The Purified Bride (Mt 25:1-13)
“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.
Let’s pray,
Heavenly Father,
We thank you for your wonderful grace and amazing love to us. Lord, open our eyes to know you and your truth . Provide us your illumination to see the world of truth. Make us strengthen with your wisdom, with your power to glorify God. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Introduction:
- Mt. 24-25 are called for” the revelation of Matthew” because they reveals the signs of the eschatological time. They consisted of chapter 24 revealing the signs of last day, chapter 25 concluding three metaphors. Among them the first metaphor emphasized the preparation of Christians to accept the second coming Jesus. The metaphor reveals obviously the method to equip us through the attitude of ten virgins.
- Now we think of the sound attitude to meet Jesus Christ as our bride. What is the wise virgin?
- She prepares her future faithfully.
- Verse 3-4 says, “3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.” 5 wise virgins prepared their future with faithful attitude but 5 foolish virgins did not prepare unfaithfully. Because of their ignorance five stupid virgins have no the serious tension in their lives. But the wise virgin prepared detailed items( lamps and oil) for the awakening consciousness.
- We have to prepare our future faithfully because God gave us the best things. Sometimes we misunderstand that our present suffering prove God’s weak love to us. But the scripture emphasize that God treat us with unfailing love every day and every moment.
Ecclesiastics 7:14 says “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider this:
God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, no one can discover anything about their future. “ Why does God permit two kinds things in our actual life? When we don ‘t know the future, we can become humble attitude, trembling attitude and passionate heart to obey the Word of God.
So Paul says “11 See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.(IICorins 7:11) “ When we have the anxiety of repentance, we approach to the seat of the life.
= So we have to prepare our future faithfully.
II. She keeps to awake in her lives.
- What is their big problem? They did not know the retuning time of his bride. So they should endure any situation to meet him. Although they do not know the settled time they are waiting him, this is the way of Christians. In the duration of aspiration she may be tempted by several environment, sleeping, taking rest. It is very difficult to endure his coming. is different each other.
- The way of Christians is narrow, tough but is filled with the eternal life. The way is wonderful joy in amazing love. In our school life we have to tastes this experience. Therefore we have to be awaken before God.
Ex: Last Saturday I met two monks in pagoda. The place is very good environment. They read the Scripture but do not know the meaning of the Scripture. What is the main teaching of Buddhism? One of them told me about do not commit sins. Did the Buddha solve the sins? No. Save yourself for your selves out of sins. Then I told the gospel. We live in the Buddhism of 95 % people in Cambodia. What shall we do? We have to awake towards this world.
Therefore we have to long to the grace. Then we can get the wonderful grace out of the Lord.
So the Scripture taught to focus on the aspiration. Actually aspiration abundant life. This is the awakening life. We have to walk to that way.
III. She waits for the bridegroom with oil.
- The five wise virgin has the oil. This point is different to the silly virgin. The oil mean the Holy Spirit. Already we received the Holy Spirit but we have to be provided by God the grace of Spirit. The Scripture emphasize that they should receive the Spirit. Why did the Scripture stress it toward the church? Because we need the grace of Holy Spirit. Without the power we cannot live the normal Christian life in the school.
- When they meet urgent situation in them they are not worry about that. Because they have oil , the source of all resource. So we have to long the grace in our heart any situation.
3)I want to challenge this thing for you. Whenever you study the Scripture you have to wonderful experience. Just like the Psalmist did in his life. Ps119:97-100 says .97 Oh, how I love your law!
I meditate on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
Conclusion:
My beloved students
Live as the wise virgins in your school life. prepare your future, awake in the Spirit and lone the Holy Spirit.