Read or Summarize Matthew 25:1-13
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Discuss
When you first hear this story, you might think that the virgins that were prepared to meet the Bridegroom were being selfish with their oil, but to better understand what this parable means, let’s discuss what the different pieces represent.
What do the following parts of this story represent?
Bridegroom- Jesus Christ
Virgins- Member of the Church of Jesus Christ
Unprepared Virgins= People who put the things of the world above the things Christ
Prepared Virgins= People who did the best they could to repent and follow the example and teachings of Jesus Christ
Lamps= Broken heart and contrite Spirit, ready to receive personal revelation and receive a testimony of Jesus Christ
Oil= Testimony of Jesus Christ
Marriage= The Second Coming of Jesus Christ
Knowing what you now know, why couldn’t the Wise Virgins give their oil to the Foolish Virgins? If the oil represents your testimony, if you work hard to gain a testimony of Jesus Christ, is it possible to give someone your testimony in a moment? The answer is no.
We don’t know when the second coming of Jesus Christ will be. We can watch for signs and listen to the words of prophets, but only Heavenly Father knows the exact day it will happen. Our job is to prepare ourselves to be ready for Him to come, no matter what.
How can we prepare ourselves?
Activity
Cut paper in the shape of drops of oil and hide the drops around your home. You could attach the drops to objects like the scriptures or a picture of the temple. When family members find the drops, you could discuss how these things help us prepare for the Second Coming.
Watch the video below to see how we did this lesson
No comments:
Post a Comment