#107: An Exemplum For This Generation

"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." Matthew 25: 1-5

Whenever Jesus wanted to teach people about the kingdom of heaven, He used parables to illustrate certain themes. With parables, we can have a perception of the heavenlies by using earthly, day to day scenarios. In the parable in today's passage, Jesus was trying to pass one message across to his listeners:

Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. Matt 25: 13

Now, to be honest, this parable, with this theme message was given to a generation that lived 2 millennia from now. If Jesus felt it was important enough to tell them, then knowing that the end is nearer now than then, I strongly believe this parable is more significant to this generation than then. If there is a generation that needs to meditate on this parable, it is a generation as ours. May God grant us insight as we study His Word together.

The first thing that I perceive the LORD wants to draw our attention to is that the ten were all on the same mission - to meet the bridegroom. When you read the story to the end, you discover that it was a question of how ready they were to meet the bridegroom. This quickly paints a very good picture of the body of Christ today.  If you gave out a questionnaire on a sunny Sunday morning to a congregation, everyone would say that they plan to make heaven - they await the coming of the Son of Man. Then when it comes to methodology, there will be a difference. Some will only be ready for the coming of the Son of Man if He comes on a Sunday. But at the end of today's study, I strongly believe the LORD will help us all to be ready when He comes.

The second thing to note is that the virgins on the same mission are divided into two categories - wise and foolish. And there is a very thin line that actually separates them. The wise virgins had extra oil with them, and the foolish virgins didn't have extra oil for their lamps. At first sight, when you look at them leaving their houses and setting out to the market square where they were to meet the bridegroom, you would quickly say "but why can these virgins not travel light like their fellows are travelling? is it not the same place that they are going to? why are they being too cautious, detailed, over careful, particular, scrupulous and thorough? why are they 'over doing'?" And friends, it is actually these 'little foxes' that we decide not to keep in check that will disqualify us to be listed with the wise virgins - little things that we take for granted, ancient land marks. At a first glance, the wise virgins actually looked foolish, and the foolish virgins looked wise - they were travelling smart! They were with the latest trend. In a global society, there was no need to travel with extra oil, after all, there were indeed shops that offered 24 hours service. But friends, THERE WAS A DELAY. The bridegroom delayed.

While the bridegroom delayed, they all fell asleep. The wise and foolish virgins fell asleep. It was the natural thing to do. They were all going about doing exactly the same thing. Nobody was foolish for sleeping. The foolish virgins were so termed because they had no extra oil. If it were in today's context, at the point they gave their lives to Christ, rapture did not take place, and because there was a delay, they went about their normal activities, though with a view of meeting the bridegroom. In the midst of waiting, we will discover that some of us are like the thorny ground that received the seed, in the process of time, the thorns choke the seed. It is in the time of waiting that we will discover that some of us are like the rocky ground that received the seed, when the scorching sun comes up, it dries up the sprouting plant. But there will be yet some others that will withstand the sun, the rain and clear all the thorns around and grow to bear fruit - that when the Son of Man comes, He finds fruit on our branches.

The foolish virgins are those that keep saying "on Sunday i will be a good boy, but for now, let me rock Friday". They think that mere religious rites and activities are sufficient. They say "i have a lamp, a nice shiny lamp" but their lamp cannot stand the test of time, because they have no extra oil. When the bridegroom finally came, the foolish virgins realised that the oil was not transferable - it was personal, it was not communal. They discovered they had to do what the wise virgins had done a long time ago. But it was already late. By the time they went to buy oil, the door was shut and upon knocking on the door, the bridegroom denied them. After all the vigilant waiting, after all the bible studies, after all the choir ministration, after all the evangelism, at the end, they were carrying empty lamps, at the end they had no oil. they were only show casing their beautiful lamps. On the last day, many people will realise that they should have taken the christian race more seriously than they did. Their carelessness will cost them entry into everlasting life. At that time it will be too late to be serious with God. At the end, people will find that they were always punctual to church, they were always working for God, but they had no personal relationship with Jesus, they had no extra oil. May God help our oversight.

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.’ Matt 25: 11&12

May God give us understand and the grace to remain fervent as we wait for Him. This parable was talking of people that knew of the existence of the bridegroom, of people that went out to meet the bridegroom, but because of some carelessness, they missed the bridegroom's coming. The parable is not for the gentiles who do not know God, but it was for the church - who are waiting for the coming of the Son of Man.

Thought: The end is near! Are you ready? Watch therefore!