to hell. Jesus tells three stories in Matthew chapter 25 that should give us pause: how serious are we about our relationship with Him? Five Virgins awaiting a wedding feast were prepared for his return; five weren’t and became strangers shut outside in the cold. Two servants were diligent about the resources Jesus gifted to them; one shrugged it off and got cast aside to suffer in the darkness. Believers who truly cared about the world’s dispossessed souls got to heaven; indifferent followers discovered they were phonies destined for Hell because they were unable to recognize Jesus among them.
Identifying with Jesus is serious business and those who just dabble in a Jesus or church culture are warned to take another look at themselves and at the King of Kings. We all have one life to live here on earth. As much as we may want to hang on to it as long as possible, it will be brief in light of eternity. This lifetime – indeed, this world and universe – is a passing epoch in the infinite Kingdom of God. God is deadly serious about our redemption from our selfishness and sin, enough so that he became one of us in order to die an unimaginably horrible death to save us. We cannot afford to think our lives and happiness are more important than our relationship with Him both now and in eternity. We have been warned.