Foolishness

“And five of them were wise, and five were foolish” (Matt 25:2). The bible calls the virgins who did not take extra oil in their lamps foolish. We see that all 10 virgins had a lamp and oil at the start of the story. We can liken them to Christians who await the return of our bridegroom –Jesus.

The parable defines the wise as those who took a supply of oil in their lamps and kept it burning till the bridegroom came. Permit me to describe this oil as an inward supply grace that keeps the flame burning. A flame that the master will see on His return as an indicator of our readiness to be with Him. Oil in the bible is symbolic of the Holy Spirit. It represents an inward grace and source of a new spiritual life when a commitment is made to follow Jesus. Both the wise as well as the foolish, fell asleep awaiting the bridegroom. In a world of stress and troubles, they all felt the pressures and they all dozed off. Suddenly, at an unexpected hour, the bridegroom was on his way. The all awoke to trim their lamps. It was at that point that the foolishness of the five was glaring. Though they must have had oil enough in their lamps to keep them burning up to this moment, they did not make provision for exhaustion. They did not take extra oil to keep their lamp burning till the arrival bridegroom.

Ah! It was at the last minute they discovered their own folly. Perhaps they had laughed at the other girls for carrying extra oil, now they wished they were like them. The wise could not share their oil, The journey and grace are individual, the calling is personal. The foolish had to get the oil the legitimate way – go and buy from the source. I can imagine how they ran frantically to the shops. When the bridegroom arrived only those that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Those virgins had come to see their foolishness, they had now taken good advice and they were in the process of getting the only thing they lacked,  however, it was too late. When the bridegroom comes, only those who are ready will be admitted. The foolish virgins kept knocking and banging saying, "Lord, Lord, open to us". Their eyes were wide open, and they realised all the consequences of their past foolishness.

Watch, therefore; for you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of man shall come.