{"id":799,"date":"2023-12-19T03:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-12-19T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/?p=799&2023"},"modified":"2023-12-14T17:00:08","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T00:00:08","slug":"the-missing-bride-matthew-25-1-13","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reflectivebiblestudy.com\/gospeladventure\/the-missing-bride-matthew-25-1-13\/","title":{"rendered":"The Missing Bride: Matthew 25:1-13"},"content":{"rendered":"
Focus Passage: Matthew 25:1-13 (NIrV)<\/div>
\r\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cHere is what the kingdom of heaven will be like at that time. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2\u00a0<\/sup>Five of them were foolish. Five were wise. 3\u00a0<\/sup>The foolish ones took their lamps but didn\u2019t take any olive oil with them. 4\u00a0<\/sup>The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5\u00a0<\/sup>The groom did not come for a long time. So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep.<\/p>

6\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cAt midnight someone cried out, \u2018Here\u2019s the groom! Come out to meet him!\u2019<\/p>

7\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cThen all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready. 8\u00a0<\/sup>The foolish ones said to the wise ones, \u2018Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.\u2019<\/p>

9\u00a0<\/sup>\u201c\u2009\u2018No,\u2019 they replied. \u2018There may not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil. Buy some for yourselves.\u2019<\/p>

10\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cSo they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut.<\/p>

11\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cLater, the other bridesmaids also came. \u2018Sir! Sir!\u2019 they said. \u2018Open the door for us!\u2019<\/p>

12\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cBut he replied, \u2018What I\u2019m about to tell you is true. I don\u2019t know you.\u2019<\/p>

13\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cSo keep watch. You do not know the day or the hour that the groom will come.<\/p>\r\n

Read Matthew 25:1-13<\/a> in context and\/or in other translations on BibleGateway.com!<\/p><\/div><\/div>\r\n

In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, there is a character who must be present, but who is never mentioned. For there to be a groom and bridesmaids, there would also have to be a bride. Otherwise, there really wouldn\u2019t be a wedding.<\/p>\r\n

Perhaps Jesus shared the parable in this way to allow for multiple people to fill the role, but if that were the case, then they all should be at the wedding itself. In first-century weddings, the bridesmaids role was to light the way at night between the wedding ceremony (which would be at a church or synagogue) and the reception hall (which would be in a home).<\/p>\r\n

The bridesmaids had an important role in helping guests make their way from the ceremony to the celebration. If this wedding represents Christ\u2019s marriage with the symbolic bride that is the church, then Christians everywhere would be a part of the wedding ceremony, and the role of bridesmaid would ultimately be composed of a different group of people.<\/p>\r\n

Missing in this parable is the role of the bride. The bride actually links the bridesmaids with the groom. The bridesmaids know the bride, and they are interested in meeting the groom. With this idea in place, the bridesmaids may be composed of friends of Christians who are looking for evidence of their faith, and who desire to meet God themselves. Some of these friends may fall away, looking for something else, while others of them may persevere and find God.<\/p>\r\n

This slight distinction in who fills the role of bridesmaid in this parable makes for an interesting question, but in some ways, it misses an important characteristic of our spiritual journey: No one starts life as a Christ-follower. Life does not begin with us as a part of the symbolic bride.<\/p>\r\n

Instead, as we grow, we make the decision whether to align ourselves with God, Jesus, and those who have aligned themselves in this way, or we make the decision to reject God in favor of another option. Choosing to align with God takes us from being a bridesmaid to being a member of the symbolic bride and this only happens after we invite the Holy Spirit into our lives and joining with the bigger body of Christianity.<\/p>\r\n

With the freedom to choose God we also have the freedom to reject Him. It is within our freedom of choice to leave being a member of the symbolic bride and walk away from being a bridesmaid.<\/p>\r\n

With the freedom of choice, we will all fill the role of bridesmaid at some point in our lives, and while in that role, this parable gives us guidance for how to be wise, how to persevere, and how to ultimately and successfully meet the groom.<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

This thought was inspired by studying the Walking With Jesus<\/strong> \u201cReflective Bible Study\u201d package. To discover insights like this in your own study time, click here<\/a> and give Reflective Bible Study a try today!<\/em><\/p>

Subscribe<\/a> to this blog and never miss an insight.<\/em><\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In the parable of the ten bridesmaids, there is a character who must be present, but who is never mentioned. For there to be a groom and bridesmaids, there would also have to be a bride. Otherwise, there really wouldn\u2019t be a wedding. 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