The parable of the ten virgins found in Matt. 25:1-13 has more to say to us than we often realize. One of the things that troubles a person most, that nags and gnaws at our spirit, is when we mess up, make a bad mistake, and then have to pay for it when we knew from the beginning what it was we needed to do, which would have avoided the whole mess, but simply failed to do it for one reason or another. We blame ourselves for the trouble we get ourselves into, and rightly so. There is much of that in the parable of the ten virgins.
You likely know the parable but I will give a brief summary. In ancient times in the Middle East, when there was a wedding, it was the Jewish custom for the bridegroom to go to the house of his father-in-law to receive his bride and then to return to either his own home or a designated location for the wedding and all that went with it. There would be appointed a company of virgins to meet him and his beloved with lanterns to accompany them upon their return to the place of the festivities and to enter with them and enjoy and take part in the celebration.
In the account found in Matthew, the bridegroom tarried and did not arrive nearly as soon as expected. The ten virgins fell asleep but were awakened by the cry of his imminent appearance and prepared immediately to go out and greet the couple and fulfill their duties to bring them in to commence the wedding. The problem was that five of the ten virgins found they were running out of oil for their lamps, which were going out, and had brought nothing with them to carry them over in such a contingency. The other five had prepared for such a thing but had not enough extra oil to give out lest they too run out. The five who lacked sufficient oil made a hasty trip to purchase from those who sold but upon their return found that “the door was shut” and they were not allowed entrance.
The main lesson of the parable is about the need to be prepared for the Lord’s return--“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Matt. 25:13 NKJV) But, I want to take as in-depth a look at this parable as I am capable of doing and get from it everything I can for there are lessons here that I am persuaded are often overlooked.
(1) Not every person who will be lost, who has the door shut on them, is a bad person by human standards. I do not know a single charge that could be brought against the five virgins who ran short of oil other than that they were negligent in their lack of adequate preparation. Nothing negative is said about their character or conduct whatsoever aside from this one charge. From all we can tell they seemed to be good people with but one fault.
Thus, one lesson we see in this parable is that being a good person by itself is not enough. Not all good people by society’s standards obey the gospel. Good people, by human standards, will be lost. Peter asks, “What will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel?” (1 Peter 4:17 NKJV, see also 2 Thess. 1:7-9) To ask is to answer.
I know families as honest as the day, morally above reproach, kind, generous, do not drink, do not curse, have a great family and family life, yet have no interest in religion, in Christ, the Bible, or God, although they may offer a prayer at the Thanksgiving meal. They may, if pressed, make a claim to believe in God but a Bible would last them a thousand years for it would never be used, nor would there ever be any point in expecting to see them in public worship. In many ways they are good people, good like the five virgins who were lost. They are lost because they have made no preparation.
The rich young ruler was an example of an otherwise good man who was lost. We find his story in Matt. 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-22, and Luke 18:18-30. He comes to Jesus and asks what he must do to inherit eternal life. Jesus lists a number of commandments and he answers and says, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” (Mark 10:20 NKJV) Did he lie? No! But, he lacked one thing--he loved his wealth and was not yet willing to give it up. The Bible says Jesus loved this man (Mark 10:21) and yet despite the good life of the young man in keeping all the commandments and despite Jesus’ love for him, he was lost. Yes, people you and I might call good can and will be lost. God does not measure by society’s standards.
(2) Not every person who will be lost has a bad heart. The five who fell out of favor wanted the right thing. They had a desire to do well and be with the right people. In the parable, the wedding party and guests represent the saints, with the bridegroom being Jesus, so we could say that even the five unprepared virgins were seeking the company of God’s people.
I sometimes hear people talking about their heart and how their heart tells them they are okay with God. We must have a clear conscience before God, but Paul’s heart was good while he was persecuting Christians for the simple reason that he thought he was doing God’s will. He said after his arrest in Jerusalem, while before the council there, “I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.” (Acts 23:1 NKJV) One cannot have a good conscience while having a bad heart pricking his soul.
To us, the heart seems right, and so we are at peace with God in our minds even though we may well be at war with him unknowingly. One must be very careful about his heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things; and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 17:9 NKJV)
How applicable that is to the hearts of the five virgins who were unprepared. They had no inkling of anything being wrong whatsoever until the very end. The heart (the emotions in their case) felt right, but the mind was not thinking, not considering the possibilities, and thus they were given in the end, each according to their ways.
(The Bible heart consists of the emotions, the will, and the mind of man. Sometimes in speaking of the heart, the Bible will have reference to only one of these constituents, while at other times it takes the comprehensive view; thus, one must take care in reading carefully the text in context. The five foolish virgins had the proper emotions, but evidently that overrode what should have been a proper concern by the mind of contingency plans and the will to provide for such an eventuality. Trusting in emotions is a risky business at best which is why many bad marriages are made--the mind is thrust out of the decision-making process.)
(3) Not every person who is lost is totally negligent. The five unprepared virgins had made preparations up to a point. It is no easy task to prepare for a wedding. They had worked, no doubt, preparing for the occasion, if in nothing else, in getting themselves prepared with proper dress, etc. They were also prompt, on time, in fact, early as it turned out. Early but not adequately prepared.
Being unprepared in one aspect of one’s life is enough to ruin the whole thing. So I have faith. What if I do not have works? James says, “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26 NKJV) The Christian life is a balanced life. In what area is one to be unprepared? Is it in faith, in works, in love, in worship, in longsuffering, in self-control? Where are we to be unprepared? This is not to say we can reach perfection, but it is to say we cannot be negligent in developing Christian character and fulfilling Christian responsibilities. Remember, as far as we can tell from the account given, the five foolish virgins were prepared fully in every way but one.
(4) When a door is shut, it is shut. There comes a time, even in this life, when doors are shut never to be opened again. This thought was really the catalyst for this article. There are so many things that need to be done today, but we procrastinate. There are relationships that need to be repaired. It ought to be done today, but we are betting on tomorrow or waiting on the other guy to make the first move. Doors only stay open for a time, and many once closed will always remain so. When you are eighty-five, it is a little hard to say you are going to college, and by doing so, it will open financial doors of opportunity for you.
The lesson is simple enough. Do today what you need to get done, and do not put it off any longer. The Bible never promises a tomorrow. “You do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14 NKJV) “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2 NKJV) When Noah built the ark and entered therein, God shut the door. (Gen. 7:16 NKJV) That door, when shut, remained shut. We need to act today before our doors are shut never to open again.
The five foolish virgins had a door of opportunity to prepare, as do we, but time runs out, and when that happens, we can say in all truthfulness the door has been shut.
(5) Presumptions are dangerous. Certainly, all would agree the foolish virgins presumed an early arrival and plenty of oil for their needs. They lived with that presumption and suffered with it as well. The word “presumptuous” as in “presumptuous sins” as found in Psalms 19:13, where David prayed, “keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins,” (NKJV) has reference to sins of pride which proceed from an over-reliance on self-confidence. The five foolish virgins were self-confident in their preparation. They certainly thought they had everything under control. We ought to learn from that.
It is dangerous to rely on oneself and make presumptions. Rather than make presumptions, why not just take God’s word on matters relating to life and godliness? The Bible today has basically been rewritten by many of the major religious bodies in existence. They will live and die with their new interpretations of what God’s word says (means). It is a life of religious presumption. They presume this or that pleases God without any word from God. As we live, so we die. On that day, the door is shut forever.
(6) There is danger in living a foolish life. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” (Psalms 14:1 NKJV) The five virgins who did not prepare adequately were foolish and paid for it. Amos, the prophet, warned Israel, “Prepare to meet your God, O Israel!” (Amos 4:12 NKJV) We will all meet God one day. The day of death is, for all practical purposes, that day. That is the day the bridegroom cometh. Will we be found wise and prepared or foolish and unprepared?
We are often foolish out of ignorance, but why are we ignorant? In religious matters, it is often because we refuse to become serious students of God’s word. We live a life of religious emotionalism rather than of serious study of God’s word. We don’t know what God teaches. We only know what we hear on TV or what the preacher says.
God speaking through Hosea said in days gone by, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV) Have things improved among mankind?
The five foolish virgins should have been aware of the possibility of a delay. Surely, this was not the first time a bridegroom had ever been delayed in his coming. But they refused to give the thought any serious consideration. They had the knowledge to know what could happen, but rejected knowledge and refused to give it serious consideration, just as people do with God’s word today.
(7) Finally, there is no such thing as living off the godliness of another. I cannot loan you love for God, or faith, or works, or give you godly character. Those are personal things we each must develop for ourselves. If Christ is to live within me, then I must be the one who cultivates that relationship, seek and desire it. It takes time and effort to develop mature Christian character. I can no more get you a college degree with your name on it and all the knowledge and benefits acquired from the pursuit of it than I can make you a godly Christian. Both require individual effort.
If you want to know the Bible, you must study it. I cannot do it for you. If you want to live a faithful life, you must do it; I cannot do it for you. If you want to serve God and mankind, you are the one who must do it. So, the bottom line is the choice is ours, each one of us. On the last day, we will either be among the wise or the foolish. It is our choice.
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