Interpreting Scripture Analysis

Interpreting scripture helps one understand the message God is revealing through His word. When reading and interpreting the Gospels, one “must respect the means God used to inspire them in the the first place.” (Duvall and Hays, 108) Sometimes, Jesus told a series of small stories or parables and linked them to a same message. A method to interpret the meaning of these stories is to ask oneself two questions: “What does this small story tell us about Jesus?” and “What is the Gospel writer trying to say to his readers by the way that he puts the smaller stories together?” (Duvall and Hays, 108) In Matthew 24:36-25:13, Jesus tells of three different parables with the same message. The message of the three parables to keep watch and be prepared …show more content…
Ten virgins wait for the bridegroom to arrive. Five are wise and are prepared with oil for their lamps. However, five are foolish and do not have oil for their lamps. “Five foolish virgins do not prepare for nightfall by bringing extra oil for their lamps, because they expect the bridegroom to arrive immediately. But five others wisely prepare for a delay.” (Turner, 594) The five foolish virgins run out of oil and have to go out and buy more. While they are gone, the bridegroom comes and takes them to the wedding feast. The foolish ones come back but are banned from the wedding. “The bridegroom is Jesus; his delay is the delay of the parousia; the oil stands for good deeds that are done in obedience to the Father’s will.” (Talbert, 273) The wise virgins have faith in Jesus and also show their faith by loving others and obeying his commands. The foolish virgins believe in Jesus but do not exercise their faith. As James said, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (New International Version, James 2:17) The foolish ones were not prepared because they did not live the life obeying and loving God. The message of the parable is to be prepared by being faithful to God and