Appearances Can Be Deceiving / The Parable Of The 10 Bridesmades

A film crew ... was on location ... deep ... in the desert.

One day ... an elderly Native American ... who had been watching the filming for several weeks ... went boldly up to the director and said, ... "Tomorrow rain."

And sure enough ... The next day ... it rained.

A week later, ... the elderly man went up to the director once again and said, ... "Tomorrow storm."

And The next day ... there was a horrendous hailstorm.

"This Man is incredible," ... said the director.

He told his assistant ... to hire him ... and have him predict the weather ... for the remainder of the shoot.

However, ... after several successful predictions, he did not show up ... for ... two weeks.

Finally, ... the director sent his assistant ... to find him ... and she returned ... with the elderly man.

"I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow," said the director, "...I am depending on you.

What will the weather be like?"

The man shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know," he said. ...... "My radio is broken." (Pause)

O' Beloved ... Appearances ... can be ... deceiving.

The foolish women in our Gospel reading ... looked, ...dressed ... and marched ... like bridesmaids.

They were young, ... radiant ... and even charming ...on the outside, ... but they were missing something ...on the ... inside.

The word "foolish" ... is none other than the Greek word "moros."

Which is the root word ... for the politically incorrect English expression ... "moron". (Pause)

Now, ... the scene of this parable of the 10 Bridesmaids ... focuses on the preparations ... for a wedding banquet ... that is to take place ... Where? ... in the home of the groom.

And A great crowd of family and friends ... would have filled ... the grooms home.

As the crowd is gathering ... at the groom's home, ...the groom ... and several of his close friends ... are making their way ... to the home of the ... bride.

Which is assumed to be across town ... or in a nearby village.

From there ... the groom collects his bride ... and escorts her back to his family home.

Where the crowd awaits ... and where ... the marriage feast ...will be held.

When bride is ready, ... she would be placed on the back of a riding animal.

And the groom, ... with his friends, ... would form a disorganized, ... yet exuberant parade.

This joyous group ... would take the longest possible route ... back to ... the groom's home.

Deliberately, ... wandering through as many streets of the village ... as possible.

Why ... So that most ... if not all the people would see ... and hopefully ... join in the celebration.

At the groom's home ... some of the crowd would wait in the street ... as they anticipate ... the arrival ...of the meandering ... wedding party. (Long Pause)

Interestingly ...The parable takes place at night, ... and among the guests ... already at the home of the groom ... are 10 young women ... and each of them has ... a lamp.

The parable begs a question?

Did the foolish Bridesmaids have some oil with them... which latter ran out ... or did they have ... no oil ... at all?

Beloved ... Our text seems to be clear on this point; ... BIBLE Quote ... they (the five foolish Bridesmaids) ... took no oil with them. END

The word "extra oil" ... is not found in the Greek, ... yet has been supplied ... in some explanations ... of this text.

There are others who are convinced ... that they did have some oil ... for we read ... that the Bridesmaids claimed ... that their lamps ... were "going out".

Possibly ... There may have been some residue of oil on the wick ... of the five empty lamps, ... which quickly burned out, ... only moments after being lit.

This would explain why all five lamps ... went out ... at the same time.

Or Perhaps ... these foolish Bridesmaids minimized their foolishness ... by describing their plight as... "running out" ... so as to look ... less foolish.

Well our text ... as well as the original Greek ...states ... they ... the foolish Bridesmaids ...brought no oil.

Yet the Wise Bridesmaids brought oil ... carried in flasks ... which was used ... to fill the lamps. (Long Pause)

Well ... Finally, ... the front of this wedding parade ... enters the alley... and the cry goes out:

BIBLE "Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him." END

Guests and family ... still in the house ... rush into the street.

The 10 young women arise quickly, ... and all begin to "service their lamps."