May I Have Your Attention Please?

We could see ourselves in the story of ten virgins. by Steve Kurtright

What does it take to capture your attention? Because we're finally adjusting to the tensions of living in this crazy world, it seems to take a lot more nowadays to get and hold our attention.

We've come to expect wars to be fought and won in 100 hours. We've seen the collapse of communism, the red threat - unthinkable when many of us were growing up in the 50's and 60's. Media coverage of disasters as they happen takes the edge off the unexpected and unplanned.

More of us tend to ignore immoral behavior and lifestyles. Accepting that people tend to be lessthan perfect has lessened the importance of one's character and integrity. Absolutes are becoming a thing of the past, so we are less outraged, less disturbed, less impacted by the absurdities of our world.

Some blame our lack of attention on the postmodern worldview. This worldview encourages tolerance, accepts chaos, and emphasizes personal achievement. It invites us to believe what we would like to believe, regardless of holes in logic or morality. Its password is whatever. There just isn't much that captures our attention.

A case could be made that we are indeed victims of a postmodern worldview -- until we consider the biblical record:

"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:37-39).

Noah has been described as a preacher or proclaimer of righteousness in his day (1 Peter 2:5). However, the routine of life continued with little or no notice of his announcement of God's coming judgment upon the world. Even in Noah's day the message of judgment didn't capture people's attention. They went right on living, as if to say, "Whatever." Jesus plainly stated His return will parallel those days -- an obvious reference to people's indifference to the Flood.

Despite any indifference we may feel, we must understand that Jesus' return is fact and then prepare for it. That day is coming without much more yet to happen. God's prophetic timetable is almost complete (1 Peter 1:1-13). The return of Christ isn't the attention-grabber it was more than 100 years ago, but it remains a scriptural reality -- our hope fulfilled.

Be ready

Jesus told a story illustrating this and our need to pay attention and be prepared. We find a recurring theme of the New Testament regarding Christ's second coming -- be ready -- in the story of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13).

According to ancient Hebrew custom, the bride would await the coming of the groom at her home. Her attendants would meet the groom when he came with his friends for the bride. Everyone would then join in escorting the couple back to the groom's home for the wedding feast.

Yet the bride is not mentioned at all in Jesus' story. Often in the New Testament a bride is symbolic of the church, but here the ten virgins represent the greater church as a "mixed" community of both saved and lost.

All ten virgins have lamps and all have oil. The fault of the foolish is that they have no reserve of oil. This point strongly suggests that this story continues Jesus' thought from the preceding chapter: "But the one who endures to the end, it is he who shall be saved" (24:13). In the story, Jesus described the bridegroom as tarrying, so all ten virgins went to sleep. At midnight, when the groom finally came, the virgins prepared to meet him. Their lamps had been burning while they slept, evidenced by the need to "trim" the wicks. But by this late hour, the oil was nearly exhausted.

The five foolish virgins appealed to the wise for oil from their reserve: "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out" (v. 8). But the wise had none to spare and advised the foolish to go out and buy more.

The Bible doesn't indicate that even at midnight the errand of the foolish virgins to buy oil was unsuccessful. However, while they were gone, the groom came (v. 10).

When the foolish made their way to the bridegroom's home and asked to be permitted into the feast, they were denied admission. They were no longer recognized as part of the wedding party. "But [the bridegroom] answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you" (25:12).

The qualification for entrance into the wedding feast was readiness. Admittance was not determined on the merit of having lamp and oil, but of having lamp and oil available at the required moment.

Be alert

Jesus stated the moral of this story in verse 13: "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming" (NKJV). The word watch must be understood to mean more than "keep awake," since even the wise virgins fell asleep (v. 6). To help us, the New American Standard Bible offers this translation: "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. "

The key is to be alert, to have your life in order when the Bridegroom comes. Your full attention should be focused on Christ's coming kingdom, not on the things of the world or self-centered activities. As in the days Noah, we live in an indifferent society. And as in the days of Noah, the attention of millions will be aroused only after it is too late. Who or what has your attention? Jesus has captured mine -- and I trust He captures yours!

A version of this article appeared in a past issue of the Bible Advocate print magazine. For a free subscription by regular mail, contact us at BibleAdvocate@cog7.org.

Steve Kurtright is an instructor at Summit School of Theology in Denver, CO. Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, unless otherwise noted.

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