"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, there 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." [Matthew 25:1-13 NASB]
Jesus gives us another parable to drive home His point that we must be ready.
According to the custom of the day, there were three stages for a wedding. The first was engagement - a formal agreement made by the fathers. Second was betrothal - the bride and groom make promises to one another. The third was marriage - about one year later, the groom would come at an unexpected time for his bride.
A wedding party of bridesmaids would meet the groom with lamps (actually more like torches with oil soaked rags on the end of a stick). The bridesmaids would then lead the groom in a torchlight procession to meet his bride.
This parable is making the point that we will not know the day or time of Jesus' return and must be ready. Clearly, the virgins represent the church waiting for Him. There are a few points that deserve consideration.
All ten of the virgins started out with oil for their lamps. Oil is used throughout the Bible to represent the Holy Spirit, and/or the calling of God. I think it would be fair to say that all ten virgins represent believers. Notice Jesus did not say that some were evil. Rather, He said that some were wise and some were unwise. This is different from the wicked servant in the previous parable, who beat his fellow servants and caroused. These unwise virgins were just negligent.
The unwise virgins represent those Christians who neglect their faith. They make the decision to follow Jesus. They have a brief period where the Christian life is fresh and exciting. Everything seems new and shiny. As time goes by, it becomes more common and less exciting. Prayer becomes a chore, and Bible study a burden. He gradually stops praying, and reading the Bible. He may or may not continue going to church.
He lives his life as a good person, secure in the thought that he has made a decision for Christ. But his faith has grown cold, and he does not have an ongoing relationship with Jesus.
When it is time to meed Jesus face to face, whether it be through His return or through death, the wise Christian will have his soul prepared by maintaining a close relationship with Jesus through prayer. The unwise Christian will face his worst nightmare: Jesus' words, "I do not know you."
Therefore be ready. Not just looking for signs of His return, but seeking Him daily. Don't be neglectful. Pray daily. Read and study the Bible. Assemble with other believers.
If prayer and Bible study seem burdensome to you, perhaps it is because you are approaching it as a religious duty. True prayer has nothing to do with religion. It is talking with God. It is spending time every day with your best friend. When you talk to Him, take the time to listen for Him to answer. He doesn't typically answer with visions or an audible booming voice. What you can expect is a thought in your own mind that sounds very much like your own inner voice, but is infinitely wiser, and comes with no effort of your own.
Practice His presence. Prayer isn't always about words. When you don't know what to say, it is enough to simply be aware of His presence. It's like sitting on a porch with your best friend. There is a comfortable silence where neither of you feels like you need to speak. It's enough to just hang out. Jesus wants to hang out with you, if you will let Him.
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