Parables have long been a custom to educate people about pertinent morals. The Gospel of Matthew is constantly informative because it urges “the reader to identify with characters ‘who receive’ Jesus and ‘do’ God’s will” (Achtemeier 662). This claim is evident throughout the Gospel of Matthew and in The Parable of the Ten Virgins, as Matthew would constantly “persuade the reader to emulate their example” (Achtemeier 662). The Parable of the Ten Virgins symbolizes God’s Parousia during the eschaton. Matthew conveys a moral to his readers, indicating that those of the Church who are prepared for Jesus’ second arrival will be saved, and those who are not will suffer. The parable teaches the reader the value of vigilance; that it is not about
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But the wise reply, “No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves” (NRSV, Mt. 25:9). It is strange that the wise advise the foolish to do so at midnight, as if oil dealers would be awake at such a time. It is inferred that this is to suggest “spiritual preparedness cannot instantly be shared” (557, TIB). Put simply, a saint who has gathered insight from long years of prayer cannot give that insight on request to someone who has always been careless to God (TIB 557-558). Such “eschatological discourse” is also seen in later Matthean scenes such as A Tree and Its Fruit (NASB Luke 15-23). Both passages “are thoroughly committed to the conviction that having the right confession without the corresponding life is ultimately disastrous” (NIB 450). In the verses that shortly follow the foolish asking the wise for oil, Matthew then depicts the consequence of …show more content…
When the bridegroom arrives, the wise virgins “went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut” (NASB Matthew 25:10). In comparing the NRSV, the KJV, and the NASB, it is interesting to note that Jesus ends with “nor the hour” for both the NRSV and the NASB, leaving the concluding verse to be more open for interpretation, while the KJV concludes with “nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” This nuance could signify a contrast between a more interpreted version (KJV) and open-ended ones (NIB and NASB). However, some may argue that the “hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” is already implied in the NIB and NASB. In Luke 13:25, an analogous metaphor is made, as it is said that “when once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from’” (NRSV Luke 13:25). This passage quite similarly suggests the same message as Jesus’ response to the foolish virgins. Jesus makes his point clear, intending his message “as a warning and exhortation to the custodians of the new Messianic community” (Albright and Mann 302). With a powerful concluding verse, the moral of preserved vigilance is vividly presented to the
But the wise reply, “No! There will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves” (NRSV, Mt. 25:9). It is strange that the wise advise the foolish to do so at midnight, as if oil dealers would be awake at such a time. It is inferred that this is to suggest “spiritual preparedness cannot instantly be shared” (557, TIB). Put simply, a saint who has gathered insight from long years of prayer cannot give that insight on request to someone who has always been careless to God (TIB 557-558). Such “eschatological discourse” is also seen in later Matthean scenes such as A Tree and Its Fruit (NASB Luke 15-23). Both passages “are thoroughly committed to the conviction that having the right confession without the corresponding life is ultimately disastrous” (NIB 450). In the verses that shortly follow the foolish asking the wise for oil, Matthew then depicts the consequence of …show more content…
When the bridegroom arrives, the wise virgins “went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut” (NASB Matthew 25:10). In comparing the NRSV, the KJV, and the NASB, it is interesting to note that Jesus ends with “nor the hour” for both the NRSV and the NASB, leaving the concluding verse to be more open for interpretation, while the KJV concludes with “nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.” This nuance could signify a contrast between a more interpreted version (KJV) and open-ended ones (NIB and NASB). However, some may argue that the “hour wherein the Son of Man cometh” is already implied in the NIB and NASB. In Luke 13:25, an analogous metaphor is made, as it is said that “when once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from’” (NRSV Luke 13:25). This passage quite similarly suggests the same message as Jesus’ response to the foolish virgins. Jesus makes his point clear, intending his message “as a warning and exhortation to the custodians of the new Messianic community” (Albright and Mann 302). With a powerful concluding verse, the moral of preserved vigilance is vividly presented to the