LEARNING DAILY

 

Matthew 25:1-2, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

 

This parable of the ten virgins and is very relevant to each of us today. Get your Bible out and read Matthew 25:1-13. The parable tells every Believer that we must constantly look out for our spiritual condition as we walk on the narrow way to God’s kingdom. Our walk on the narrow way must be one that perseveres in faith because no one knows the time nor the hour when Jesus will come for His faithful followers in what is known as the rapture. The last blog was about being diligent in seeking the Lord; seeking Him is an everyday occurrence. I know how easily it is to get sidetracked by temptation or being caught up in being so busy with stuff that I let my guard down. As soon as that happens it is easy to fail. If forgiveness is not sought immediately, it is easy to be drawn away from seeking the Lord and thinking He is not coming any time soon.

 

That sort of thinking was a problem in this parable. What differentiates the foolish from the wise is the failure of the foolish to recognize that the Lord could return at any time. His return will be at an unexpected time. It will be at a time without any prior specific or unmistakable signs to alert us. God is not trying to trick or deceive any Believer about His coming for them; He wants each of us to be walking the narrow way diligently seeking and watching for His return. 

 

Jesus is indicating in this parable that a large part of the church will not be prepared for His return. There are some scholars who believe the foolish virgins are those who have not truly been saved. Jesus is clear in this parable that He will not wait for all churches to be prepared for His return. He also is clear that people cannot be saved on the basis of any other person’s salvation.

 

One should also notice that all ten virgins were surprised by the return of Jesus. The suggestion is the ten virgins were living before the tribulation begins and are not those living during the tribulation. Those living during the seven years of tribulation will have adequate signs that precede the return of Jesus at the end of the tribulation.

 

The other necessary aspect of this parable is to be filled with the oil. Jesus has been and is stressing the need for you and me to be faithful as we watch for His return. It cannot be stressed enough the necessity of persevering in our faith and being spiritually prepared because of the knowledge His is coming at a time unknown to us. The oil of this parable represents true faith, righteousness, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. You and I cannot be like the foolish virgins who did not have enough oil in their lamps; read the parable to see that when the bridegroom came, they were not prepared and were left out of the wedding. Get prepared! Stay ready and you will not have to try to get ready! The bridegroom expects those who really want to join in the festivities will come prepared to do so.