While Jesus Is Away

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Matthew 25:1-13

As we delve into this passage, we will focus on three main points: Preparation for His return, Proclaiming His message, and Permitting the Holy Spirit's work. But before we do, let's bow our heads in prayer.

Preparation for His Return

In the parable we just read, we see a group of ten virgins awaiting the arrival of the bridegroom. Five of them were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones took flasks of oil with their lamps, while the foolish ones did not. This is a clear illustration of the importance of being ready for the return of Jesus Christ, our Bridegroom.

The oil in the lamps can be seen as a symbol of our faith and the Holy Spirit's work in our lives. The wise virgins had an ample supply, indicating their preparedness and their deep, abiding relationship with God. They were ready for the bridegroom's arrival, no matter at what time it happened. The foolish virgins, on the other hand, were not prepared. They had lamps, but no oil. They had a form of godliness, but they were lacking the power thereof. In other words, they called themselves Christians but were not.

The first aspect we can glean from this is the importance of personal responsibility in our spiritual lives. Each of us is responsible for our own relationship with God. We cannot rely on the faith of others to sustain us. The foolish virgins asked the wise ones for some of their oil, but the wise ones refused, not out of selfishness, but out of the understanding that faith cannot be borrowed or transferred. Each of us must have our own oil, our own faith, our own relationship with God. Spiritual readiness is deeply personal and cannot be outsourced.

The second aspect is the importance of vigilance. The bridegroom's arrival was delayed, and they all became drowsy and slept. But the wise virgins were still prepared when the cry came out that the bridegroom was here. They were able to trim their lamps and go out to meet him. This teaches us that we must always be ready, always be vigilant, for we do not know the day or the hour of Christ's return.

Metaphorically, to trim one’s lamp signifies maintaining spiritual readiness and purity. This involves spending time with God, reading scripture, and being sensitive to spiritual guidance. It emphasizes the importance of being prepared and living a life aligned with spiritual values.

The third aspect is the importance of genuine faith. The foolish virgins had lamps, but no oil. They had the appearance of faith, but not the substance. They were like whitewashed tombs, beautiful on the outside, but inside full of dead men's bones. This teaches us that it is not enough to merely look the part. We must have a genuine, living faith, a faith that is filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

The fourth aspect is the finality of Christ's return. When the bridegroom arrived, the door was shut. The foolish virgins were left outside, knocking and pleading, but it was too late. This teaches us that there will come a time when it will be too late to prepare. There will come a time when the door will be shut, and those who are not ready will be left outside.

This parable reminds me of two other times when a door was closed on those who were unprepared and/or disregarded the preaching of the Word of God: Noah, when God closed the door of the ark, preventing anyone else from seeking His salvation, after they had been preached to by Noah. The other is the parable of the great supper, where people were invited but made excuses…to them the door was closed as well. In each of these cases it shows that God closed the doors. So, we need to understand that Christ will return, and we need to be found being about the Father’s business.