Interpretation
In the parable, the Lord compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a wedding feast. This is a feast that not all believers can attend. Many are accustomed to thinking that if a person believes in God, if he knows all the church rules, that is, he is a church member, lives in anticipation of Christ and does good deeds, and does not condemn anyone, this is a guarantee for his salvation.
But in the parable, the Lord speaks completely differently than we think. Non-believers, those who do not live in anticipation of the woman, that is, those who do not live in anticipation of the Coming of the Lord, are beyond the boundaries of this parable. They are not in this story. It is about those who believe in Christ.
The virgins who entered the wedding feast are believers. Those who were thrown into outer darkness are also believers and await the coming of the Messiah.
“Virgins” are the church, human souls.
The “Bridegroom” is our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The “burning lamp” is faith or prayer.
“Oil” is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given to us through service to our neighbor.
“Those who sell” are our neighbors.
In this parable, it is no coincidence that we see the number 5. There are five smart virgins and five foolish virgins. What does this number mean? We can only guess about this. But this five, united on the one hand and opposed on the other, is found in the Holy Scriptures quite often. These are the length of the wings of the cherubim in the Jerusalem temple, and five poles of shittim wood, five pillars and five sockets, five shekels (the amount of the ransom for the firstborn), five lamps made by King Solomon, five goats, five lambs (which are part of the peace offering to the Lord ), five wounds of Christ, five changes of Benjamin's clothes given to him by Jacob, five brothers out of ten whom Pharaoh presented to Joseph, and so on.
The foolish and the wise are distinguished from each other not simply by the presence or absence of oil, but by the fact that some thought and prepared for the long night of waiting for the Savior, while others simply had faith in their hearts. This pleasant faith helps to live without thinking that in reality faith is pleasing God. After all, even demons have faith that does not please God, but it does not save them.
The fact that they are virgins indicates their purity. They think that the Lord will manifest itself in life when they need it. But the wise say: “I will stand before You, Lord, and wait.” Some say to themselves: “You will still have time to live, improve, take care of your family, look your wife in the eye, go to church. For now we’ll just pray.” And others say: “What will I do tomorrow if I die today? What will I leave behind here and what will I take into eternity?
The oil will run out and the doors will close. It will happen before you even realize what happened. Do you rely on those who have oil in their vessels, while you yourself are content with only a smoldering lamp? Do you hope that they are praying for you in the 12 monasteries of Athos? Why did you donate a bell and more than an altarpiece Gospel to the temple? That you have three priests you know? That you once sat at Easter with a bishop? Will this hope save us?
Christ says: “You will ask, but no one will help.” You cannot enter the Kingdom of God with a trailer. The doors to the ark closed before the flood began. The sun was still shining on Earth and the birds were singing, and the oil in the lamps had not yet dried up, but the gates had already closed.
“You think you know me? But I do not know you. You did not shed tears in front of my image, you did not look for me in the Holy Scriptures, in prayers, you did not share a meal with me, you conserved your strength and protected your peace. You did not give yourself, you did not waste yourself. I don’t know you,” says Christ.
There is another deep thought hidden in this parable - two nations awaiting the coming of the Messiah. Today there is one people who received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, and another people who said: “You are deceived! You're drunk on sweet wine!
Bible Online
Jesus Christ said: “ Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And as they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut ...” (Matthew 25:1-10). Two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ once told a very vivid parable about who can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. He said that only wise virgins would be able to meet the groom, but foolish virgins who did not stock up on oil would not be able to. After reading this parable, I decided for myself to be among the wise virgins in order to rejoice at His return and have a feast with Him.
During more than one decade of being in faith in the Lord, I always wished that the Lord would meet me in the heavenly abodes and deliver me from the oppressive and sinful world, and that I would receive everything that He promised. I read the Bible often and a lot and sincerely prayed to the Lord; I looked for famous preachers who knew the Bible well and listened to them teach about the Bible; I endured the ridicule and sarcasm of worldly people; Whenever illness or trouble befell me, I tried not to give in to Satan's temptation and not to complain, because I believed that “he who endures to the end will be saved.” I thought that was how they stocked up on oil. However, whatever I did in this way gave me no pleasure, and I did not feel close to the Lord. I could not feel His presence even though I prayed often.
Wasn't it God's will for me to stock up on oil? I became confused. One day I heard a brother preach and he said, “When speaking about the Age of Grace, Jesus Christ mentioned the wise virgins. What is their secret? Why is it said that they are wise virgins? This is primarily because they can recognize the voice of God. As soon as they listen, understanding comes to them and they say: “I felt that this man’s words are God’s words, this is God’s voice. No one else can speak such words; this is the voice of God. Therefore I believe in Him. He is Christ, that is, God became flesh.” This is their wisdom. But why are stupid people so stupid? They think differently: “Isn’t he a man? Isn't this Jesus from Nazareth? Isn't he an ordinary person? How can He be God? We will not believe in Him, we believe in God who is in heaven.” Look, doesn't this show that these people have no spiritual understanding? However, they believe that their words are correct and very reasonable. As a result, God allows these “smart” people to become victims of their own wickedness” (“Sermons and Discourses on Entering Life” (IX)). His reasoning resolved my confusion. I realized that storing oil means being able to listen to the voice of God, understand the words of God, accept the truth and obey Him. Only those who can do this are wise virgins.
I remembered the fisherman Peter. Having heard the Gospel about the Kingdom of Heaven preached by Jesus Christ, he realized that what Jesus Christ was saying was the secret of the Kingdom of Heaven and that Jesus Christ was sent by God, so he followed Him. While with Jesus, Peter realized that His words could not be human, and that the work He was doing could not be done by man. Thanks to the words and actions of the Lord, Peter recognized that He was the Son of God. I am also reminded of the woman from Samaria. When she heard the Lord Jesus speak about the deepest secrets of her heart, she recognized the Lord because she understood that only God can know the deepest secrets of man. So she left her water jug and went to tell people: “... come, see a man, who told me all things that I have done: is not this the Christ ?” (John 4:29) Having encountered the appearance of God, the disciples and followers of the Lord Jesus were able to discern that the words He spoke were the truth and were from God, these words could not be spoken by man. And, having heard the voice of God, they were able to accept Him, submit to Him and follow the Lord. This is how they stocked up on oil.
On the other hand, the foolish virgins had neither aspirations nor intentions in their hearts to understand what the voice of God is, they did not seek the truth expressed by Christ and did not follow it. On the contrary, they always defined God's work through their concepts, looked at the incarnate Jesus Christ as an ordinary person, and said that God's sayings are actually human words. As a result, they were rejected by God and lost His salvation. Likewise, the Pharisees of that time were not attentive to the words of the Lord, blindly judged God as a man according to their own ideas, and even fanatically condemned the Lord that He blasphemed. Ultimately, they were cursed and punished by God because they resisted the new work that the Lord was doing.
Here are more words of the Lord that I saw: “ I still have much to say to you; but now you cannot contain it. But when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of Himself, but whatever He hears, He will speak, and He will tell you things to come” (John 16:12-13). “But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps ” (Matthew 25:6-7). These scriptures show us that in the future God will come again to speak even more and tell us about His future works. Therefore, when the Lord comes again, I should be a wise virgin. If someone is preaching the message of the Lord's return, I need to pay close attention to God's voice and pray to receive His guidance. I believe that the Lord will lead me to the meeting, because He promised: “ And I will say to you: ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you, for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened ” (Luke 11:9-10). “ Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with me ” (Revelation 3:20). Thank God! Let His Kingdom come. I hope we can be wise virgins and rejoice in the return of Jesus Christ.
Author: Tun Tun
Read the page about the Second Coming of Christ or click on texts on this topic
The days of Noah have already come, how to find God?
The mystery of God's name: when the Lord returns to the last, will He still be called Jesus?
Look! Only by listening to the Word of God will we not remain
CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE BRANCHESTER
The parable of ten virgins awaiting the arrival of the groom and going out to meet him is found only in the Evangelist Matthew. Some details, however, find parallels in Ap. Luke (Luke 13:25).
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut; Afterwards the other virgins came and said: Lord! God! open to us. He answered and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come” (Matthew 25:1-13).
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins, symbolizing human souls, shows that those who believe in the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and hope to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, despite their faith, will be subjected to the final test at the Last Judgment and then accepted into the Kingdom of Heaven or rejected forever .
Christ depicted His second coming here using the image, well known to Jews, of the groom coming to the bride’s house during the wedding ritual. According to ancient Eastern custom, after the agreement, the groom, accompanied by family and friends, goes to the house of the bride, who is waiting for him in her best outfit, surrounded by her friends. The wedding celebration usually took place at night, so the bride's friends met the groom with burning lamps and, since the time of the groom's arrival was not exactly known, those waiting stocked up on oil in case it burned out in the lamps. The bride, with her face covered with a thick veil, the groom and all the participants in the celebration went to the groom’s house with singing and music. The doors were closed, the marriage contract was signed, “blessings” were said in honor of the bride and groom, the bride revealed her face and the wedding feast began, lasting seven days if a girl was getting married, or three days if a widow was getting married.
The wedding feast symbolizes in this parable the Kingdom of Heaven, where believers will be united with the Lord in blissful eternal life. Waiting for the groom means a person’s entire earthly life, the purpose of which is to prepare oneself for a meeting with the Lord. The closed doors of the bridal chamber, which did not allow those who were late to approach the groom, mean human death, after which there is no longer repentance and correction.
According to the explanation of St. John Chrysostom, Christ led believers entering the Kingdom of Heaven under the image of virgins, thereby exalting virginity - not only bodily chastity, but, mainly, spiritual, true confession of the Christian faith and life according to faith, in contrast to heresy, atheism and negligence in regarding the salvation of your soul. “The lamp,” says Chrysostom, “Christ here calls the gift of virginity, the purity of holiness, and the oil is philanthropy, mercy, helping the poor.” Oil in the Holy Scriptures usually serves as an image of the Holy Spirit, and in this parable the burning oil means the spiritual burning of believers, blessed by the Holy Spirit of God, imparting to them His rich gifts: faith, love, mercy and others, expressed in the Christian life of believers, in particular, in love and helping others.
The great righteous Rev. clearly and convincingly explains the parable of the ten virgins. Seraphim of Sarov. The main idea of Rev. Seraphim is to understand the goal of Christian life as “acquiring the grace of the All-Holy Spirit,” which he expressed in a wonderful conversation with the merchant N. Motovilov.
“In the parable of the wise and foolish virgins,” says Rev. Seraphim to his interlocutor, when the holy fools did not have enough oil, he said: “Go and buy it in the marketplace.” But when they bought, the doors to the bridal chamber were already closed, and they could not enter into it. Some say that the lack of oil among holy virgins signifies a lack of lifelong good deeds. This understanding is not entirely correct. What kind of lack of good deeds do they have when, even though they are holy fools, they are still called virgins? After all, virginity is the highest virtue, as a state equal to the angels, and could serve as a substitute, in itself, for all other virtues... I, poor Seraphim, think that they lacked precisely the grace of the All-Holy Spirit of God. While creating virtue, these virgins, out of their spiritual foolishness, believed that this was the only Christian thing, to do only virtues. We will do virtues, and thus we will do the work of God, but whether they received the grace of the Spirit of God or whether they achieved it, they did not care. About such and such ways of life, based only on the creation of virtues, without careful testing, whether and how much they bring the grace of the Spirit of God, it is said in the books of the Fathers: “There is another way. seeming good in the beginning, but its ends are in the bottom of hell.”
Not every “good deed,” according to the teachings of St. Seraphim, has spiritual value, but only those “good deeds” that are done in the name of Christ are valuable. In fact, it is easy to imagine (and this often happens) that good deeds are performed by non-believers. But about them, the Apostle Paul said: “If I give away all my possessions and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:3).
Further, in order to clarify his thoughts about true good, Rev. Seraphim says: “Antony the Great, in his letters to the monks, speaks about such virgins: “Many monks and virgins have no idea about the differences in the wills operating in man, and do not know that there are three wills at work in us: the first is the will of God, all-perfect and all-saving; the second is one’s own, human, i.e., if not destructive, then not salvific, and the third will, the enemy’s, is completely destructive. And it is this third, enemy will that teaches a person either not to do any virtues, or to do them out of vanity, or for the sake of good alone, and not for the sake of Christ.
The second is our own will, which teaches us to do everything to please our lusts, or even as an enemy, teaches us to do good for the sake of good, not paying attention to the grace that it acquires. The first - the will of God and all-saving - consists only in doing good only for the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, as an eternal treasure, inexhaustible and cannot be fully and worthily appreciated by anything.
It is this, this acquisition of the Holy Spirit, that is actually called the oil that the holy fools did not have... That is why they are called holy fools, because they forgot about the necessary fruit of virtue, about the grace of the Holy Spirit, without which no one can be saved or be saved. maybe, for “every soul is given life by the Holy Spirit”... This is the oil in the lamps of the wise virgins, which could burn brightly and continuously, and those virgins with these burning lamps could wait for the Bridegroom, who came at midnight, and enter with Him into the palace of joy. The fools, who saw that their lamps were going out, although they went to the marketplace and bought oil, did not manage to return in time, for the doors were already closed.”
From the parable of the ten virgins it follows quite clearly that a person’s justification both at a private trial (after death) and at the general Last Judgment will only be his earthly life in God, according to the covenants of Christ and, therefore, in tune with the Heavenly Kingdom. Yet “formal” Christians, living out of contact with God and not caring about their salvation, are preparing for themselves the fate of the outcasts. “No one ascends to heaven living a cool life,” teaches the Rev. Isaac of Syria. Neither formal faith, without life according to the commandments of Christ (Luke 6:46; James 1:22; Rom. 2:13), nor prophecies in the name of Christ or many miracles performed in His Name, as can be seen from the words of the Savior (Matthew 7 : 21-23), are not sufficient to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. “Whoever does not have the spirit of Christ is not His,” says the Apostle Paul (Rom. 8:9) and it will be natural for such to hear the words of the Son of God: “Truly I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12) .
©V.Potapov
Maundy Tuesday
Parable of the 10 virgins
Three tempting questions to the Lord
And the high priests and Pharisees planned to destroy Him in another way, namely, by catching Him in words. And so they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and Herodians, who, “coming, said to Him: Teacher! we know that You are fair and do not care about pleasing anyone, for You do not look at any face, but teach the true way of God. Is it permissible to give tribute to Caesar or not? Should we give or not?”
“But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them: Why do you tempt Me? Bring me a denarius so that I can see it. They brought it. Then he says to them: whose image and inscription is this? They said to Him: Caesar's. Jesus answered and said to them, “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12, 14–17)
These words of Jesus Christ contain the meaning of true freedom, which operates not through violence, but through the meekness of the faith that the Savior brought into the world.
Thus, the attempts of the scribes, like the Herodians, to capture Jesus in words were unsuccessful.
On that day, the Sadducees[1] also came to Him, who, despising both the dogma of the Jewish confession of the resurrection from the dead and the teaching of Christ, in this case became, as it were, allies of the Pharisees and, with the same insidious intent to catch Jesus, asked Him: What will be the fate of that wife who, according to the law of Moses, was married to seven husband-brothers, whose wife will she be after the resurrection of the dead? To this rude question, which proved their complete misunderstanding of either the omnipotence of God or the conditions of the future life, Christ answered them that “in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but remain like the Angels of God in heaven,” and after that, paying attention to the fact that although they recognize the law of Moses, they do not understand its meaning, He added: “And regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living (see Ex. 3:6).”
“And when the people heard, they marveled at His teaching. And the Pharisees, hearing that He had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, tempting Him, asked, saying: Teacher! What is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus said to him: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself; On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22, 30–40)
“The scribe said to Him: good, Teacher! You said the truth that to love God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Jesus, seeing that he answered wisely, said to him: “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:32–34)
The Lord's question about whose son Christ is
Continuing to teach, Jesus now Himself asked the Pharisees: “What do you think about Christ? whose son is he? “They said to Him: David. He says to them: How then does David, by inspiration, call Him Lord, when he says: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool (see Ps. 109:1)? So if David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son? And no one could answer Him a word." (Matt. 22, 42–46)
Refutation of the Scribes and Pharisees
“Then Jesus began to speak to the people and to His disciples and said, “The scribes and Pharisees sat in the seat of Moses; So whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do; Do not act according to their deeds, for they say and do not do: they bind heavy and unbearable burdens and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves do not want to move them with a finger; yet they do their deeds so that people can see them: they expand their storehouses[2] and increase the length of their garments; they also love to be presented at feasts and preside over synagogues and greetings in public assemblies, and for people to call them: teacher! teacher!
But do not call yourself teachers, for you have only one Teacher - Christ, and yet you are brothers; And do not call anyone on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.” (Matt. 23:1–9)
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you close the Kingdom of Heaven to men, for you yourself do not enter and you do not allow those who want to enter.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour the houses of widows and (for show) pray for a long time: for this you will receive all the more condemnation.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint, anise and caraway seeds, and have abandoned the most important things in the law: judgment, mercy and faith; this had to be done, and this should not be abandoned. Blind leaders, straining out a mosquito and devouring a camel!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you cleanse the outside of the cup and platter, while inside they are full of robbery and unrighteousness. Blind Pharisee! First cleanse the inside of the cup and the dish, so that the outside of them may also be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for you are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and all uncleanness; So, on the outside, you seem righteous to people, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, who build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, and say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in shedding the blood of the prophets; Thus, you testify against yourself that you are the sons of those who beat the prophets; complete the measure of your fathers. Serpents, spawn of vipers! How will you escape from condemnation to Gehenna?
Therefore, behold, I send you prophets and wise men and scribes; and some you will kill and crucify, and others you will beat in your synagogues and drive from city to city; May all the righteous blood shed on earth come upon you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Barachi, whom you killed between the temple and the altar.” (Matthew 13–14, 23–35)
This is, as it were, a farewell word with which Jesus Christ addressed the Pharisees from the Jews; did it not retain all its meaning and all its power in relation to the Pharisees of all nations and all times? And don’t they also remain deaf to this frighteningly formidable word, although they were pronounced by the Most Merciful Judge, filled then and forever with boundless love and pity for people, that pity that brought tears from the eyes of the God-Man when He then turned to Jerusalem, death which He foresaw with His Divine insight. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem,” He cries with great sorrow, “you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you! how many times have I wanted to gather your children together, as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings, and you did not want to! Behold, your house is left to you empty. For I say to you, you will not see Me from now on until you cry, “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Matt. 23, 37–39)
But even in the terrible sentence, hope is left to see Him again for those who recognize and follow His path in His name.
Widow's Mite
Widow's Mite
Before leaving the temple, Jesus “sat down opposite the treasury and watched as the people put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in a lot. Having arrived, one poor widow put in two mites, which is a coin. Calling His disciples, Jesus said to them: “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all those who put into the treasury, for everyone put in out of their abundance, but out of her poverty she put in all that she had, all her food.” (Mark 12:41–44)
Parable of the 10 virgins
And Jesus told another parable. “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep.
But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut; Afterwards the other virgins came and said: Lord! God! open to us. He answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”
Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come.” (Matt. 25: 1–13)
Parable of the Last Judgment
With a solemn image of the Last Judgment of the Lord, Christ concluded His prediction about the final fate of humanity: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy Angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or to the thirsty and gave them something to drink? when did we see you as a stranger and accept you? or naked and clothed? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You?
And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.”
Then He will also say to those on the left side: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me. Then they too will answer Him: Lord! when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve You? Then he will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.” (Matt. 25, 31–46)
Parable of the Ten Virgins
“ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come ” ( Matt . 25:13) In this series of articles we will explore the gospel parables in their true historical and cultural context - in the context of Judaism 1st century .
BC e.-I century n. e. During this time period, Israel had a unique education system: the rabbi directly taught his students face-to-face, as rabbinic documents confirm. They often contain the expression “He sat down before Rabbi so-and-so,” which meant that this person became a student of some rabbi. Rabbi Jesus did the same when he taught disciples in His Kingdom of Heaven school and taught them eternal truths.
Parable of the Ten Virgins
In this article we will look at a parable that concerns the Second Coming of Jesus, as well as the setting of the date for this event. Recently, statements about setting the date of the Second Coming have been increasingly heard. The Bible clearly says: “But of that day or hour no one knows, not the angels of heaven, not the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32), however, the parable of the ten virgins will help us look at this issue from a different perspective .
Matthew 25 contains a number of parables that speak of the Second Coming and intersect with the concept of the “Kingdom of Heaven.” In previous articles, we explored Matthew 13, where the parables teach about the Kingdom of Heaven and Jesus explains the concept.
Let us turn to the parable of the virgins: “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut; Afterwards the other virgins came and said: Lord! God! open to us. He answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come” (Matt. 25:1-13).
Difficulties of interpretation. Oil symbol
It should be noted that this parable is one of the most difficult to understand, primarily due to the fact that the Bible does not describe in detail the traditional process of marriage. This is why readers are tempted to find a particular word from a parable in another biblical passage and automatically use it when interpreting the text under study. However, while the Bible does explain itself, and obscure words and expressions from one text may be explained in another passage, this principle must be applied judiciously. In particular, when interpreting Gospel parables without taking into account the context of the parable itself, such an automatic statement can lead to an incorrect result.
Let us illustrate the problem using the example of the use of the word “oil,” which, as the parable under study tells, was not enough for the foolish virgins. And they, having gone to look for him in the market in the middle of the night, did not make it to the wedding feast. Olive oil (the archaic word “oil” is often used in the Russian Synodal Bible) is written in the book of the prophet Zechariah, who saw a series of visions regarding the high priest Yehoshua. In the Synodal Version, his name sounds like “Jesus,” but we are not talking about Jesus Christ, but about the High Priest Yehoshua, who served in the Jerusalem Temple after the Babylonian captivity in 515 BC. e.
During this time, the prophet Zechariah instructed and inspired Yehoshua with prophetic revelations from God. In particular, chapter 4 says: “And that angel who spoke to me returned and awakened me, as one awakens a man from his sleep. And he said to me: what do you see? And I answered: I see, behold, a candlestick all of gold, and a cup of oil on top of it, and seven lamps on it, and seven tubes for the lamps that are on top of it” (Zech. 4: 1, 2).
The menorah is a seven-branched candlestick, one of the elements of the Sanctuary, erected in the desert, and then in the Temple built by King Solomon. It was forged solid from gold and consisted of a central trunk with a base and six branches extending from the trunk (three each on the right and left). In the Tabernacle she was in the first section, in the Holy Place. The high priest lit the menorah at dusk and cleansed its cups in the morning; it burned all night.
Further the prophet writes: “And I answered and said to the angel who spoke to me: what is this, my lord? And the Angel who spoke to me answered and said to me: Do you not know what this is? And I said: I don’t know, my lord. Then he answered and said to me thus: This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (Zechariah 4:4-6). According to the book of Exodus, the seven-branched candlestick was supposed to burn constantly, which symbolized the constant presence of the Holy Spirit in the Temple.
Oil is olive oil that was used in ancient Israel to anoint high priests and kings.
The fact that olive oil (oil) can symbolize the Holy Spirit is also seen in a number of biblical texts. For example, Psalm 44 records: “Your throne, O God, endures forever; the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom. You loved righteousness and hated iniquity; therefore, O God, Your God has anointed You with the oil of joy more than Your companions” (Ps. 44:7,8). And in a parallel text from the book of the prophet Isaiah it says: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, for the Lord has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor, He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach release to the captives and the opening of prison to the prisoners” (Is. 61:1). Thus, we see that the prophet is clearly speaking about the Holy Spirit.
This is why in Hebrews the apostle quotes Psalm 44 to confirm that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Mashiach (Messiah), that is, the anointed one, actually anointed by God, and not just an angel. Thus, the symbols of anointing and oil as the Holy Spirit are directly related to Jesus and His mission in this world.
Messiah - from the Hebrew "mashiach", literally "anointed one." The word was originally an adjective meaning “anointed [with oil].” The title "anointed" was used in the Bible to refer to kings and high priests. The act of anointing symbolized the election of a person to perform important public functions.
However, what happens if we apply this symbolism to the parable of the virgins waiting for the groom? If we substitute the meaning of the word "oil" from Zechariah 4:1-2 into Matthew 25:3, it turns out that the foolish virgins did not have the Holy Spirit. And if there had been no oil in the lamps of these virgins at all, then one could conclude that the reasonable virgins had the Holy Spirit in their hearts, but the foolish ones did not.
However, the situation here turns out to be more complicated. Texts 8 and 9 say: “The foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself.” It turns out that the foolish virgins did have some amount of oil in their lamps, otherwise they would not have burned at all. But the wise virgins did not share with the foolish, so that there would be no shortage. How can there be a lack of the Holy Spirit? Is it possible to share the Holy Spirit by pouring It from one vessel to another?
Scripture clearly testifies that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:16-17). And if the oil symbolizes Him, then the reader has a theological problem: God, the Holy Spirit, cannot be measured, like oil. Therefore, when interpreting this parable, one must in no way resort to allegories, otherwise there will be a danger of turning the Holy Spirit into something measured in units of volume.
That is why, for a correct understanding of any parable, and especially this one, it is important to correctly determine its type. And in this case it is easy, since the parable begins with the words “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins...”. We have learned in previous articles that the presence of the word “like” clearly indicates that the parable of the virgins is a type of illustrative parable. Therefore, in parables of this type there is no symbolism. In order to understand this parable, it is necessary to understand what and how it illustrates.
continued here
Alexander Bolotnikov,
Director of the Scientific Research Institute,
Doctor of Divinity
Image: The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (1822) by William Blake, Tate Gallery.
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Works of the flesh.
“The works of the flesh are known; they are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, quarrels, envy, anger, strife, disagreements, (temptations), heresies, hatred, murder, drunkenness, disorderly conduct and the like.” Gal. 5:19-21.
All the above cases and similar ones are obvious cases. And everyone knows that this is a sin. If we do this, then it will not be easy to believe our Christianity. All ten virgins were virgins, and all ten crushed olives within themselves so that they might have oil. However, the five wise virgins took care not only that their lamps burned there and then, but also about the oil that they took with them.
These “works of the flesh” will manifest themselves in everyday life, in various trials when we are among people. That is when our lamps should shine. The five foolish virgins also deny themselves in the circumstances of life, content with the fact that their lamps shine and people cannot condemn them. However, they do not think at all about the fact that the meager amount of oil they extract will quickly burn out. Wise virgins collect oil in their vessels. When the trials come to an end they test themselves. In silence before the face of God, they see themselves, their human nature, which they crush. Now they do not emit light for anyone, but collect oil in vessels. This is the hidden life with Christ in God.
Foolish virgins are happy that people cannot condemn them, since they do so much good in external things. They don't know a moment's peace. Peace and tranquility in the face of God? No. There's no time for that. In this they are like Martha. Despite her zeal in serving Jesus, she remained turned to the earth. She did not understand Mary, who sat at the feet of Jesus and collected oil into her vessel.
Collect oil in vessels.
You collect oil in your vessel when you put aside the sin that burdens your conscience. The desire to seek honor, the vanity of the mind, the desire to show oneself in eloquence, to gain recognition from people, greed - all these things that obviously must be crushed and put aside so that the lamp can shine. And then the five foolish virgins will be happy. One who is happy with the spiritual state he or she is in is like these foolish virgins, no matter what level you are at. However, the Spirit penetrates even deeper. If you want to collect oils in your vessels, then you must come to inner silence in order to hear the voice of the Spirit. He will show you your tendency to seek honor, recognition from people, etc. in a deeper way than you imagined yourself. Then you must walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) acknowledge what you see in yourself and break it. The five wise virgins like this life and fill their lamps and vessels with oil.
People see only the lamps; the vessels are hidden to them. Therefore, they do not see the difference between the virgins, despite the fact that they sometimes notice that some do not have enough oil in their lamp and it is not able to emit clear light.
Victory over sins, upon which the Spirit shines His light in the hidden life, means that you do what you do not to be noticed and seen by others, but because you love Jesus, and everything you do, you do for His sake. Then you are truly wise. Then you will be among those whom Jesus will take with Him when He comes like a thief in the night to take with Him those who are ready. You will put on white robes and walk with Jesus, and He will confess your name before His Father and His angels.
End of conversations. The Last Parables (Matthew 25)
Estimated reading time: less than a minute.
The previous chapter ended with a parable dedicated to the end of times - about those who were entrusted to take care of people and who neglected this assignment, deciding that there was enough time ahead and the master would not come soon. This chapter begins with a parable on the same theme, but much more famous; I think, moreover, that it is even more burning, because for all its prevalence in literature (words about wise virgins and about a burning lamp are found quite often) - in church art it is depicted incredibly sparingly (it was found in sculptures on the facade of a cathedral in Western Europe and literally two paintings in Russian churches). It is difficult and alarming for us to perceive it, because we are not talking about “enemies” (we have it simple: enemies are everyone who is “not us”, and we are those who are not enemies; so complete freedom in definitions ), but about those who have already been called. That is, about those to which we belong. That's probably why it's so uncomfortable.
Parable of the Ten Virgins (miniature from the Rossan Gospel), 6th century.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. and the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut; Afterwards the other virgins came and said: Lord! God! open to us. He answered and said to them, “I don’t know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.”
It must be said that the supply of oil for the lamps is a completely everyday matter and commonplace for listeners. I once saw a home Hanukkah lamp, and it was not a candlestick at all: lamps were soldered to a silver plate mounted on a stand, more similar to candlesticks in a church (by the way, they explained to me that candles can also be inserted). And below is a hook on which hangs a jug for oil. That is, oil lamps are a close, understandable image. The ceremonial entrance of the groom is also a custom, as is the fact that the guests are expecting him. But here’s what attracts attention: we are told to “keep awake,” but the wise virgins slept just as much as the foolish ones. They just had oil, and, having woken up when the groom arrived, they were immediately ready to follow him. Thus, their wakefulness consisted of forethought and readiness. And I really like the idea of Vladyka Anthony: we come to the Judgment in the state in which it found us, so that if you have time to wake up, that means you are awake. By the way, the now widespread tendency to praise death, which comes very, very quickly and unnoticed (best of all in a dream), the so-called “easy death,” strongly contradicts Christian views: for us, “a painless, shameless, peaceful death” for which we pray - this is the absence of unbearable pain (by the way, there is a cessation of pain even in very severe patients - at least for a few minutes), in cleanliness and neatness, with spiritual guidance and surrounded by loving or at least attentive people.
Isn’t the image of a burning lamp connected with the words “Do not quench the Spirit,” spoken by the Apostle Paul in a very important and significant sequence: “See to it that no one repays evil for evil; but always seek the good of each other and everyone. Always be happy. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. Don't quench the spirit. Do not despise prophecies” (1 Thessalonians 5:15-20). Isn’t it true, we can’t even discuss this sequence, but simply accept it?..
And now it’s time for us to be puzzled: it turns out that they invited, as it were, their own people to a wedding feast? And they didn’t let you in? Because of such little things? Wise maidens are also good, they spared oil...
It is difficult for us to measure Divine justice by our own criteria. We are unlikely to be able to fully understand it while we are alive and in the system of our addictions. As a matter of fact, developing sensitivity to the will of God is a task for life. But the Good News is good for this reason, to serve as a support for us in this great matter (great, because our stay in eternity depends on it). True, the Gospel is not a railway manual or a collection of recipes; it gives direction, and we must move ourselves.
The next parable tells the same story: how will the Son of Man act at His coming?
“For He will act like a man who, going to a foreign country, called his servants and entrusted them with his property: and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his strength; and immediately set off. He who received five talents went and put them to work and acquired another five talents; in the same way, the one who received two talents acquired the other two; But he who received one talent went and buried it in the ground and hid his master’s money.”
Talent is an ancient measure of the weight of precious metals, very significant; True, its value was decreasing, but there is some reason to say that even during the earthly life of Jesus, a silver talent was 50 kg of silver, and a gold talent was 10 times heavier. In short, unimaginable amounts even in silver.
Do we pay enough attention to the fact that the master distributed talents not according to his own arbitrariness, but according to the abilities of those gifted? Meanwhile, in the Old Testament it is mentioned more than once that God is like a potter working with clay (and clay is a symbol of the dust of the earth from which man is created), and the quintessence of this cross-cutting metaphor is the statement in Romans 9:21: the potter, who from He makes vessels from the same clay for both high and low use, and has power over clay. That is, in Scripture there is a prevention of self-exaltation, the same one that is now so popular under the pseudonym of self-realization. And the one who buried the talent, with such consideration, may turn out to be a rabid ambitious person with unsatisfied pride. Meanwhile, he also received his talent. But it wasn't enough for him. And he, if you think about it, joins the ranks of the dissatisfied: the elder brother from the parable of the prodigal son, the workers of the first hour, who grumbled that the workers of the eleventh hour received their reward... We can add other historical and modern examples.
Parable of the Talents. 16th century engraving
It is not surprising that thanks to this parable, the meaning of the word “talent” branched off, so to speak, from the original designation of the monetary unit and began to refer to the gifts of God - to talent. I really like how this is discussed in one modern book - in “Archia” by Vyacheslav Butusov. There, a folklore and artistic retelling of the parable begins with the words “we are simply designed to be talented” and unfolds as the story of three royal advisers left to rule in the absence of the king. The first received three talents: beauty, health, intelligence. The second is beauty and health, and the third is only beauty. The first gave his talents to children, the second to old people, and the third kept his beauty to himself. And the children grew up and increased their beauty, health and intelligence. The old people died and bequeathed their knowledge, wisdom and experience to the donor, in addition to health and beauty. And the third adviser became a decrepit old man, having lost his beauty. One can, of course, ask, what could he do with her? - You never know; I could, for example, give it to a kind, ugly woman, and she would get married and give birth to kind and beautiful children. Moreover, this mad loser was rude to the king in his heart, admitting that he always disliked him and considered him evil and cruel.
Here is a clear illustration of the refraction of the meaning of the Gospel in Christian culture. Let's return to the original text.
“After a long time, the master of those slaves comes and demands an account from them. And the one who had received five talents came and brought another five talents and said: Master! you gave me five talents; I purchased the other five talents with them. His master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in small things, I will put you over many things; enter into the joy of your master."
Two small, but apparently significant details: the master calls the slave “good,” emphasizing that he not only showed ingenuity, but also acted out of his heart, out of love, and invites him to “enter into joy,” which again allows you to see spiritual unity in goodness.
“The one who had received two talents also came up and said: Master! You gave me two talents, and behold, I acquired the other two talents with them. His master said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in small things, I will put you over many things; enter into the joy of your master."
The general atmosphere of joy and goodness is expanding, especially since the gentleman does not make any distinction between the “five-talented” and the “two-talented”: everyone received according to their strength, everyone acted as best they could, everyone justified their hopes - now they are equal.
“The one who had received one talent came up and said: Master! I knew you that you were a cruel man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter, and, being afraid, I went and hid your talent in the ground; here's yours. His master answered him: “You wicked and lazy servant!” You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter; Therefore, you should have given my silver to the merchants, and when I came, I would have received mine with profit; So, take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents, for to everyone who has it will be given and he will have an abundance, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away; but throw the worthless slave into outer darkness: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
And where does one who has not lived up to even modest expectations begin his speech? With insults. Alas, this is so human: in the absence of repentance, the feeling of guilt is transformed into hostility towards the one to whom one is guilty. Considering the gentleman to be unjustifiably cruel, the man of little talent thereby decided that he had the right to neglect the task. A questionable decision, to be sure. And quite reasonably, the gentleman objects that since he is considered cruel, then it would be possible (if there is no skill) to transfer the talent to those who know how to handle it (note that both material and ideal understanding “pass” here equally). So the person fully demonstrated both lack of love and short-sightedness. This is exactly what the punishment is for.
The parable ends with an emphasis on attracting attention: “Having said this, he proclaimed: whoever has ears to hear, let him hear!” And then comes the most important thing: the last parable in the Gospel of Matthew, the parable of the Last Judgment, the fear of which so darkens human consciousness that it is useful to pay close attention to what actually entails reward and what entails punishment.
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or to the thirsty and gave them something to drink? when did we see you as a stranger and accept you? when naked and clothed? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me.”
Here, with final directness, it is said that the purpose of Christ (and thereby the purpose of the Judgment) is the restoration of humanity to the Kingdom for which it was destined from the creation of the world. So why are they honored with the Kingdom? - for helping people, and this agrees very well with the words that he who does not love his neighbor cannot love God. Two things attract attention: firstly, the righteous have no idea that they were doing godly deeds, and did not even think that what they were doing was considered good by God and that it was worthy of reward. And secondly, there is no talk here of everyday asceticism. And really, do we fast for God? - no, to cleanse the body, which also contributes to the enlightenment of the soul and mind. And we pray in order to acquire the skill of striving for God and for Communion with God, that is, we again need this. In the words of Scripture and Tradition, we ask to establish a pure heart in us and strengthen the “spirit of rights” - again, why? So that we can be capable of life in the spirit, that is, life in God and with God. Yes, and we receive communion in order to unite with Him; True, in this case we can say that the All-Merciful Lord wants this, because it restores the picture of the unity of humanity in God. And the Savior warns us that not everyone who says to Him “Lord, Lord,” that is, who abundantly pronounces the words of prayer, will be accepted by Him into the Kingdom (see Matthew 7:21).
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry, and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me. Then they too will answer Him: Lord! when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve You? Then he will answer them, “Truly I say to you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.” And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life.”
…How vital it is for us to read the Good News—truly like bread.
Interpretation of the Gospel for each day of the year. Saturday of the 17th week after Pentecost
Matthew, 104 readings, 25, 1-13
The Lord spoke the following parable: The Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the groom. Of these, five were wise and five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps and took no oil with them. The wise, together with their lamps, took oil in their vessels. And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep. But at midnight a cry was heard: behold, the groom is coming, go out to meet him. Then all the virgins stood up and trimmed their lamps. But the foolish said to the wise, Give us your oil, for our lamps are going out. And the wise answered: so that there is no shortage for both us and you, you better go to those who sell and buy for yourself. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut; Afterwards the other virgins came and said: Lord! God! open to us. He answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.” Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come.
This parable is about the heavenly marriage of God with humanity. The groom is our Lord Jesus Christ. He has one incomparable love for His Bride, the Church. Virgins are those who profess faith in Christ, members of the Church. Among the ten virgins there are five wise and five foolish. Outwardly, people may belong to the same confession and be indistinguishable from each other, but God sees deeper. Virgos turn out to be wise or foolish depending on their inner state. True faith and life according to true faith are wisdom, sin and deviation from true faith are madness. It was madness for the holy fools to take their lamps and not take the oil with them. They held in their hands the lamps of the true confession, but did not have the oil of grace in their hearts, because they did not bother, as St. Seraphim of Sarov says, to acquire it with “worldly purchases.”
“And as the groom slowed down, everyone dozed off and fell asleep.” The groom delayed, that is, he did not come when they expected Him. It may sometimes seem to us that Christ is delaying, but this is not so. Although He is in no hurry to come to us at the time we have appointed, He will not be slow to come at the time He has appointed. “Everyone dozed off and fell asleep” - as if they were tired of waiting for Him. Not only those who belong to the Church in name only, but also many pious Christians can weaken in zeal for God when the living presence of Christ is not with them. It cannot be said that they lost all their love for Christ, but they still left their first love. The Lord gives us two important warnings. First, we need to constantly work on ourselves, fearing carelessness, because when Christ comes, it may be irreparably late. And our prayer: “Lord! God! open to us” will not be heard. Secondly, there are things that no one can give to us unless we take the trouble to acquire them ourselves. It is impossible to give another person your humility, your purity, your love, your God-given grace. What is the use of crying out to the wise virgins after our death and at the Last Judgment: “Give us some of your oil, as our lamps go out”?
“Behold, the Bridegroom comes at midnight” - in the midst of our nights, in the midst of our sleep, our slumber, our unpreparedness to meet Him. All the services of the Church from beginning to end are directed towards the One who is coming. Towards the constant coming into our lives of God, who requires us to be vigilant: “Watch, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Usually these words refer to the hour of our death and the Second Coming of Christ, while God is present in countless encounters with us in our everyday life. God has neither a day nor an hour, because He is always with us. It is us who are not there, it is we who are absent. “Watch” in biblical language is not the same as “wait.” Because God constantly comes into our lives, we must be attentive to what is happening today and now, raising the everyday to the level of the eternal. The first Christians were well aware of this when they greeted each other with the greeting: “Maranatha!” - “The Lord is coming!”
There is no doubt that living in the present is difficult. We tend to give everything to the past or the future, depending on our makeup, risking missing a meeting with God in our lives today, not hearing His incessant call in the midst of “ordinary time.” If we could hear this patient call, filled with heavenly love, everything would be grace to us, because truly everything is grace, the gift of God. Everything could become an invitation for us to meet Christ, a cry in the middle of the night of our absent-mindedness, our absence: “Behold, the Bridegroom comes, come out to meet Him.” We would see that saints are those who are awake, those who have learned to be attentive to people and to the events sent by God, those who are bearers of God. And everyone who belongs to the Church has been given this gift.
