Parable of the Ten Virgins

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Matthew 25:1-13

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Let's observe what happened here to both the wise and foolish virgins.

All ten virgins took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. The very fact they took their lamps shows that they all wanted to shine bright light along the way. It was dark and they needed light to walk. In this dark and dreary world when we need to be the light of Christ Jesus,  we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and the knowledge of Who Jesus is in our lives. We need to go out with zeal 🔥, which is the first love💓 which was shed abroad in our hearts for Jesus, to fulfill His 'Great Commission'.

All ten are said to be virgins. Spiritually speaking, that means they have kept themselves pure without blemish, for the bridegroom.

5 wise virgins. 

1. Virgins

2.  Took along their lamps which had oil in them, that were lit (also took along jars of oil) (preparedness)  (prepared with the Word of God in their hearts and minds). 

5 foolish virgins.

1. Virgins

2. Took along their lamps which had oil in them, that were lit.

After some time all the ten virgins, were tired and sleepy and they slept. They could have been both physically and spiritually tired and weary doing what they have been doing all along.Their human strength could have been depleted. They all wanted a little rest.

When we set out to fulfill the Great Commission,  we are bound to meet with those who reject Jesus, those who believe half heartedly and those who do not care. Serving others, to bring them the love of Christ Jesus and to make Him known, usually takes a great toll on us. If we do not have an ongoing, intimate relationship with Jesus we are bound to be exhausted easily.

At midnight the cry rang out: "Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!"

The call was sudden. This is what we usually call the 'Rapture of the saints' when Jesus comes to call His church home. This is in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

It can also be the suddenness of our individual home going with Jesus, our death; whichever is earlier. 

All the ten virgins woke up to that voice which they were expecting. They have been eagerly awaiting His arrival. They got up excitedly and trimmed their lamps. 

Alas, some of their lamps were not burning brightly.  They were about to go out. Those who brought along oil in jars, topped up their lamps with oil and their lamps burned brightly. The ones who did not bring along extra oil, said to the wise ones, "Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out."

The bridegroom was there to meet them. They had to hurry along, with their brightly shining lamps, to meet Him.

“No," the five wise virgins replied, "there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves."

Were they being selfish? No, not at all. The wise virgins could not give them the oil they had, even if they wanted to. When we go out to do God's work, we cannot depend on someone else's spirituality or their intimate relationship with and knowledge of Jesus.  We cannot depend on their anointing. We have to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with our own intimate relationship and knowledge of Jesus and with the zeal to spread His love and to tell the world Who Jesus is and what He has done for us. 

We are human beings and we need to be constantly recharged with the 'first love' from on high. Daily quiet time with God, daily praise and worship and daily reading and meditating on God's Word is the right way to be spiritually recharged. That is how the five wise virgins topped up their lamps. The five wise virgins had that kind of relationship with the Bridegroom. Sadly the five foolish ones lacked that kind of zeal. They had compromised with the world somewhere along the way and had inadvertently lost their 'first love', even as they were about God's business. 

What could have happened? Looking around at the world today, there are so many various kinds of ideologies and worldviews, so many kinds of fatal attractions and if we are not rooted deeply into God's Word, we can easily fall prey to the ideologies of this world and the wrong worldviews and can become spiritually lethargic. We can easily make compromises with the world. Our motives may change. Instead of doing it all for the glory of God, we may start doing it all for our own glory. What we started with God's anointing may have been damaged by the eagerness to prove who we are, to others and by the pride to glorify 'self' that has entered our hearts. Thus our lamps start to burn dimly and eventually get extinguished because of the lack of the first love for Jesus and the zeal to glorify Him. 

The Word of God must be on our minds and in our hearts at all times as required in Deuteronomy 11:18 and Proverbs 3:3-4.  Only then the Holy Spirit can fill us with the fresh oil of gladness, which He takes from the Word of God to enlighten us as stated in John 16:13-15.

Apparently, the 5 foolish ones were on their way to buy the oil, when the bridegroom arrived. They realized too late that they have lost their first love and that they were far far away from Jesus although they professed to do His Kingdom Works. They were trying to make ammends when it was already too late.  The virgins who were ready with their lamps burning brightly, went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us!"

But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I don’t know you."

Jesus does not tell us whether they got the lamps filled with oil. All He said was, they came asking to be let in.

It was a little too late! Will they be given another chance to repent and start all over again? Jesus does not mention that here. But we know from God's Word, that as long as we are alive, we still stand a chance to repent and we are assured complete forgiveness for our sins. So this Parable seems to warn us of the final moment when death has separated us from our mortal bodies or the 'Rapture' when those who are prepared and ready, will be suddenly caught up with Jesus in mid air. It is Now or Never! 

Is this not alarming? To hear, "Truly I tell you, I don’t know you, " is a devastating admonition to those who were once burning brightly for the Lord, until their lamps ran out of oil.

If this could happen to the five foolish virgins, it could happen to any one of us. 

The question is not, "Are we eagerly waiting for the Rapture?" But it is, "Are we prepared to meet our Bridegroom Jesus when He calls us home suddenly?" 

Let's not go around chirping, "I hope 'Rapture' happens soon!" and "Cannot bear the way people treat me lah! I hope we are raptured soon!" 

If we cannot bear the trials and problems posed to us in this world patiently, and want to be raptured while the rest do not know Jesus, aren't we being selfish? 

We can all start at the same starting line in a race. But the winner will be the one who runs steadily, persistently and patiently and finishes the race well.  Then we will hear Jesus saying,  "Welcome home. Well done my good and faithful one, you have finished your race well!"

Jesus ends this Parable with this loving warning, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

As we meditate on this Parable let us each, therefore, watch and pray and be rooted in Jesus, filled with the first love for Him. Filled with the Holy Spirit, our Advocate. Let the image of Christ Jesus be evident in us as we bear the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,  goodness, gentleness,  faithfulness and self-control) in our character. Then our light will shine brightly and we will be ready to meet Jesus when He suddenly calls us 

God bless you 🙌

Mary Augustine ✍️🔥

23rd January 2023