Ten Virgins Sharing time

Parable of the Ten Virgins-Sharing Time Sr Primary,

Credit:christysclipart.com

Theme for month: Jesus Christ taught the gospel on earth

---

Materials needed:

a.  A Bible or a New Testament for each child

b.  The following wordstrips:

Ten virgins = Us (All waiting for Christ to come)

Oil = Spiritual preparation

Bridegroom = Jesus Christ

Marriage = Second coming of Jesus

5 Wise virgins- Those that made good choices

5 Foolish virgins- Those that made bad choices

c.  Picture 7-25, The Second Coming (Gospel Art Picture Kit 238; 62562)

1.  Prayerfully study Matthew 25:1–13 (see the Joseph Smith Translation in Matthew 25:1, footnote a) and Doctrine and Covenants D&C 45:56–57, D&C 63:53–54.  

When Christ was on the earth, he taught the gospel in many ways. One of my favorite ways was by something called a parable. What is a parable? A parable is like a story that has meaning and symbolism behind it. I would like to share a parable with you that Jesus taught the people while he was on the earth. Jesus often taught with parables, using familiar objects and situations to teach a hidden spiritual truth. He used parables so that only those who were willing to study the parable would understand the truth. We are going to learn about a special parable known as the ten virgins that is found in (Matthew 25:1–13).

 

Scripture Account

 The parable of the ten virgins is based on ancient Jewish wedding customs. The bridegroom and his friends escorted the bride from her home to the home of the bridegroom. Along the way friends of the bride waited to join them. When they arrived at the bridegroom’s home, they all went inside for the wedding. These weddings usually took place in the evenings, so those waiting for the bride and bridegroom carried lamps. The parable talks of ten waiting to see the bridegroom and they all had oil in their oil lamps. Five had lots of oil and saved their oil whenever they could so they would have some left to see the bridegroom. Five were foolish and didn’t save their oil and ran out before they got to the bridegroom. It was dark and they didn’t get to see the bridegroom. The five that had oil couldn’t give the other five virgins oil because they wouldn’t have had enough for their own journey and the other’s too. Also they couldn’t give some of their oil because of the shape of Jewish lamps, outside lips rounded inward, made it almost impossible for someone to pour oil from one lamp to another without spilling. (show the oil lamp cutout)
When Jesus was teaching this parable he wasn’t just telling a story, there was a hidden meaning behind it. The story likens to the second coming or when Jesus comes to the earth again to rule and reign. *Show picture of Second coming.
*Use wordstrips to help understand what meanings are:
The ten virgins waiting to see the bridegroom represent all of us waiting for the Savior to come.  So who are the ten virgins? Us ( Matt. 25:1) *Show the wordstrip Ten Virgins= Us (All waiting for Christ to come)
Who is the bridegroom in the parable? Jesus Christ *Show the wordstrip, Bridegroom = Jesus Christ
The marriage represents the Second coming of Jesus Christ. *Show wordstrip- Marriage=The second coming
The oil in the lamps represents how much we prepare spiritually. *Show wordstrip- Oil= Spiritual Preparation
The five that had oil in their lamps represent those of us that do what is right and are prepared to meet Jesus. *Show wordstrip-  5 Wise Virgins= those that made good choices
The five that ran out of oil are those that made bad choices and were not prepared to meet Jesus. *Show wordstrip- 5 Foolish Virgins= those that made bad choices

Enrichment Activity

Put up the cutout of the oil lamp and explain that we need to be filling our lamps with spiritual oil to be ready when Jesus comes to the earth during the second coming.  Each drop of oil we put in our lamp represents something spiritual or good that we are doing in our lives to help save us. We are going to fill this lamp today with oil so it can shine like the wise virgins’ lamps in the parable of Jesus. Each of you will get a drop of oil and you are going to write or have someone help you write something that you are going to work on spiritually to help our lamp shine.

What are examples of what you could do to get ready for the second coming of Jesus Christ?

 (some ideas could be bearing testimony, learning the gospel, serving others, paying tithing, living to be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost, praying, fulfilling Church callings, and so on). Help them realize that these are things they each have to get or do themselves in order to have oil in their lamps, as the five wise virgins did.

Have each child put their drop of oil in the lamp and tell what they will do and then end with this quote:

Compare what the children wrote on their lamps with President Spencer W. Kimball’s ideas: “In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps” (Faith Precedes the Miracle, p. 256).

Discuss ways to add oil to our lamps that the children have not already mentioned, and let the children add some to their lists if desired. Help them understand that these are things that cannot be put off until the Savior comes.

Conclusion

Testimony

Bear testimony of the importance of preparing for the second coming of Jesus Christ by living righteously. Share with the children how important it is to you to be worthy so you can participate in that great event.

Time Filler Discussion and Application Questions(only if finish too early)

•     How do we know that all ten virgins believed in Jesus Christ? (Matthew 25:6–7. They “went out to meet” the bridegroom and waited for him.) How can we show that we believe in Jesus?

•     Why were five of the virgins referred to as foolish? (Matthew 25:3.) Why were five referred to as wise? (Matthew 25:4.)

•     What happened when the bridegroom came? (Matthew 25:6–8.) Why do you think the five foolish virgins were so unprepared? How do you think we can be prepared when Jesus comes again?

•     Why do you think the five wise virgins did not share their oil? (Matthew 25:9.) In the parable, the oil in the wise virgins’ lamps represents their righteous living and obedience. We each fill our own lamp, which represents our own life, with our obedience and righteousness. Heavenly Father’s blessings to us for our righteous actions cannot be given to the disobedient.

•     What happened to the five who were not prepared? (Matthew 25:10–12.) What happened to the five who were prepared? Why is it important for us to prepare now for the Second Coming? We need to have our lamps filled with oil too in our lives. What do we need to fill our lamps with so that we are ready when Jesus comes again?