“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. And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 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.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Matthew 25:1-13 (NKJV)
Just Go Away!
Have you ever had a door slammed in your face? Have you ever said to a door-to-door salesman or to a religious group, “Go away, we are not interested!” If you don’t have Jesus in your heart you will not like what Jesus will say to you someday. He will say to some who claimed to be great doers of His work, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”
In our text we have a great example of those who continued to be prepared for His coming and those who did not expect the imminent return. Five of them were wise because they took an ample supply of oil in their vessels with their lamps but there were the other five. They had lamps just like the other five but there was no oil to burn. They all trimmed their lamps which means that they trimmed off the blackened end of the wick in their lamps so that the oil could flow freely. The wick was the vehicle through which the oil could flow and burn.
If you have ever seen a kerosene lamp you would understand. Without the oil there would be no light and the five foolish virgins had none. Jesus said again, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” If you are the lamp, and Word of God is the wick and the Holy Spirit is the oil, Jesus will touch it with His fire and you have it all you will not be surprised when the trumpet sounds and Jesus comes again and the door will be opened to you. Amen. Even, so, come Lord Jesus. Amen and amen.
