Alright, "The Kingdom Parables" this is lesson number four in the series. The title of this lesson
"The Parable of the Bridesmaid" and also will be doing The Parable of the Talents" in Matthew Chapter 25.
So we're doing a series studying the parables that
Jesus gave, describing the kingdom of heaven.
And I said that understanding the nature of the kingdom of heaven is like putting a puzzle together.
Each parable provides us with a new piece or pieces of the puzzle that helps us see
a more complete picture. So you'll notice that in the series that I'm doing we talk about
the parable itself, what it means, we get a couple of these pieces, I put them together and
then I repeat what we've learned so far so that we can
continue to expand the image and our understanding. So here are the pieces
that our background study and review of several parables have given us so far.
First of all, we've understood that the Kingdom is a dimension where God rules with his servants.
It is not a geopolitical type of Kingdom.
We've also learned that the kingdom exists in two dimensions at the moment,
one kingdom- two dimensions. It is in heaven, where
God rules with his angels and the martyred saints. And it exists here
on Earth, where God rules with the Saints in the church.
Another piece of the puzzle, at the end of the world, when Christ returns, these
two dimensions will merge and both parts will become one.
So if you're wondering what's going to happen at the end of the world, we'll that's what's going to happen.
The kingdom of heaven in heaven and the kingdom of heaven on earth will merge to become one.
And then we also learned that the parables describe the state of the kingdom here
on Earth and its development until it is
fully formed and ready to be integrated with the kingdom in heaven. So we need to remember that
these parables are explaining how the kingdom is
developing and the goal of its development.
So far, we've learned that the kingdom on earth, here,
affects the world by its presence.
The Kingdom of Heaven on Earth also is inhabited by all kinds of people
both sincere and insincere.
That's always a kind of a shocker when we learn that. The Bible says there are people...
If you say wow, there are a lot of hypocrites in the church.
That's not something new. And that's not something God didn't plan for.
He talked about it in the parables.
We learned that the kingdom will be purified before being joined with the kingdom above.
But we've also learned that the Kingdom is open to all but not all except the invitation to enter in.
Many are called.
And those who enter in, need to enter on God's conditions not man's conditions.
OK. So today we're going to add a few other pieces to the puzzle as we study other parables
based on the Kingdom.
So we start with a parable of the bridesmaids.
Now the parable of the bridesmaids or foolish virgins, depends on your translation there,
and the one that follows it, the parable of the talents, are both looking forward to the time
when the kingdom on earth will end and
before joining the kingdom of heaven in heaven, before
that union, there will be a reckoning, there will be a sorting out,
a weeding out. Now this idea has already been spoken of in the
parable of the fish right, the dragnet. It's repeated
again here in both of these parables.
Each point to this time, but they have a different thing to teach us about life in the kingdom and
the reckoning that will come at that time. So we start with the parable of the
bridesmaids and we will simply read that parable.
Matthew 25 beginning in verse 1, it says, "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable
to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were
foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with
them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Now
while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. But at
midnight there was a shout, 'Behold the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those virgins
rose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the prudent, Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.' But the prudent answered, "No, that will not be enough for us
and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they were
going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. Later the other virgins also
came, saying, 'Lord, Lord open up for us.' But he answered, 'Truly I say to you,
I do not know you.' Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor
the hour." So there is the parable of the foolish virgins or the
the bridesmaids. So let's look at the story shall we? We always say we look at the
story and then we'll look at the story behind the story. So let's look at the story. There were
three stages for a Jewish marriage or a Jewish wedding.
First was the engagement stage, when the families agreed on the marriage and a formal
arrangement was arrived at by the fathers of the couple.
Next the betrothal stage, a ceremony was held
in the house of the bride's parents where mutual promises were made by each
party and, very importantly, gifts were
given by the groom to the future wife, a
dowry, if you wish, was paid at this time. Now betrothal was
a serious commitment. If the man died, for example, before the
wedding could happen the woman would be considered a widow
even though they hadn't lived together, even though they hadn't,
as they say, consummated their relationship.
Also breaking a betrothal was equal to divorce. We know that because Joseph, right?
Mary was betrothed to Joseph and when he thought of divorcing her,
I mean, of breaking their betrothal, they used the term
divorce, because he had to get a certificate of divorce, if you wish,
or a Bill of Divorcement to break off the betrothal. And then of course
there was the marriage. After about a year, the marriage took place at a
feast held usually in the groom's house or a place of choosing.
Usually the bridegroom surrounded by his friends went after sunset to get the
bride at her home. And then the bride, of course, dressed in her best,
would sometimes be carried in a basket, a large basket with friends and
family around. As a long procession carrying lamps and torches
would light the way to the bridegroom's home for the wedding feast.
Once the feast was over the guests would leave and then the couple would
remain in their new home.
And that was the type of thing they did at that time
and so far as marriage is concerned. Now Jesus
describes some young girls who will be part of the procession and as part of it they're
going to light the way and ultimately go into the grooms house to celebrate the wedding.
It was a parade.
It was a happy parade. Family, friends, they lit up, they had torches, they had
music, they played, they danced, they carried the bride. That was a typical scene.
Again, Jesus uses typical imagery that would have been understood
by the people of that time.
So in the story there is a delay in the bridegrooms coming.
All of the girls fall asleep but then an advance person alerts them that the procession is heading their way.
Some of the maids did not bring enough oil to restart their lamps or torches for the final
joyful procession. And as we see in the story, they try to borrow from the others but are
refused so they go out and try to find some at the last minute.
The other maids are brought along to the feast and when all who are present the
party the family the guests. Those who have joined the procession. The door is closed.
Why? They don't want anybody to crash the wedding.
There were wedding crashers even in those days. So the door is closed.
Now the other maids arrive later. They're not only denied entry but they're not even
recognized by the groom. So that's the story.
Again, fairly straightforward. People of that time would have understood a situation like this.
Probably even some of them may have an experience something like that.
So now the story behind the story. Before this parable,
Jesus has prophesied about the end of Jerusalem. Right? Matthew, we're in
that section of Matthew. Now he goes ahead to speak a parable not only
about the end of the Jewish nation and religion as it had existed.
He also speaks to the believers about the end of the world when he will return.
Now remember that parables were for those that were in the kingdom.
So this is a warning and teaching for those who are in the kingdom, not unbelievers.
Basically he's saying to them that
if they are in the kingdom there are things that they need to watch out for.
For example, there will be an end to the kingdom as it now exists on Earth.
The Jewish nation's end was destruction by Rome and persecution.
The end of the kingdom on earth will be assimilation. In other words,
a marriage between the bride, which is the church, and the groom, which is
the Lord, when He comes. And so the marriage feast,
the wedding feast is imagery. Right? That is reflecting
the wedding feast, if you wish, or the union that will take place at the end of the world
when the Church on earth is joined to the kingdom in heaven.
Right?
And the Lord, who is the Lord of the kingdom of heaven and the Lord of the kingdom on Earth,
and these two will be joined together. So this is what this parable is pointing to.
Another point. The end will come suddenly. Right?
It says a person comes suddenly and says, Oh! The bridegroom has arrived. No time to waste, no
time to go out. What is that signifying? Well, we know
who we are waiting for and what will happen when he returns.
But we don't know when. That's the thing.
And that process is not anything new. The prophets were like that. They would talk about
things that would happen in the future and they'd give the order of the things that would happen in the future.
But what didn't they know or tell us? The time.
Daniel talks about different kingdoms that will arise and fall and rise and fall.
And he gets them all in the correct order doesn't he?
What don't we know? The amount of time between those kingdoms and when that final kingdom will come.
He didn't know. And just reading the prophecy by itself
you couldn't tell. You only knew after it happened. When Jesus finally came to
establish what? The Kingdom of God here on Earth.
Another point about the story behind the story, everyone
in the kingdom will be responsible for themselves.
That is a key idea of this parable. We are in the kingdom
because of God's grace but this grace is not transferable.
Just a simple example of this.
I know people in the church who think
that because their brother is a faithful gospel preacher
that they themselves, who never darken the door of the building or serve the Lord
in any way, are going to come in on his coat tails.
Right? Haven't you kind of heard that from people?
My uncle's an elder, my grandfather was an elder and my brother is
an elder and so our people are all church people.
And what that person a lot of times does not say, except me.
Because our family probably paid their dues, I probably can get in on their grace.
Here's the interesting thing. That is a phenomenon that takes place no matter what
church group you're with. When I was a Catholic, when I grew up in the Catholic Church, it was the same idea.
If your uncle was a priest you're good.
How could you not make it if your uncle is a priest or if one of
your sons becomes a priest or a nun, are you kidding me? So that
So that idea about the transfer of grace, the whole idea of infant baptism is all about the
transfer of grace.
Parents transferring their belief to the baby.
And for that reason that baby can then be baptized.
I understand the sympathetic side of that.
Very sympathetic.
Very appealing, if you wish, but not biblical.
No, absolutely no biblical support for that.
So you cannot be saved or restored from unfaithfulness by my grace. be
You must saved and restored by God when He calls on you. At the end
there will be no time to make things right or to restore one's self to faithfulness.
Once the groom returns there'll be no more opportunity or access
to the grace. It will be too late to say I'm sorry too late for excuses.
I know that in the movies and sometimes personal testimonies people like
to talk about death bed conversions
and perhaps... In my own experience I've seen, not many.
My experience, and perhaps some of you guys who've been preaching for a while, my experience has been,
if you've been unfaithful and if you've been worldly your whole life, it's pretty much how you're going to die.
You can't turn that stuff around on a dime. Because what happens is
you allow your heart to become so stone hard because it's never
practiced it's faith, it's never open to God for grace, it never
humbles itself throughout life, that it's as hard as stone at the end.
It can't repent. Because it doesn't know how to repent anymore.
So this foolish idea that yeah I'll turn it all around at the end...
If you never learned how to skate on ice when you're a kid you're not going to learn when you're 75.
Believe me on that one.
Another lesson, once the union is made, its permanent.
Judgment will not be a time for discussion or appeals because those who
truly belong to Christ will be with him and those who do not belong will be apart from him and
the line will not be crossed. I mean obviously that's a harsh teaching and it's
hard to try to absorb, that idea of the finality
of it all. But the other side of it, it's comforting if you're in Christ and
with Christ nothing will separate you from him either. You don't have to be afraid.
So the parable of the bridesmaids is an encouragement to those in the kingdom
to be patient while they wait for the Lord. And for others who are
in the kingdom also but are running out of oil and what are they?
What's that running out of oil thing? Well running out of faithfulness, running out of grace,
running out of the desire to serve the Lord, running out of self-control,
running out of the spiritual gifts and graces that we receive from God.
Running out of that, it's a warning to them to be
careful not to lose these things because of neglect or unfaithfulness, laziness, sin, whatever,
to be careful that they not be caught dry when he comes.
And anyone who reads the Bible, especially the parables, can't miss that particular lesson.
There are things that are hard to understand in the Bible. Who is the man of lawlessness?
Well a lot of opinions about that. You know what I'm saying? And some of the imagery in the book of
Revelation. Anyone who says Oh the Bible is easy you just have to read it, nah, it's not that easy.
There are some parts that are difficult but not this.
This is not difficult to understand. Pretty straightforward. OK. So that's the first parable.
The second parable is The Parable of the Talents.
And it just continues Matthew 25, beginning in verse 14 this time.
Jesus continues, he says, "For it is just like a man"... When he says, "For it
is," meaning the kingdom. "For it is just like a man about to go on a
journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his
possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to
another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.
Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained
five more talents. In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.
But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents saying, 'Master,
you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'
His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things,
I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'
Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master you intrusted two
talents to me. See I have gained two more talents.' His master said to him,
'Well done, good and faithful slave. You are faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many
things; enter into the joy of your master.' And the one also who had received the one
talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you
did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. And I was afraid, and went
away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' But his
master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I
reap where I did not so and gather where I scattered no seed. Then you ought to have put
my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.
Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'
For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from
the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.
Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be
weeping and gnashing of teeth."
So the story, again, very straightforward.
Easily understood, actually by any culture, doesn't have to be the Jewish culture,
any culture, any generation. A wealthy master entrust a sizable fortune to his
slaves to trade and manage while he goes away for a long time on some undiscovered
journey, undisclosed journey. Now a talent was not a specific thing.
It wasn't like a coin or... it was more like a measure or a weight of money.
All right? Sometimes the talent consisted of minted coins or
bars of gold or bars of silver.
So we find out that each receives a different amount based on the
perceived skills that the master believes that they have.
The one that gets ten, he gets ten because the master considers well, this guy's pretty sharp,
he's got experience, I can trust him with a larger amount. The one with 5 and the one with one the same idea.
The point here is that each has enough
to do something to make a profit with.
After a long absence the master returns to settle accounts and the first two
servants double the master's money. Different sums but same success.
As a result they're each rewarded with a larger scope of responsibility. Isn't that interesting?
They get more responsibility, they get a promotion.
That's their reward. And a closer relationship
with their master, which is also a reward.
They're more trusted and because they're more trusted they have a more intimate relationship
with the Master, another reward.
For a slave this was a great privilege. Now the third servant who had received the
one talent hid it in the ground. This was the least amount of risk.
He wouldn't lose it in the market. Nobody would steal it. There'd be no depreciation.
It was, as we say, the path of least resistance.
When confronted by the master to explain why he did this, note the other two.
The other two, when they came up they just showed results. They didn't explain.
They had results not excuses. But this fellow here he blames the master.
He did what he did because the master was hard and unfair, so he didn't want to risk
losing the talent or getting the master angry.
So the master denounces him as wicked. Why? Because he blames his evil
on the good master. That's why he's weak, not because he didn't make any money.
That's not why he's wicked. He's wicked because he blames the master for his own evil.
And he calls him lazy. Why? Because this is why he didn't do anything, too lazy.
He also tells him that if it was true that he was hard and unfair than what he should have done was
put it in a place that was both safe and slightly profitable like a bank.
I wonder if they were paying point zero
five interest like they do today. But even that would have been better than what he
did right? This, of course, would have required thought and effort.
That's something lazy people hate to do. Right? So the surprise comes
when he gives the talent, the lazy guy's talent, to the one
who is the most successful to use and the lazy slave is cast out
to be punished severely. So that's the story.
Now the story behind the story. This parable, like the one of the bridesmaids,
refers to people who are in the kingdom. And it also
talks about the return of Jesus. However, this is where the similarity between
the two parables changes or ends rather. In the Parable of the
Talents, the Lord is teaching that everyone in the kingdom has received a measure
of blessing of some kind that is to be used for God's
profit or to be used for God's glory or to expand the kingdom,
any way you want to say that. Now there are a variety of blessings.
This not just the blessing of... When they talk about you can be a
teacher or a deacon, those are blessings of course. But people receive all
kinds of blessings don't they? Good health. You ask
anybody that has had to struggle with poor health their whole life. What a burden
that can be and not just a burden for personal energy. I mean a
burden on their career, a burden on their family.
Now what about a mom who has three beautiful
lovely children but she herself suffers from excruciating migraines,
that nothing can take care of?
She just has to... Well whatever joy there is of having and raising
children is gone. When you can't function because you've got a headache.
So having good health. You know an interesting side note, I read some biographies
about famous people, great people, presidents, and other type of people. And one of the
things I noticed about these people both men and women, somehow
they have been given the ability to get by on like 4 hours of sleep.
Winston Churchill, they just mentioned this about Mr. Trump, forget about politics. I don't...
Good or bad here.
The point that they made about him is this this person he's 70 years old doesn't get
he gets four or five hours of sleep per night period. He's ready to go.
And I noticed that a lot of people who have achieved great things have this tremendous
energy and ability, physical energy to be up
18 to 20 hours a day doing their thing, while the rest of us need our
eight hours, some nine, anyways. We won't go there.
So my point is that you have good health. That's a gift, that
you have tremendous energy or physical strength, intelligence,
charisma, leadership ability. You're born into a rich
household where you have advantages of Education. That's a great gift from God. You've got money or certain
talents. Not everybody can throw a ball at 105 miles an hour.
And some people have taken that skill and what they've done is made a lot of money and then
wasted their life on drugs and all kinds of foolish living. And others have taken that
simple skill. I'm able to throw a ball at 105 miles an hour and have built a
great life for themselves and their family. You know what I'm saying?
Everybody gets some kind of gift, spiritual gifts, of course, opportunity, beauty,
I mean let's face it. How many
surveys and research papers have said that people who are quote handsome,
women are beautiful, men are handsome, get more opportunities.
It's not fair. Right? It's not fair.
It's not your fault. You're a grown man and you're five foot five foot.
You know what I'm saying? You go for a job. You have the same skills as the
guy who's six foot. But somehow statistically,
that six foot guy usually gets the job, gets advances.
It's not fair. It is what it is, it's a gift.
So everybody gets a variety of blessings. The parable teaches
that when Jesus returns each one will be held accountable for what they have
done with their gifts.
Beethoven, Mozart.
Two geniuses, two gifted people.
The gift they had with music you couldn't learn.
As a child Mozart was writing classical music, as a child.
The difference, yeah Mozart dissipated life, Beethoven,
the beginning of every sheet of music he would write in the margin,
"To God Be The Glory".
See what I'm saying? Different people, different gifts, different results.
Different results.
And everyone will be accountable for those.
Unlike the parable of the bridesmaids, this story focuses in on the reckoning that will come for
those who are within the kingdom. The first one, the first parable says you've got to be ready you don't know
what's going to happen. There's going to be a reckoning. The second one says you better be
ready for the reckoning because you're going to be held accountable for what you've received.
Now we know that those who reject Christ, never confessed his name are
condemned right? Mark 16:16, those who believe and are baptized will be saved.
Those who disbelieve will be condemned. But in these parables
Jesus wants to show how he will weed out
those who have confessed his name and associated with
the kingdom but are not going to be allowed to remain in it when he returns.
That's the difference.
So concerning his return and the reckoning with the kingdom itself,
this parable teaches us several other things. Number one.
God will look for results not excuses.
We've been saved to serve. We've been saved to bear fruit.
We've been saved to confess and follow Christ. And when he returns it'll be obvious
to him who has and who has not been profitable.
The parables, they sound quaint. Even people, when they see the title of
this, oh the parables, those are fun, except when you
really begin to look at them you realize, man, they're pretty sobering.
They kind of bring you up short.
Secondly. Everyone has different talents but we all have the same responsibility.
When he returns it'll be obvious who has invested it in the world, who
has invested it in themselves, who has buried it through neglect,
and who has made a spiritual profit.
In the Bible, it's very rare that the writers of the Bible
describe the appearance of people very rare.
They mention Esther, for example, that she was a beautiful woman.
But it's very rare that they,
the Bible writers describe if a man or a woman is beautiful or not but they describe that she
was a beautiful woman. The idea being, that was her gift.
It didn't say she was a very intelligent woman or she was very skilled or strong, it just says she was beautiful.
And because of her beauty what happened to her? Well, that gift that
she receive enabled her to be in a position where she could actually save her people.
And yet, we see sometimes, people men, women, who have received the
gift of beauty. Right? And what do they do with it?
They trade it in for money or fame or worldliness or other things
like that. I'm saddened when I see
actresses or movie stars, whatever, who have been given talents and
gifts by God, throw them away and waste them and actually
use them in such a way as to insult God.
Terrible. Terrible thing.
And we each have this responsibility. We're not going to be able to blame
somebody else for our failure to bear fruit in the kingdom. All the resources to do
what we have to do are there and all of us here,
all of us, we have the Holy Spirit within us. We have the word before us.
We have the church around us,
so we have the spiritual resources, all of us, equally, whether we're
younger or older, whether we're experienced or less experienced. All of us have the
spirit, all of us have the word, all of us have the church. All of us are responsible for doing something,
with those gifts that God has given us.
Another point at Jesus' return. Some will rejoice
and some will weep. Like the parable of the bridesmaids,
the prepared ones went into the feast and the unprepared ones were left out.
Isn't it interesting to note that
the bridesmaids that didn't go in, it didn't say they were bad people.
They didn't get drunk or something and pass out or they they weren't cavorting,
they wanted to go to the feast.
And they would have gone to the feast they wouldn't have been locked out for any reason.
But they weren't prepared. They didn't think it through.
And so, it's not just people like Hitler
and Castro. We shouldn't judge but, let's put it this way,
their deeds have gone before to the Lord.
When the Bible said some people their deeds go before them and others they come after them.
Mr. Castro and. Mr. Hitler their deeds are quite
obvious in front of all of us and they have gone before them to
the Lord for judgment. So it's fairly safe to say that what they have
done is not what God has wanted them to do. But these
characters here they're not bad people.
And so it's not all bad people, it's not all monsters that will
lose the opportunity to be in the kingdom. Sometimes people do it just because of
carelessness, foolishness.
So some will rejoice and some will weap. In this parable the fruitful ones are allowed to stay
with the master and rejoice in his presence and are given the responsibility.
Paul says that when Jesus comes the church will judge angels and sit at the right hand of God,
ruling with him. Wow, I wonder what that's going to be like?
1 Corinthians 6:3 and 2 Timothy 2:11.
This is a pretty big responsibility. Enjoy. Bigger than what we have now.
I'm intrigued by the idea that we will have quote, responsibility in heaven.
That it isn't... The Bible doesn't describe it as a passive thing,
that you'll do nothing.
You'll be doing something, just, we're not sure what, exactly.
On the other hand those who are unfruitful will no longer be able to remain in the presence of the Lord.
The unbelievers, of course, they're never in the presence of the Lord. However, disobedient, lazy,
sinful Christians, they are, for a while, in the presence of the Lord,
by virtue of the fact that they are in the church. Jesus says that this will end
when he returns. And the alternative will be suffering and regret, that idea
gnashing of teeth. And so,
Jesus reinforces the warning to disciples, in the kingdom, that before the
kingdom on earth is brought up to be with the kingdom in heaven there will be a reckoning.
And Christians need to be two things, they need to be ready and they need to be faithful.
I make one argument for the the idea of... Some people
say, why do we have Wednesday church? Are you gonna go to heaven
if you don't go to a Wednesday church? How about it? You're not going to
make it if you don't go to Sunday night church? And right away with just that question alone says,
OK, your issue is not about going to church.
Your issue is about maturity. But do we, quote, have to? Of course not.
Nothing written in the Bible about that. We know that. But those things are there to help
us what? To stay ready. To help us keep
sharp, to stay sharp. I remember and I think, a long time ago, I wrote an article about
icebergs. Or excuse me. What do they call those, the
ships that go in the...? Icebreaker. That's it. Ice breakers.
Up in Canada, along the St. Lawrence Seaway, where all the
ships come in. There they have ice breakers going up and down breaking up that ice all the time to keep the
ships flowing. And I compared the idea of coming to church on Wednesday and Sunday night and the
various activities we have, icebreakers. Because what happens? We spend most of our
time in the world, because we have to, we have to work and do that. And somehow
that builds a kind of a coating of worldliness on us, like ice.
And Wednesday church, Sunday night church, regular attendance, those type of things tends to
break that up and not allow it to coalesce over us,
so that we start to be hard and insensitive to spiritual things.
And so continually hearing the word being preached to us and continually
facing other believers and sharing with them, helps us to stay malleable and
to keep our spirit able to receive
spiritual ideas and spiritual messages from God's word and from God's Spirit.
So, we have to be ready and have to be fruitful.
So that's our class for today. We'll continue this series, next time. Thank you very much.