There was a wedding. Ten young virgins were invited to participate in it. They were supposed to bring lamps, so that at the right time they could form a torchlight procession. All ten virgins brought their lamps, but only five of them brought oil. They all waited for the groom to arrive, but the groom tarried longer than expected. Time passed, darkness set in, and all ten bridesmaids fell to sleep. Suddenly, at midnight someone cried out that the groom was coming! All ten virgins woke up and began to prepare their lamps for the ceremony. The five foolish virgins asked the five wise virgins to share their oil, but were denied. It wasn’t that the five wise virgins didn’t care; it was because there wasn’t enough oil for all of them.
Oil was carried in flasks and added to the lamps when needed. That’s why the wise virgins brought it, unlike the foolish virgins, who did not “run out” of oil, but rather never had it. There was some residue of oil in the five empty lamps, which quickly burned out. Then the foolish virgins tried to minimize their foolishness by describing their plight as running out of oil to look less foolish.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins by Phoebe Traquair, Mansfield Traquair Church, Edinburgh
The foolish virgins were told to go buy oil, and they did. When they were gone the torchlight procession took place, and the groom and the five wise virgins entered the celebration hall. Then the doors were closed. Later, the foolish virgins arrived with oil, but it was too late. They were not allowed to enter and join in the wedding celebration. Even though they pled, “Lord, Lord…,” they were sent away with the words, “I do not know you!” Yeshua concluded the parable by applying it to his disciples. He urged them to stay alert, because they too do not know the day or the hour of his return, which will be sudden and unexpected.
Yeshua told this parable to his disciples privately. Neither his adversaries nor big crowds were present. It is only for those who are his followers, or who think they are his followers. The story suggests that the difference between believers and unbelievers may not be obvious until his return. It serves as a warning.
We should notice that the five foolish virgins were almost indistinguishable from the five wise virgins. The five foolish virgins addressed the groom as “Lord.” The five foolish virgins looked just like the five wise virgins. They all were invited to the wedding celebration, and came. All of them fell asleep, and all were awakened by the news of the groom’s arrival. The five foolish virgins were no different from the five wise virgins, except for one thing, the foolish virgins brought no oil.
Initially we are surprised that the five wise virgins did not share their oil with the foolish virgins. This is not because they were selfish, but because those who are saved cannot share their salvation with those who are lost. The lost will not enter heaven by association with the saved. Each person has to have their own faith. This is especially a warning to those still sitting on the fence (who are undecided).
The five foolish virgins are not given the time to reverse their folly. They had their opportunity, and they lost it. Now it is too late. These five foolish virgins were not once saved and “ran out” of salvation. They were never saved. They were just empty lamps. They looked useful, they seemed to have the promise of light, but they never had it!
To be continued…
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