Not looking back
Luke 17:20 – 37
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come (20a).
Jesus taught them based on how people tend to misunderstand about the kingdom of God (20b-24).
The prerequisite of it is the Passion of the Christ (25).
People may miss it out because of wrong priority in life because the coming of the kingdom of God will be …
- I. Just as it was in the days of Noah (26- 27)
See v26-27.
26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.
Jesus reminds us of the days of Noah because the days of the Son of Man will be likewise (26).
In the days of Noah, they didn’t prepare for the Flood that was to come. Only Noah was building the Ark of Salvation. They were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage, but the Flood came and destroyed them all on the day Noah entered the Ark (27).
Nowadays people’s entire focus seems the present life on the earth. As expressed in v27a, they are busy eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage.
This paragraph teaches us to prepare for the days of the Son of Man.
Noah’s preparation looked ‘out of spec’ behaviour in the view point of people in the world because they thought everything was going well as usual.
But building the Ark was absolute necessity and wisest choice in life.
Let us be like Noah who diligently built the Ark of salvation.
- II. It was the same in the days of Lot (28 – 37)
See v28.
28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.
Jesus reminds us of the days of Lot because the days of the Son of Man will be likewise (28a).
In the days of Lot, they didn’t prepare for the Fire & Sulfur that was to come. Only Lot was a righteous man among villains in Sodom and Gomorra cities. They were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building (28), but the Fire & Sulfur came and destroyed them all on the day Lot left the Sodom city (29).
Relevant story is written in Genesis 19.
When the two angels urgently brought Lot, his wife and two daughters out of the city leaving their possessions behind, they told the family “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” (Genesis 19:16, 17)
Despite of their warning, Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).
This background knowledge helps us understand v30 – 33.
30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything.
32 Remember Lot’s wife!
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Jesus said “Remember Lot’s wife” (32), who disobeyed and became a pillar of salt. The interpretation on v30-32 is found in v33.
33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it.
Lot’s wife probably looked back because she might miss her city life of convenience, comfort or luxury. Maybe she was simply curious, too. Her looking back could be because of her possession she left behind. Anyways she disobeyed and became a pillar of salt.
Looking back of Lot’s wife was like “tried to keep their life” (33a).
“will lose it” (33b) explains the fate of Lot’s wife.
Another verse on ‘not to look back’ is Luke 9:62.
62 Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”
A verse on ‘salt” is Matthew 5:13.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
Normal salt is sodium chloride that is salty and dissolved in water.
A pillar of salt Lot’s wife became might be limestone (calcium carbonate), which is a water insoluble salt and does not have saltiness.
See v37.
37 “Where, Lord?” they asked.
He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.”
Disciples wanted to know where the judgement would take place in the days of the Son of Man.
His answer was “Where there is a dead body, there the vultures will gather.” (37b)
A dead body represents incurable moral and spiritual corruption [1].
The vultures represent judgement.
References
[1] Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2, p. 118). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Servanthood before God
Luke 17:7-10
7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do?10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
- I. We are unworthy servants
Verse 10 tells us the conclusion:
10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Luke 17:7-10 asks us to know ourselves as a servant simply doing his/her duty given by the Master. So, we don’t call ourselves MVP or VIP who deserves priority rewards. Even just after coming back from hard work in the field, a servant should patiently attend the master first and then himself/herself as the last. Therefore, this teaches us to be humble and patient.
Here, patience we are talking about is very different from asceticism. Our patience is from our trust that God will care for our needs.
Let us review the lesson from the Exodus. During the Exodus, people complained when they were thirsty or hungry in the dessert on their way to the promise land after escaping the slavery at Egypt. The Exodus teaches us “trust” and, therefore, “patience”. We trust God, we know God cares for our needs and therefore we can wait for God. Man of faith has wisdom to wait, is spiritual and patient, while many people in the world are impatient.
- II. Knowing ourselves under the light of the truth
We should know ourselves under the light of the truth as the Bible requires so.
God told Adam “for dust you are and to dust you will return.” (Genesis 3:19b). Adam disobeyed His command and God reminded him of his humble origin.
Paul knew the crown of righteousness was ready in store (2 Timothy 4:8), the reason of which is written in 2 Timothy 4:7. But, Paul described himself as the worst of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15, 16), despite of his being most outstanding apostle of Jesus.
Baptist John introduced himself as “the voice” (John 1:23) to emphasize his mission as a messenger for the Christ. He knew that himself was the voice prophesized in Isaiah 40:3.
And today we learned of servanthood before God that we should say ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty’ (10).
Having enough time with God in 2017
Luke 14:12 – 24
- I. Wise Inviter (12 – 14)
In Luke 14:12 – 14, Jesus teaches us to be a wise inviter.
See v12.
12 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.
Then who should we invite?
Jesus asks us “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind” (13).
The reason is written in v14.
14 and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
- II. The Parable of the Great Banquet (15 – 24)
Here the Great Banquet represents the feast in the Kingdom of God (15).
Interestingly, the parable in Luke 14:15-24 shows how the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame were invited to & attended a great banquet. It was because originally invited guests rejected the invitation.
Why did they reject the invitation? They had different excuses.
One have just bought a field (18).
One have just bought five yoke of oxen (19).
One have just got married (20).
Here, they didn’t say they would be late, but they wouldn’t come at all. They look like good & practical reasons. But the field, oxen, and marriage would be still there after first attending the banquet! They were excuses!! The world mattered so much to them and they rejected the salvation from God.
By rejecting the invitation,
First of all, they rejected God’s gracious Salvation.
It is greater value than anything in the world. It was God who invites them. But people’s priority was in the world, all their resource was spent and then, they said no time with God. It is the greatest mistake to refuse God and His Salvation (21).
Second, they disqualified themselves to attend the great banquet (24).
They all implied they would attend if they were not as busy (18 – 20). In their point of view, they would get other chances to attend a great banquet. But the Bible says,
24 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”
How terrible warning is this! Many people in the world would belong to this category due to excuses and delay originated from their wrong priority in life.
SUMMARY & CONCLUSION
People may have many reasons to refuse invitation from God as shown in verses 18 – 20. But the Bible says they are “excuses”.
As for students, they are busy for assignments, tests, exams or part-time works. Depending on universities, they could be too busy, especially if they are taking full-time work load.
But, “I do not have enough time for God” is merely an “EXCUSE”.
Really what they do not have enough is “God’s love between them”. They are naughty and unfair in group projects. Basically, they are not truly helping each other. Also, they tend to help each other only between people from the same nation. God’s love can break the barriers between nations. And we should break them with God’s love.
Imagine a person who is not saved is busy and gets no time to think of God and His Salvation for him. How miserable and how terrible situation it is!
To create more time with God, students got to help each other with God’s true love. They can create study group and sincerely help each other in each course. Otherwise no one could get the best possible mark for each course because they don’t have enough time basically. In highly demanding universities, students need 8 days of study per week to complete 4 courses in a semester, but they have only 7 days per week. They are tested indirectly on their team work, group study and cooperation. Good team work, group study and cooperation will be only successful if with God’s love to each other. Therefore, in universities, students need to learn “God’s love” the most. If then, should they say “I don’t have enough time to study the Bible”? God’s love is written in the Bible and they need the Bible study the most rather than challenging 8 days of study load to do in 7 days weekly alone.
In reality, students are experiencing naughtiness, evil, and unfairness at school. They find themselves in situations far, far from God’s love. And again, schools need God’s love. When they experience such things, they can project how their life in future in the society after school would be like. And again, the world needs God’s love. There are good people sown by the Son of God and bad people sown by the devil in the world (Matthew 13:24-30, 13:36-43). So, bad people will be bad and haters will hate. I would prefer to form a group with good people rather than trying to change bad people after joining any group.
It would be an option to study 3 courses per semester or part-time to solve the problem of “Not enough time with God”, if this option is available. If this option is not available, and group study or team work in God’s love can’t be assumed, too many hours of study may be required. It could affect the health (Ecclesiastes 12:12b). And, also similar things could happen, that Simon (Peter) worked extraordinarily hard to catch fish all night, he caught none (Luke 5:5). And life is unpredictable (Ecclesiastes 9:11, 12) because it is up to God’s hand, which humans cannot truly comprehend (Ecclesiastes 8:17).
Let us not neglect our God-given values (life, innocence, salvation, …) while pursuing world-promising values. Uni graduators may certainly live better lives in the world. But the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame could be better off due to their humility (to accept God’s gracious offer of Salvation).
God will humble (or exalt) you at the final judgment
Luke 14:7 – 11
Let us start the interesting bible study today!
The Bible is the best seller that gives us wisdom & inspiration to answer our various issues in life.
In Luke 14:7 – 11, Jesus teaches us to be a humble invitee.
First, Jesus asks us “do not take the place of honour” (8a).
He gives the reason being possible presence of ‘more distinguished guest’ (8b). He gives a caution for “being humiliated”, otherwise (9).
Second, Jesus asks us “take the lowest place” (10a), so that the host will come to say “Friend, move up to a better place” and this will result in being honoured before everyone (10b).
I think this is how the heaven is like where everyone humbles himself/herself and competes for the lowest position, and the host honours each of them. Therefore, the community of true believers will reflect the heaven. And the true believers will bring the heaven to the world.
If everyone exalts himself/herself and fights for the highest position, it would be the hell.
Lastly, Jesus declares the ironical truth,
“For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” (11)
Amen.
Let us take this as our universal principle of all time: the humbling themselves will be exalted and the exalting themselves will be humbled.
[1] interprets these divine passives to be “God will humble (or exalt) you at the final judgment”.
Lord, we thank you for teaching us the truth. Your Word is the truth. We fear you before the truth. We repent our sins of all prides. Please help us humble as citizens of the heaven would be.
[References]
[1] Stein, R. H. (1992). Luke (Vol. 24, p. 390). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Extending Mercy Without Limit
Luke 13:10 – 17
10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.
14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”
15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”
17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.
I. A woman crippled by a spirit for 18 years
The person Jesus healed was a woman crippled by a spirit for eighteen years (11).
This woman was crippled for a long time – eighteen years. Jesus considers he/she who suffers hunger, thirst, alienation, nakedness, illness, or imprisonment being himself, as written in Matthew 25:34-40. See Matthew 25:40.
40 ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
God promises to care for us if we first care for His (Matthew 6:33).
A (evil) spirit can cause serious physiological problems that are beyond medical science. So, we need prayer life to get help from the Holy Spirit. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective (James 5:16b). See James 5:14-16.
14 Is anyone among you ill? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
II. The amazing Healer and his opponents
There existed people who opposed Jesus during His ministry. In this case, Jesus was teaching inside a synagogue (10), and the synagogue leader spoke out against miraculous healing performed by Jesus on the Sabbath (14) even though the synagogue leader was supposed to understand God’s will better than others, but he certainly understood it worse.
Sick people came for healing on the Sabbath, which caused Jesus, the synagogue leader thought, to break the Sabbath law. So, he asked people not to come for healing on the Sabbath (14). He tried to indirectly discredit, criticize, and undermine the miraculous healing performed by Jesus.
The synagogue leader tried to limit ‘mercy’ while Jesus extended his ‘mercy’.
What he didn’t know was God’s mercy toward this woman. Jesus called him a ‘hypocrite’ because it was common for people to show mercy to animals on the Sabbath (15), but he opposed showing mercy to the woman who had been suffering for 18 years.
Jesus is God, the Creator and the Law Giver. God puts compassion above ritual (Matthew 9:13). Showing mercy shouldn’t be limited to 6 days, and showing mercy should be allowed on the Sabbath.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). He said
9 Then Jesus said to them, ‘I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?’ (Luke 6:9)
Therefore, to do good and save life are lawful every day, including the Sabbath.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. (1 John 3:7)
This verse says, ‘do what is right, then you are righteous, just as Jesus is righteous.’
Let’s be reasonable. Opposing the Son of God who showed mercy was certainly wrong. Showing mercy to the woman crippled for a long time was certainly right.
faith, love and holiness with propriety
There is difference in “uprightness” between men and women as written in the Bible.
while I was still searching but not finding—
I found one upright man among a thousand,
but not one upright woman among them all (Ecclesiastes 7:28).
The Bible says that man was not created for woman, but woman for man. (1 Corinthians 11:9).
The man has three kinds of helpers.
Superior helper: God (Psalm 121:2)
Equal helper: Woman (Genesis 2:18)
Inferior helper: Animals (Genesis 2:20)
Due to the Sin, woman’s position was lowered (Genesis 3:16).
Due to the Christ, woman’s position was restored (For example, as shown in John 20:11-18, a woman became the first witness of the resurrection.)
Finally, practical guidance written in 1 Timothy 2:9-15 is shown below:
9 I also want the women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, adorning themselves, not with elaborate hairstyles or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10 but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15 But women will be saved through childbearing—if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.
Obeying & Fearing God than man
Genesis Chapter 3 shows the followings:
- The serpent deceived the woman (Genesis 3:1).
- The deceived woman misled the man (Genesis 3:6).
- God showed it was wrong that the man listened to the woman and disobeyed God (Genesis 3:17) and sentenced him to death (Genesis 3:19)
The above 1 & 2 are still happening until now:
Proverbs 7:26 says regarding to the adulterous woman,
“Many are the victims she has brought down; her slain are a mighty throng.”
Shortly speaking, deceived women destroy men.
In conclusion,
- Obey God. It is wrong that a man listens to a woman and disobeys God.
As written in Acts 4:19,
But Peter and John replied, ‘Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
- Fear God. The woman of noble character fears God.
As written in Proverbs 31:30,
“Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.”
Q & A:
Q: Is it easy to know if you may be deceived or under delusion?
A: Even if you are deceived, you may not easily know you are so. If you are under delusion, you may believe in the falsehood as the truth.
Supporting verses about deception & delusion:
The devil is a liar (John 8:44) – Deception is the primary strategy of the devil.
2 Thessalonians 2:9-12
9 The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. 11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.
Believing in the falsehood is like treating the darkness as the light. If your light is darkness, your darkness is great (Matthew 6:23).
God shows favour to the humble
Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. 37 For no word from God will ever fail.”
38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
(The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
(Message)
The angel went to Mary and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.” (28)
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be (29).
See v30.
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. ” (The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
The angel said to Mary, “Do not be afraid”. As shown in Genesis 3:10, fear is from Sin. Due to Sin we became to have fear when we stand before God’s presence. Therefore “Do not be afraid” means God’s forgiveness. See 30b. “You have found favour with God.” This favour with God has to do with humility. See following verses to learn about humility written in the Bible.
Proverbs 3:34 He mocks proud mockers but shows favour to the humble and oppressed.
(The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
This verse in Proverbs was quoted in James 4:6 and 1 Peter 5:5, too.
After quoting this verse, Peter said in 1 Peter 5:6.
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Mary sang in Luke 1,
for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant (48a).
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts (51b).
He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble (52).
(The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30.
‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ (The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
We can know humility is the important before God. This is an important attribute that pertains to the wise whom God’s favour may reside on.
What does make men proud? See 1 Corinthians 8:1b.
But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.
Knowledge could make a person the man of pride.
But God originally created us to be men of humility. God cannot use the proud man even if he may have a lot of knowledge and human wisdom but God can use the humble man for His great purpose even if he may not have much knowledge and human wisdom.
See v31 – 33
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” (The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
What a good news it is? We will continue to study about this next week.
In summary, Mary was greeted by the angel of God and received the message that she was highly favoured and God was with her. And we learned that the favour of God has to do with humility. God shows favour to the humble and oppressed (Proverbs 3:34). Also many verses in Proverbs teach that humility is wisdom and pride is folly. And Jesus is humble and gentle (Matthew 11:29).
Let us read today’s key verses 28 and 30.
28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is with you.”
30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favour with God. (The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition), 2011)
Prayer
Lord, Almighty God. Under your mighty hand, we put down all our prides, and humble ourselves. Please help us. And we pray that God’s favour may be shown to us. We pray that we all may be men and women of humility, who may be highly favoured.
Bibliography
The Holy Bible: New International Version (Anglicised Edition). (2011). London: Hodder & Stoughton.
The Amazing Answer to Trappy Question
Mark 12:13 – 17
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
(short message)
During the final exam, some people might face difficult questions. Today let’s read about the amazing answer to trappy question written in the Bible.
The question was a trap. But Jesus answered wisely.
Jesus didn’t say “Pay tax”, which expression would make the Jews disagree or upset. Instead, based on the image of Caesar in the coin, money belonged to Ceasar, so Jesus asked them to give back what was Ceasar’s. No one could disagree or upset.
After this, Jesus added, “and to God what is God’s.”
Genesis 1:27 says
27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.
Mankind have the image of God, therefore mankind belong to God and have obligation to (serve) God.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The 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. 8The 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. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
(Message)
See v1.
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Here, ‘ten virgins’ are bridesmaids. Bride does not appear in the parable but bridegroom and bridesmaids do.
The imagery of the parable accurately reflects typical customs of first-century Palestinian wedding festivities. A welcoming processional escorts the newly married couple from the bride’s home to a great banquet at the bridegroom’s home, some unspecified time after the legal nuptials have been exchanged. Torches light the way in the darkness, so all the bridesmaids have to take enough oil to keep them burning for as long as might be necessary. (Blomberg, 1992)
“took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom” supplies a key to the parable to illustrate the vigilant and expectant attitude of faith in respect of which believers are described as “those who are waiting for him” (Hebrew 9:28) and “all who have longed for his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8). (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v2.
2Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
Note that they are not distinguished into “good” and “bad” but into “wise” and “foolish” just as in Matthew 7:25-27 those who built their house for eternity are distinguished into “wise” and “foolish builders”; because in both cases a certain degree of goodwill towards the truth is assumed. It is not certain why the equal number of virgins are in both classes but it warns us how large a portion of those who, up to the last, so nearly resemble those that love Christ’s appearing will be disowned by Him when He comes. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v3 and v4.
3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
These lighted lamps and this advance a certain way in company with the wise, must denote that Christian profession which is common to all who bear the Christian name; while the insufficiency of this without something else, of which they never possessed themselves, shows that “the foolish” mean those who, with all that is common to them with real Christians, lack the essential preparation for meeting Christ. Then, since the wisdom of “the wise” consisted in their taking with their lamps a supply of oil in their vessels, keeping their lamps burning till the Bridegroom came, and so fitting them to go in with Him to the marriage, this supply of oil must mean that inward reality of grace which alone will stand when He appears. This inward grace is here set forth by the familiar symbol of oil, by which the Spirit of all grace is so constantly represented in Scripture. This supply of oil, then, representing that inward grace which distinguishes the wise, must denote, more particularly, that “supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” which, as it is the source of the new spiritual life at the first, is the secret of its enduring character. Everything short of this may be possessed by “the foolish”; while it is the possession of this that makes “the wise” to be “ready” when the Bridegroom appears, and fit to “go in with Him to the marriage.” (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v5a.
The bridegroom was a long time in coming,
Peter said of the ascended Savior, “Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything”(Acts 3:21). Christ is a long time in coming, among other reasons, to try the faith and patience of His people. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v5b.
and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
The wise as well as the foolish became drowsy and fell asleep. The world “drowsy” signifies, simply, “nodded,” or, “became sleepy”; while the word “fell asleep” is the usual word for lying down to sleep, denoting two stages of spiritual declension—first, that half-involuntary slowness or drowsiness which is apt to steal over one who falls into inactivity; and then a conscious, deliberate yielding to it, after a little vain resistance. Such was the state alike of the wise and the foolish virgins, even till the cry of the Bridegroom’s approach awoke them. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v6.
6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
The Bridegroom arrived at midnight. This is an unexpected time. 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says
2 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.
See v7.
7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
The foolish and wise virgins seem the same, almost to the moment of decision! The foolish also had oil enough in their lamps to keep them burning up to this moment. Their folly consisted in not making provision against its exhaustion, by taking with their lamp an extra jar of oil to fill up the lamp again from time to time, and so have it burning until the Bridegroom should come. The difference in the wise virgins is interpreted as the possession of an enduring principle of spiritual life. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v8.
8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
Now they have discovered not only their own folly but also the wisdom of the other class. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v9.
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.’
It teaches that men may get salvation even after they are supposed and required to have it already gotten. And the parable implies that the oil can’t be shared but it should be obtained only in the legitimate way by ‘buying’ from the sellers. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
If someone gives you something for free, you may ignore or lose it if you don’t recognize its value and necessity. But if you find it valuable and necessary, you will not ignore or lose it after getting it. So ‘buying’ means you get something with the acknowledgement that you need and value it even if it is free. So the following verses in the Bible mention ‘buying (for free)’ in this reason.
‘Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost. (Isaiah 55:1)
18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so that you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so that you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so that you can see. (Revelation 3:18)
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it—
wisdom, instruction and insight as well. (Proverbs 23:23)
44 ‘The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45 ‘Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44,45)
See v10.
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.
They are sensible of their past folly; they have taken good advice: they are in the act of getting what alone they lacked: a very little more, and they also are ready. But the Bridegroom comes; the ready are admitted; “the door is shut,” and they are undone. How graphic and appalling this picture of one almost saved—but lost! (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D., 1997)
See v11-12.
11“Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
Relevant verses are in Matthew 7:21-23 as below:
21 ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?” 23 Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!”
See v13.
13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The admonition to be constantly watching should not mislead us to lay the final stress on v5 and to make that nodding and sleeping the fatal thing against which Jesus warns. The pivotal words of the parable are “foolish” and “sensible,” and these two center in the “oil” (grace). This verse is really an epilog. It emphasizes our utter ignorance of the day and of the hour of Christ’s final coming (Matthew 24:36). This is why we must constantly be watching. Our watching means that we must constantly look to ourselves, to be ever ready, to be ever rich in grace so that, when the day and the hour arrive, there may be no question as to our being received. (Lenski, 1961)
Bibliography
Blomberg, C. (1992). The New American Commentary: Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 369). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
Jamieson, R., Fausset, A.r., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 2). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
Lenski, R. H. (1961). The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel (pp. 970-971). Mineapolis MN: Augsburg Publishing House.
