Today’s gospel parable is the third and final of Jesus’ lessons on keeping alert, being ready, for the return of the Son of Man. This parable of the ten maidens with its concluding warning to “watch” doesn’t quite seem to fit the details of Jesus’ illustration, but this third lesson does fit well into the flow of Matthew’s organizational pattern.

The parable describes details that would be familiar to any first century Jew for whom the traditions surrounding a wedding celebration were some of the highlights of existence. Unfortunately for readers of the twenty-first century, a lot of these cultural practices are not known, making the customs Jesus describes not entirely comprehensible.

The ten maidens, literally the ten “parthenos” or “virgins,” would have been attendants to the bride. Yet …