Matthew 25 begins with Jesus telling a story about a bridegroom being delayed as he was on his way to the wedding feast. In the wedding customs of the day, delay was not unusual. Jewish couples usually spent at least a year betrothed or engaged to one another. During this time, the groom would build the home that the new couple would live in. Only when the home was completed would he consider himself ready to fulfill the marriage contract. Another possible reason for the delay is that marriages were contracted between the father of the bride and the groom. Negotiations could take some time.
