“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:1-13
My Reflection
In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is compared to ten young ladies who, with oil powered lamps, went out to meet a groom. Five of these ladies came prepared with additional oil for their lamps, and five did not. The ladies had to wait a long while for the groom. Once he was observed to be approaching, the ladies were sent out to meet him. The five which had come unprepared, had run out of oil so their lamps no longer worked. These foolish five, then asked of the rest to allow them to use the oil that they had brought. But those who had come prepared told them to go and buy their own because there might not be enough extra for them all. Instead of meeting the groom, they had to go instead to buy more oil. While they were away, the bridegroom came and the five ladies who were ready, escorted him in and the door was shut. Later, the remaining five returned and asked to be let in, but the lord of the house did not allow them in. This parable ends in, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.”
This parable seems to be a call for everyone to prepare for the day when Jesus will come. Get ready, plan ahead, don’t wait. The oil in the lamp seems to be a symbol for whatever it is that you need in order to let your light shine. If you know that you don’t have what you need to be ready, then get what you need – more courage, less fear, more love, less hate. Do it now, because you never know when time your time is up. Maybe you need to stay prayerful, stay studious, stay in fellowship with those who support your Christian journey. However you need to refill your oil, so that your lamp won’t go out, is what you need to do.
Another point that I reflected on in the parable is that you can’t enter the kingdom on someone else’s good graces. The five ladies who had planned ahead and brought extra oil in anticipation of the wait for the bridegroom were asked to share their oil, or their replenishments with the five who had not planned ahead. The oil was not shared. The five who were unprepared were instead told to go and get their own. Likewise, I think this parable is saying that the grace and the goodness, the preparations for the kingdom of your neighbor, your friend, your spouse, your mother, or your father are not sufficient for you to enter the kingdom. You have to have it for yourself. As the old song goes, “God bless the child that’s got his own.”
Lastly, the parable also ends with the five ladies, who at this point had missed the bridegroom’s arrival, returning home to find that the door had been shut to them. They had returned too late and the lord of the house refused them entrance. They were not ready as they should have been at the appointed time, and now there was nothing that they could do to make up for their lack of preparation. It seems that Jesus was telling his disciples that they have to get ready and they have to stay ready for the kingdom because no one knows when their time will arrive. So, we all need to keep our lanterns lit and stock up with oil so that it never runs out.
Your Reflection
- Do you have the oil you need in order for your light to shine?
- How can you continue to fill your reserves so that your light won’t go out?
Thank you!