Marriage Feast and the Lamps . Matthew 25

 Marriage Feast and the Lamps .  Matthew 25

    There seems to be no way to get around the final nature of the shut door and , " I do not know you" in this section of Scripture.  Positively, we can say that half of the women with the lamps had their lamps full of oil and were filling it when the Bride arrived unexpectedly and later.  Some of them were not true subjects of the King to be so ill-prepared .

    Salvation is not just saying yes to Jesus.  It is really saying yes in our lives , and being aware of what is going on around us in our life and in the lives of others.  We cannot give salvation to those who will not believe and be prepared. This is illustrated by the women who could not fill their lamps .  They had no oil. They were out.

   Yet they asked the Lord to open the door despite their lack of preparation .  Lord, , " Lord , open to us."  Vs 11.  The others went in vs 10 being ready.  But the door was shut already.  Those who had prepared were already inside the marriage feast.

Jesus tells this account of the Wedding feast to tell of His final appearing .  The explanation by Him is in the last verse.

1.25:13  Watch therefore.

Be watchful, vigilant and alert .  " When Jesus has come in His glory, it will then be too late to begin a new life, to develop spiritual graces, and to show our friendship for Him."  Erdman.

"There's a true story that comes from the sinking of the Titanic. A frightened woman found her place in a lifeboat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed, so she asked permission to return to her stateroom before they cast off. She was granted three minutes or they would leave without her.

She ran across the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed a side her diamond rings and expensive bracelets and necklaces as she reached to the shelf above her bed and grabbed three small oranges. She quickly found her way back to the lifeboat and got in.

Now that seems incredible because thirty minutes earlier she would not have chosen a crate of oranges over the smallest diamond. But death had boarded the Titanic. One blast of its awful breath had transformed all values. Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless. And in that moment she preferred three small oranges to a crate of diamonds.

There are events in life, which have the power to transform the way we look at the world. Jesus' parable about the ten virgins offers one of these types of events, for the parable is about the Second Coming of Christ. But Jesus doesn't come right out and say this. Rather, he lets the story describe it for him. The woman on the sinking Titanic understood, in the light of her current circumstances, that she must make preparations for living on a lifeboat. Diamonds would not suffice, only the precious resources of an orange were good enough. Likewise, in this world where Christ may return at any moment, the parable warns, we must be ready...."   sermonillustration.com

2.  What does the oil represent?

Luther said that the oil represents faith, Origen said good works and Grotius the Holy Spirit.  I think all three answers put together are the right one.  You must have all three to be ready to enter heaven.

 Surely these ladies knew they needed oil.  “ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.”  Vs 3.    What was the result?  They went to buy the oil.  The Bridegroom came.  Then the door was shut.  They said , “ Lord, Lord open to us. “ But he answered and said, “ Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.”  Vs. 12

3.  We do not know the time of the Lord's return.  v. 13

Preparation in faith is the key to our lives.  We all have a certain time of days that will not always be there.  He will come again.  We said it in the Apostles' Creed.

"O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."  Book of Common Prayer