The Parable of the Bridegroom or 10 Virgins
“According to the Gospel of Matthew 25:1-13, the five virgins who are prepared for the bridegroom’s arrival are rewarded, while the five who are not prepared are disowned. The parable has a clear eschatological theme: be prepared for the Day of Judgment.”
But….
What if this parable were not about the bridegroom and judgement at all? Yes, it has been written with other parables which seem together to point in the direction of “the end of days”.
But the fact is that the end of days did not happen as we were understanding it.
No amount of justification or excuses can fix this problem. The generation passed, and the end of the world did not happen. And it has still not happened…… Amillenialism, mr. Brown!…..
So, can this parable have a deeper meaning?
What if this parable were about the preparedness and alertness we need to keep ourselves in? What if Jesus was trying to tell them to live in preparedness…. live in NOW.
Living in NOW; being constantly watchful is one of the most important tools in mysticism, to bring the mind to one-pointedness. Without this tool, the mind will wander for eternity.
These few parables are very difficult to understand from most perspectives, and it is perhaps time to revisit them with a fresh point of view.
Why? The parables perhaps have a far deeper meaning than we have assumed, with our literalness limiting our illumination.
Other notes to be fleshed out later:
The fact that Jesus says: “Wide is the gate which leads to destruction, and many are those who are entering it” and “narrow is the gate which leads to
How does this fit with the teaching that all must be saved?
Either Jesus was limited in his understanding of what was to come to pass or we simply don’t understand what he was trying to say.
Reality is Dharma 