The Parables of Jesus: The Ten Bridesmaids! |

The parable of the ten bridesmaids can be found in Matthew 25:1-13. You may want to read it first.

In this parable, Jesus taught a spiritual truth from something very familiar to His listeners: a wedding. We have our own wedding traditions, and so did the ancient Jewish people. Let’s get a little background before we jump into the parable. The ancient Jewish wedding customs went like this (and take in mind that everything points to our GROOM (Jesus) and His Bride (the Church))… The groom would go to his bride’s house and pay a dowry to her father. He would then leave and go back home to prepare for her arrival (usually by building a room onto the family house). During the betrothal time, the bride was to get ready and keep watch, because her groom would return, but she would know when.

This sets the stage for the parable Jesus is about to speak. We will look at the parable from the perspective of believers. We are to be ready because our Groom will return for His Bride, but we don’t know when.

In this story, there are ten bridesmaids: five foolish ones and five wise ones. Let’s observe both of them…

The word foolish comes from the Greek word moros, the equivalent to the English word moron. Other words for foolish would be: stupid, ignorant, dingbat, idiot, imbecile. I know that sounds harsh, but I’m just telling you what the Greek rendering means. What makes these bridesmaids foolish is that they did not take enough oil for their lamps; therefore, they weren’t ready when the Groom came back.

The word wise comes from the Greek word phronimos and means sensible, intelligent, prudent. These bridesmaids prepared ahead and their oil lasted until the Groom came back.

The moral of the story in this parable is that we are to BE READY!

Not only did Jesus say this again and again, but listen to what the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy: “I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me – the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7-8).

Those who spend their time watching and getting ready for their Groom’s arrival will receive a reward. Pretty awesome, huh?

It’s important that we choose to be wise bridesmaids. So, how do we do this? Let me offer a few things…

The obvious ones are…

cultivate a relationship with Jesus
spend time in His throne room
study God’s Word (grow)
serve (use your gifts for Kingdom work)
obey God’s Word.

Here are a few more ways we can get ready…

Stay Pure!
The ancient bride was to stay pure during her betrothal, so should we. The psalmist wrote: “How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your Word” (Psalm 119:9).

Our world today is full of every sort of evil. Satan tempts us every day. So, we need to be led by the Spirit; not our fleshly desires. Be careful what you watch, listen to, read, think about, etc. Falling into sin can begin so subtly that we may not recognize it. And once we start, we become immune to it. It doesn’t seem bad any more. So, be careful!

Be dressed!
In referring to “being ready for the Lord’s return”, Jesus said: “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning” (Luke 12:35). In the New King James Version, we read “let your waist be girded.” In the ancient Jewish world, this meant to pull the hem of your skirt up so you can run faster. Otherwise, you would be hindered.

When I was a lifeguard, we were taught that if you were in trouble in deep water and had blue jeans on to try and get them off because they will weigh you down. Blue jeans get heavy when they’re wet. Therefore, we need to make sure we are not hindered either.

Hebrews 12:1 says to “strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up.” With these words before us, we should do consistent evaluations. Do I have any sins reigning like: idolatry, worry, fear, judging others, selfishness, pride, gluttony, gossip (not controlling my tongue), hatred, or anger.

Removing any hindrances is one sure way to be dressed.

Keep your lamps burning!
The oil lamps in the ancient world were always burning. But they had to replenish the oil to keep them burning. Paul writes to Timothy: “I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you” (2 Timothy 1:6).

To keep a fire burning, you need to keep fanning the flames. The same goes for us. Keep fanning your passion and vision. Don’t let circumstances crush your spirit. Don’t let people squash your enthusiasm.

The apostle Paul was opposed at every juncture. The haters came out in droves. But, he kept going. His mission and love for Jesus was stronger than the opposition. We can follow his example.

In conclusion: let’s be a WISE bridesmaid. Let’s be READY!