Parable of the Virgin and the Prodigal

A man and a woman stood at the altar. He, a virgin; she, a prodigal.

The man had waited his whole life for this moment. He had turned down temptation, walked the narrow road, and guarded his purity like treasure. But over time, resentment grew. He could not understand why the one thing he had treasured now felt like a mockery.

He prayed—often aloud so she could hear:
“I thank you, God, that I did not spend my youth giving myself away. I denied myself every opportunity, and there were many. But now I wonder why. Why have you joined me to a wife who did not do the same?”

But the woman prayed quietly, in her closet, where no one else could hear:
“O God, you washed me clean. I was dead, and you gave me life. I was lost, but now I am found.”

I tell you, it was the prodigal—not the virgin—who went away justified before God.
For the proud demand reward, but the humble receive grace.

***

True virginity in God’s sexual economy is a matter of our heart attitudes and not simply a technical physical line. This is not to suggest physical expressions don’t matter. But we must not allow pride to tempt us into believing we’re justified before God just because we’ve not had intercourse with anyone except our wife.

All too often the Virgin is like the Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14) who relies on his own self-righteousness rather than God’s grace. As such, we can do all the right things while our hearts remain far from God.

To be sure, the Prodigal’s past behaviors are not justified, but she is justified as she accepts Christ’s invitation to live wholeheartedly with him and for him. She shows humility and a willingness to change, while the Virgin leans on his own understanding and remains entitled. He’s doing what he should, but without a heart that fully trusts and seeks to please God above all else.

Of course, this lesson applies throughout our life. We must learn to live the life of the Virgin while having the heart of the Prodigal, as both stand in need of God’s grace.

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