MENDELSSOHN’S WEDDING MARCH / HERE COMES THE BRIDE

Pa–pa-pa-pam, pa-pa-pa-pam, pa-pa-papa-pa-pam-pam … so goes the tempo of the opening theme accompanied by the organ swell of the magnificent church organ, as the organist interprets Mendelssohn’s  Wedding March. The signal has been given. The bride is entering the church in the company of her father. Emotions run high at that moment. I remember leading my only daughter to be given in marriage.

But I don’t remember who was present because my eyes were soaked with tears; of joy and partial loss. Yet, these are treasured moments for the bride and the groom, and their respective families.

There were no Mendelssohn or Wagner Bridal Tunes in the days of Jesus, and even if there were, traditions and customs were so different in those days. To begin with the groom would send word to one and all that he is to going to meet his bride to lead the bridal procession. But no specific day and time was given. In our culture we receive the wedding invitation three weeks before the occasion.

In those days you have to be on the ‘alert’ for when the ‘groom’ arrives; it could be late at night, early in the morning, at any queer moment. You had to ‘be prepared’. And that goes for the bride herself, for all the close friends, for the guests, and for all the people of the village.

This was the culture 2,000 years ago, and it still is in certain parts of Israel. So Christ’ parable was not completely fictitious, it was based on actual happenings. Each and every guest had to carry a light; an oil-filled lamp and a wick, or a stick with a rag dipped in oil tied to it. But when the oil ran out, it had to be replaced.

The important thing was that they had to be ‘on the alert’ and ‘prepared with a light’ to meet ‘the groom’ on his arrival. Why were ten virgins mentioned and not six, nine, thirteen, or …?  Because ‘ten’ is a symbol of God’s Laws, and those called by Him are expected to follow God’s Laws. And why five? Because five in the Bible is a symbol of ‘grace’. So, notwithstanding ‘that many are called’, but ‘few are chosen.’

Symbols are always used in story-telling or in parables, that is the oriental culture in folk and classical literature. That is why Jesus used symbols in parables. In this case the ‘groom’ is Jesus Himself, Who might arrive at any moment of the day. That is why we have to be always ‘on the alert’. The ‘light’ represents the Word of God (Psalms), which has to replenish us and encourage us on the way forward.

Once He arrives He expects us, for our sake, to be ready, waiting. Once we are in the ‘doors are shut’. Miserable is the man who will be left out, through his own fault. And worse still is the fact that the ‘groom’ will tell him ‘I do not know you’. He will then be thrown into eternal fires where there will be tears and gnashing of teeth.

Hope in God to see you all at the Wedding Feast even though there will be no fanfare of the Bridal Theme.