Read Matthew 25:1-13 with your family.
Jesus once told a story about ten young women who were waiting for a wedding to begin. Each one carried a lamp to light the way. But the bridegroom was very late, and all ten women fell asleep! When someone finally shouted that he was coming, they woke up and hurried to light their lamps. Five had brought extra oil, but the other five were running out.
Now, here’s where the story gets tricky. The women who were running out of oil asked the others to share. But they said no! That doesn’t sound very kind, does it? Jesus taught people to share and help one another, so why would he tell a story like this? And why did the bridegroom shut the door before everyone got inside? Even grown-ups have trouble understanding this story.
One thing we can learn is that being ready means more than just showing up. All ten women brought lamps. All ten were invited to the wedding. And all ten fell asleep! But only five had thought about what might happen if they had to wait a long time. Sometimes being ready means thinking ahead, especially when something important might take longer or be harder than we expect.
Does that answer every question about the story? Not at all! We can still wonder why the women didn’t share and why the door was shut. It’s okay to ask those questions. Jesus told stories that made people think, and sometimes the questions are just as important as the answers. Faith doesn’t mean pretending that everything is easy to understand. It means being willing to keep learning, even when a story is difficult.
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