Lighten up: Reading Matthew’s Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids from the other side of the door

Abstract

Based on a sermon about Matt 25:1–13, this article creatively re-examines the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids by attempting a sympathetic reading of the five “foolish” bridesmaids. It acknowledges the complex and multivalent nature of Jesus’s parables and the difficulty of settling on a single “right” interpretation. It seeks to read the parable on its own terms, rather than assuming an eschatological framework, and considers it in light of the larger context of the Gospel of Matthew in which themes of grace, mercy, hospitality, and welcome have already emerged. Rather than upholding individual eschatological preparedness as the goal, this parable may instead invite readers to put themselves in the shoes of the “foolish” bridesmaids to consider how the divine values of mercy, compassion, and mutual care might shape their lives today.