by Ms. Anastasia Rebello
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.' '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.' 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.
Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Illustration:
There’s a true story that comes form the sinking of the Titanic. A frightened woman found her place in a lifeboat that was about to be lowered into the raging North Atlantic. She suddenly thought of something she needed, so she asked permission to return to her stateroom before they cast off. She was granted three minutes or they would leave without her. She ran access the deck that was already slanted at a dangerous angle. She raced through the gambling room with all the money that had rolled to one side, ankle deep. She came to her stateroom and quickly pushed a side her diamond rings and expensive bracelets and necklaces as she reached to the shelf above her bed and grabbed three small oranges. She quickly found her way back to the lifeboat and got in. Now that seems incredible because thirty minutes earlier she would not have chosen a crate of oranges over the smallest diamond. But death had boarded the Titanic. One blast of its awful breath had transformed all values.
Instantaneously, priceless things had become worthless. Worthless things had become priceless. And in that moment she preferred three small oranges to a
crate of diamonds. There are events in life, which have the power to transform the way we look at the world. The Tsunami and the bomb blast in our city are similar events. Jesus’ parable about the ten virgins offers one of these types of events, for the parable is about the Second Coming of Christ. But Jesus doesn’t come right out and say this. Rather, he let’s the story describe it for him. The woman on the sinking Titanic understood, in the light of her current circumstances, that she must make preparations for living on a lifeboat. Diamonds would not suffice, only the precious resources of an orange were good enough. Likewise, in this world where Christ may return at any moment, the parable warns, we must be ready.
If we look at this parable with our human eyes it may seem an unnatural made up story. But, a point of fact is it tells us a story that could have happened any time in a Palestine village and which could still happen today. A wedding was a great occasion. The whole village turned out to accompany the couple home to their new home and they went with the longest possible road so that they would receive the blessings. The point of this story lies in the Jewish custom which is very different from anything we know. When a couple got married, they did not go on a honey moon but were kept for a week in the house where they were treated like prince and princesses. To the festivities of that week were chosen friends were admitted. It was a joyous week that foolish virgins missed because they were unprepared.
Like many of Jesus’ parables this one has an immediate and local meaning and also a wider meaning.
In its immediate significance it was directed against the Jews. They were the chosen people; their whole history should have been a preparation for the Son of God. They ought to have been prepared for him when he came. Instead they were quite unprepared and they were shut out. Here in a very dramatic form is the tragedy of the unprepared ness of the Jews.
But the parable has two universal warnings.
1) It warns us that there are certain things which cannot be obtained at the last minute. It is far too late for a student to be preparing when the day of examination has come. It is too late for a student for a man to acquire a skill, or character, if he does not already possess it, when some task offers itself to him. Similarly, it is easy to leave things so late that we can no longer prepare ourselves to meet God. To be too late is always a tragedy.
2) It warns us that there are certain things in which cannot be borrowed. The foolish virgins found it impossible to borrow oil, when they discovered they needed it. A man cannot borrow a relationship with God he must possess it for himself. A man cannot borrow character; he must be clothed with it. We cannot always be living on spiritual capital which others have amassed. There are certain things we must acquire for ourselves not borrow them from others.
Illustration
Some years ago in the 80’s the evening news reported on a photographer who was also a skydiver. He had jumped from a plane along with several other skydivers and filmed the group as they individually dove out of the plane and opened their parachutes. As the video was being shown of each member of the crew jumping out and then pulling their rip chord so that their parachute opened to the wind, the final skydiver opened his chute and then the picture went berserk. The announcer reported that the cameraman had fallen to his death, having jumped out of the plane without a parachute. It wasn’t until he reached for the ripcord that he realized he was free falling without a parachute. Up until then, he was enjoying himself and was absorbed in what he was doing. But tragically, he was unprepared for the jump. It did not matter how many times he had done it before or what skill he had. By forgetting the parachute he made a foolish and deadly mistake. Nothing could save him, because his faith was in a parachute which he had never taken the trouble to buckle on.
It is a story not unlike the parable which Jesus told about the foolish bridesmaids forgetting to bring something very important and necessary. He was not ready. He was unprepared. It would do no good to try and borrow a parachute of someone else on their way to meet the ground. He was not prepared and he passed the point of no return.
There are a few other relevant points that this parable makes: You must be spiritually ready. If there is one thing that Jesus consistently and continually preached it was that we need to be ready. Over and over again we hear him say, “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Matthew 24:44).
We in this culture try to live as though there is no tomorrow. Sometimes our finances, the way we eat and treat our bodies reflect this. And certainly the moral lives of many of this generation reflect this. One of my great concerns for our generation, and even within the church, is the great moral disconnect between personal faith and ethical / moral behaviour. Many people within the church, as well as outside of it, seem to have lost their conscience or the ability to respond to it. The whole message of Jesus’ warnings to be ready had to do with doing the right things. Being ready meant actively living in faithfulness to God. It is more than just calling yourself a Christian.
How do we prepare ourselves?
Let me suggest three ways...
1. First, we must understand that some things in life cannot be borrowed. The family that I have grown up in, I would not trade for anything. But I also realize that while that family provides an incredible foundation for me, I must have an active relationship with God in order to be ready.
When our bridegroom comes, I am not going to be able to borrow from my parents, my husband, or even my prayer group, it is what I have done to prepare that will count.
What are the things in this life that I cannot borrow?
a) Faith
Each one of us must negotiate salvation with God. Our ticket to eternity is not like any club membership, they cannot be willed to the next generation. Every one of us must come before God and develop our Faith in Him. We serve a personal God who deals with us on a personal basis.
Hebrews 11:6
b) Character
Character is another area in which we cannot borrow from another. Either we are people of Character or we are not. The definition of Character is “how your family would describe you acting when no one else is around”. It is that part of us that desires to lead an honourable life, even when there is
no gain in it for us, when nobody will notice, or even when it costs us. This is what God measures us by…for it is authentic. For Example: Building character is just like shaping each muscle of the body while exercising concentrating on one area at a time. Staying away from cheating, procrastination, Staying away from gossip, anger, false testimony….each one knows his weaknesses. All these are a part of building character.
2 Tim 2:20, 21
c) Fruit
When it comes to Christian Fruit, we cannot borrow someone else’s results. We will be graded on the results of our life. It is so easy now to get in with someone else and ride on their fruit, but what fruit are we producing within our lives.
Col 1:10
The five foolish virgins tried to borrow oil…they could not. There are some things in this life we cannot borrow, we must account for ourselves. In the eternal arena three major things consist of Faith, Character, and Fruits.
2. Second, there are some things that cannot be put off to the end. Our parable told how the foolish virgins put of the gathering of more oil till later. They always thought they had more time. How many people do we see with that attitude today?
3) The parable suggests that if we are not prepared we can miss our great opportunity.
Illustration:
A famous preacher was asked what he would do if he knew his Lord would return at that time the next day. He said in effect, "I would go to bed and go to sleep; wake up in the morning, and go on with my work, for I would want Him to find me doing what he had appointed."
1 Thes 5:1-4
Conclusion
Today, are you awake, and how is your supply of oil? Don’t depend on past experiences or blessings. What about now? Jesus is coming - lets get ready and stay ready. On the titanic the woman was in an intense situation that changed her values. How can we be intense in a waiting situation?
1) Keep our eyes fixed on Him
2) Scripture Prayer and Meditation are a must.
3) Eagerly await His return.
Hebrews 9:28 - "He will bring salvation to all those who are eagerly waiting for Him."
Revelation 16:15 - "Take note: I will come as unexpectedly as a thief! Blessed are all who are watching for Me, who keep their robes ready so they will not need to walk naked and ashamed."
We must anticipate His return or we will be distracted by other things. Distraction is the biggest enemy of those who wait. We must keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith. Amen!!!