Keep Shining
May 10, 2021 4450
Jesus told a story about ten young ladies who were waiting a wedding. Specifically, they were waiting for the bridegroom to come. It’s called the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1–13). “Virgins” just means “young ladies”. In this story, they are the friends of the bride.
All of Jesus’ parables have an important spiritual meaning, and this one is no different. The Parable of the Ten Virgins has been interpreted with many different meanings throughout history, and sometimes they’ve been very complicated.
The meaning of this story is really very simple, and here it is: Keep shining!
The story Jesus told is reflects the wedding customs of his day. The groom would go to prepare a place where he and the bride would live. That was usually at his father’s house.
Even if it’s night for you right now, keep shining. It will be worth the wait.
When everything was ready the groom would to get his bride, who was waiting at her father’s house. When the groom arrived at his new father-in-law’s house, there was a small celebration, so there was often a delay. Then the groom would take his bride and bring her to the place he had prepared for her in his father’s house.
Meanwhile, the friends of the bride were waiting excitedly near the bride and groom’s new home. When the groom arrived with his bride, they would join the procession into their new home, where a huge banquet would be celebrated that usually lasted for seven days.
Anyone who was part of the wedding procession would enter with the groom. But anyone who arrived later obviously wasn’t part of the wedding and weren’t allowed in.
In Jesus’ story, the friends of the bride gathered to wait for the groom to come with his bride. But as the wait lengthened into the evening they grew tired of waiting and they all slept for a bit.
Jesus has promised to return. And meanwhile he tell us not to give up.
At midnight, they woke to the cry that the groom was coming, and five of them suddenly realised that their lamps had run out of oil. They rushed out to try to find somewhere to buy oil at that time of the night and they were too late when they returned! They were refused admission to the party!
In life there’s going to be good times and there’s going to be some not-so-good times. There’s going to be times when things will happen when you think they will, and other times when you will just have to wait. And through it all, it’s important to keep shining!
The Bible often refers to Jesus as the groom and his people, his church, are the bride. Jesus has promised to return. And meanwhile he tells us not to give up. Keep shining!
You might be going through a difficult time right now. Even if it’s night for you right now, keep shining. It will be worth the wait!
Nomphumelelo Mdluli
May 16, 2021
I am so blessed by the scripture above. Thank you. A new revelation indeed. Thank you so much. Indeed it is worth the wait hence I'll keep shining by God's grace 🙏
Olivia
Jan 20, 2021
This story Jesus is talking about I can relate to it cuz even though through my bad times in my drug Addiction I still had Jesus light shining on me and now I must say it was worth the wait cuz right now I been pick up from Jesus hands the Lord almighty clean me up I was Reborn again with his blood I say to my brother and sister it was all worth it Amen, Amen thank you my Lord.