The Ten Bridesmaids (David Gore • Matthew 5:1-13)

Jesus tells a story of a familiar cultural event in the life of any community (in this case, a wedding) and turns it into an all-of-life lesson. He does so by retaining all the familiar elements of a wedding event story, and then popping in a couple of details that were truly shocking to his first hearers. To involve one's self in the welcoming of the bridal party and yet to neglect the most basic preparation would be a slap in the face to the bride and groom. The groom's apparent response to this neglect by the five young women was to reflect back to them the level of engagement their own actions indicated. He shuts them out! Wow... weddings can certainly get tense!