The Motley Crew – March 30, 2011

Matthew 25:1-13

The Questions

1. How do you birth a child one day and they turn 21 the next?

Read Matthew 25:1-13

2. What do you remember about a Jewish wedding?

3. Why 10 virgins?

4. In today's terms we would have to ask where are 10 virgins?

5. Is Jesus saying some will be unprepared for the Day?

6. What is the main point of the parable?

7. Where does this really hit home?

8. Does this parable imply that some Christians will not be ready on the Day the Bridegroom comes?

All citations from the Holy Bible are from the 2011 New International Version, used with permission.

The Motley Crew – March 30, 2011

Matthew 25:1-13

Some Suggested Answers

We opened with prayers of thanksgiving, petition and intercession.

1. How do you birth a child one day and they turn 21 the next?

Time flies! Happy birthday, Christa!

Read Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1 “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.

2. What do you remember about a Jewish wedding?

It is a celebration that lasts for days. There is wine. Glasses are broken. There is feasting! There are at least two receptions.

There is no pre-set time – the bride and her brides maids must be ready at all times for the call from the Bridegroom, even if He is delayed.

The bridesmaids are responsible for preparing the Bride, and for being ready!

The coming is at night!

The betrothal come first … which is the binding portion of the marriage … followed by the ceremony, etc., and concluding with the physical consummation.

Even these days, there are some cultural traditions where the wedding party can go on for days! Our modern traditions are pattered on many of these historic traditions.

The Chronology:

1. Betrothal

2. Bridegroom comes in the night to the wedding place

3. Ceremony

4. Paaarty

5. Consummation.

Beth read a section from the Lutheran Study Bible, pp. 54-55, concerning Jewish weddings at that time. A similar account is in the linked document, Jewish Weddings - First-Century Style, which also includes an account of the betrothal of Joseph and Mary in Matthew 1:18-25. We also talked about the miracle at Cana, the first miracle recorded in John's Gospel (John 2:1-13 is in the same linked document).

We also talked about the beliefs of some Christians who teach that it was not wine, but rather was grape juice that was the miracle at Cana. We didn't have a Greek New Testament available to check the original texts. Later it was found:

John 2:3 says: “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, 'They have no more wine.'”

The Greek is: και ύστερήσαντος οίνου λέγει ή μήτηρ του Ίησου πρός αύτόν: οίνον ούκ έχουσιν

The Greek words for wine in the above sentence are οίνου and οίνον. The Strong's Concordance number for these words is 3631, which the Strong's Concordance Dictionary defines as “wine.”

3. Why 10 virgins?

The number “10” indicates completeness, including the Ten Commandments, the 10-string lyre in Psalm 33:2, and many others.

Psalm 33:2:

Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.

Dr. Lenski writes at page 963:

The number ten is not accidental but symbolical. It denotes completeness. Thus we have ten Commandments, ten talents, ten pieces of silver, ten servants, ten pounds, ten cities, an instrument of ten strings, at least ten families needed to establish a synagogue, and ten persons for a funeral procession. These ten virgins represent all the followers of Christ during all the ages.

4. In today's terms we would have to ask where are 10 virgins?

True love waits, a message that seems to be lost on many. In the Confirmation classes, Pastor Eddie suggests that the confirmands take an oath that they will remain celibate until they marry. He urges them to give themselves to God first, and then to family and those we love.

“Haven’t you read,” [Jesus] replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Matthew 19:4-6. See: Genesis 2:24.

We talked about Joseph, who after he was betrothed to Mary, found out that she was pregnant, and resolved to “put her away,” that is, to divorce her. It was a common Jewish requirement and practice that the woman must be a virgin before the marriage was consummated, and if not, the betrothal would be canceled.

In the Jewish context, “full betrothal was so binding that its breaking required a certificate of divorce, and the death of one party made the other a widow or widower (m. Ketub. 1:2; m. Sota 1:5; m. Git. passim…)” (R. H. Gundry, Matthew: A Commentary on his Literary and Theological Art, 21). Source: The NET Bible.

See: Jewish Weddings - First-Century Style

This notion of sexual exclusivity was one of the reasons that Josh and Sean McDowell wrote The Unshakable Truth. In Chapter 11 they present a powerful discussion of the Biblical and social reasons for abstaining from sex before marriage, and against extramarital affairs (thanks to Beth for the citation to Chapter 11). They cited five verses concerning sexual immorality in the Bible:

• “Abstain from…sexual immorality” (Acts 15:29).
• “Run away from sexual sin” (1 Corinthians 6:18).
• “We must not engage in sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 10:8).
• “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality…because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Ephesians 5:3).
• “God wants you to be holy, so you should keep clear of all sexual sin” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Josh and Sean follow this with discussions concerning the purity of God, the faithfulness of God, that God is One, and the effects of sexual immorality on the culture, and especially the tremendously damaging effects of adultery and consequent divorce on children. “A united marriage and family fosters feelings of consistency, permanence, and stability. It helps a child to know who they belong to, who belongs to them, who they can trust, and what their lives will be like tomorrow.”

They conclude:

God has given us his reliable Word that accurately reflects who he is (pure, faithful, a unity, and so on). Because he created us in his image, he provides instructions in his Word that show us how to conduct our lives in a way that reflects his nature. By following these instructions, we can live godly lives and enjoy the protection and provision he planned for us. This truth of God and his Word is another component in the building of a Christian worldview. The more we understand God’s character and nature and how they are reflected in the commands and instructions found in his Word, the more we gain a perspective on life as God intended it.

This exclusivity – both premarital and during the marriage – has been significantly devalued by today's society. There are powerful social pressures on adolescents to engage in sex. For this reason, it is imperative that the churches and the families step up to the plate to combat societal and cultural permissiveness.

5. Is Jesus saying some will be unprepared for the Day?

Yes. Some never knew Him, and others allowed their faith to become cold.

6. What is the main point of the parable?

Lenski and other commentators emphasize the notion that each person must be personally responsible to be ready for the Day of the Lord. In the context of this parable, “lamps with oil” signifies prepared Christians. And that on that Day, no one can “lend” any righteousness to another who is unprepared. Dr. Lenski writes:

Lamps without oil are the forms of Christian life that are without the substance of this life; lamps together with oil are the forms that are vitalized by the true Christian life. We may call this oil spiritual life, faith with its works, even the Holy Ghost as some do.

He continues, saying that there must be both the form of Godliness and the power of Godliness in each life. However, “Hundreds of people attach themselves to the church but are never reborn and renewed. They may even do great deeds in and for the church yet inwardly remain strangers to Christ, 7:22, 23. Their folly is revealed in the end.” Lenski, pp. 964-965.

The Lutheran Study Bible noted that “The oil represents a faith continually sustained by the means of grace, thus able to endure until Christ's return.” LSB, note 25:3, p. 1638. [Emphasis added]

7. Where does this really hit home?

Our Lord tells us in verse 13:

“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

We remembered that the last half of Chapter 24 and all of Chapter 25 are to be read as a single admonition by our Lord, with a primary message: Therefore, Keep Watch!. One way to keep the “oil in our lamps” is to continually do the will of God. We can keep our faith alive by the regular infusion of God's grace – loving God and loving each other, as He instructed us.

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[Deut. 6:5 ] This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[Lev. 19:18] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:37-40

It was observed that God has no grandchildren. The faith of our fathers will not save us.

This parable is talking about The Day. If we should have performed an act of Christian charity, it should have been the day before, because it is surely too late to do so on that Day that we are called to stand before the Lord.

Pastor Eddie shared with us his reaction as a boy to the Parables in this Chapter, going to family members to ask if they love God. Why? Because he didn't want anyone to be left out of the Kingdom! And this was one of the reasons that he felt called to the ministry. Like Beth's father in his last hours: “Just one more soul for Jesus.”

We talked about wearing crosses, shirts, clerical collars, etc., as a means to start the conversation about faith in Christ Jesus. Diane had encountered someone who implied that those who wear such items are “fanatics.” She, and the other members of the group, did not see that, but rather were merely advertising their faith (and not hiding it under a bushel basket).

8. Does this parable imply that some Christians will not be ready on the Day the Bridegroom comes?

Yes. We recalled our Lord's reference to the people in Noah's time, who lived without having God in their lives in any way. Likewise, there are some people who have allowed their faith to become cold, as well as those who are deluding themselves.

The Lutheran Study Bible notes:

Jesus warns that many invited to share in the eternal joy of His kingdom will miss our by failing to have a living faith at the end. Though some will be condemned for heinous crimes and gross sins, many more will fail to enter heaven because they neglected their faith. Even so, no matter how depleted our faith is, Jesus' grace can fill us to overflowing with a single word. LSB, note 25:1-13, p. 1638.

Again, we cannot borrow righteousness on that Day. Each must prepare himself or herself. Going to a Church is not an automatic ticket for admission to the Kingdom of Heaven. There are no free passes. We recalled Ephesians 2:8-10:

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

We must remember that these are “red letter” words, not from one of the Apostles or some distinguished commentator. When Jesus speaks, we'd better be listening (do we have ears but do not hear?).

Dr. Lenski noted:

This advise to go and to buy is sound and good, but it is too late to act on it now when the bridegroom is actually coming. This is the point of the parable and what it portrays regarding Christians who let their days of grace pass without securing grace for faith and a new life. Lenski, p. 968.

Likewise, the Four-Fold Gospel had this observation:

There will be no borrowed righteousness on the day of the Lord's coming, for no one will have any to spare. The Roman Catholic confidence in saints, and the trust of some Protestants in pious parents, are alike unavailing: each soul must see to its own lamp. Those who had the oil to sell are merely part of the drapery of the parable, put in to bring out the point that it was then too late to secure any oil. The oil of God's grace is given without money and without price, but in the hour of the Lord's appearing it will be too late to seek for it.

We also recalled verses 11 & 12:

“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ [Emphasis added]

The Lutheran Study Bible notes that verses 11 & 12 echo the verses in Matthew 7:21-23, “... where Jesus warns His audience that He will recognize and admit into the kingdom of heaven only those who do the will of His Father.” LSB, note 25:11-12, p. 1638.

“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. 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?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23. [Emphasis added]

Some are not prepared at all; they brought no extra oil. Others have allowed their faith to lapse; they slumbered while waiting.

Again it was emphasized that this section is not about how “good” a Christian any of us is. Rather, do we have the wisdom to prepare, and the patience to maintain, our faithfulness? Are we walking with the Lord in our lives (like Noah, but unlike others in his time)? Are we infusing our lives with His grace by doing His will? Are we being watchful?

We closed with prayer. A service followed in the Sanctuary.

Parallel Verses

There are no parallel verses for today's readings.

Harmony of the Gospels @ Blue Letter Bible

For Additional Study

Online Resources

Book of Concord in PDF Format, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod <http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/TrigBOC.pdf> (2MB file)

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

A number of important Lutheran texts can be found in the Belief and Practice section of the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112

John S. C. Abbott and Jacob Abbott, Illustrated New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/ain/

Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/

Harold F. Buls
http://www.pericope.org/buls-notes/index.html and
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-bul.html
Adapted from Exegetical Notes, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, Gospel Texts, by Harold H. Buls, Concordia Theological Seminary Press: Ft Wayne IN, 1980

The Adam Clarke Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/

Burton Coffman, Commentary on the Whole Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/

John Darby, Synopsis of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/darby/matthew1.htm

The Greek Interlinear Bible,
http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Based on NA26/27. A word-by-word translation of the Greek New Testament.

David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/

The Geneva Study Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/geneva/matthew1.htm

John Gill, Exposition of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/gill/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mhc/matthew1.htm

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/jfb/matthew1.htm

B.W. Johnson, People's New Testament
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/johnson/matthew1.htm

John Lightfoot, Bible Commentary
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/light/matthew1.htm

Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/

J. W. McGarvey, Original Commentary on Acts
http://www.studylight.org/com/oca/

J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The Fourfold Gospel (also known as "Harmony Of the Four Gospels")
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/four/matthew1.htm

Alexander Maclaren's commentaries on the books of the Bible (various titles)
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a2330

The NET Bible. <http://bible.org/netbible/> A completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes. It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Excellent notes, citing both the Greek and Hebrew, as needed. Greek and Hebrew fonts available without cost.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/

C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/

R.A. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/

W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
http://www.antioch.com.sg/bible/vines/

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/wesley/matthew1.htm

Other Additional Resources:
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/SPLC/Motley%20Crew%20Research%20Resources.html

Other Resources

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. Readers Edition. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)

Davies, Benjamin, ed., Baker's Pocket Harmony of the Gospels (Baker Book House, 1975). Formerly printed as Harmony of the Four Gospels.

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger III, eds., The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). This is the second edition, originally published as the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It was originally published as The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It should be distinguished from The NIV Complete Concordance by the same authors.

Green, Jay P., ed., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Vol. IV. Second Edition. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1985)

Halley, Henry H., Halley's Bible Handbook. New Revised Edition (24^th Edition). (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965)

Hickie, W.J., Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977). This is a reprint of an older edition, originally published by Macmillan, August. 1893. A contemporary review described this as "A handy little volume, compiled on sound principles from trustworthy authorities." The 1911 edition is available online and for download at http://openlibrary.org/b/OL17866849M/Greek-English_lexicon_to_the_New_Testament

Hoerber, Robert G., ed., Concordia Self-Study Bible. NIV (Great Rapids, Zondervan: 1973, 1984).

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943, reprinted 1964)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

Nave, Orville J., ed., Nave's Topical Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979)

New Bible Dictionary. Second Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962)

Nicoll, W. Robertson, The Greek Expositor's Testament. Vol. 1. Five Volumes. (New York: George H. Doran Co., ca. 1910). Excellent notes on the Greek text and summaries of commentators. Available at Google Books ( www.books.google.com ) and the Internet Archive ( www.archive.org - easier to find here than at Google Books).

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (Text from Project Gutenberg)

Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2000). This “Concise Edition” is derived from the six-volume work by Robertson published in 1933. Robertson was also the author of 45 books, including numerous commentaries, a Harmony of the Gospels, etc. Also available online

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III, eds., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998). This is the second edition of the excellent work by Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, translated and edited by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.

Strong, James, ed., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)

Vine, W.E., Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, no date). Originally published circa 1940.