Matthew 25:1-13

¹ “At that time the kingdom from the sky will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

² Five of them were thoughtless, and five were intelligent.

³ Because when the thoughtless took their lamps, they took no oil for them,

⁴ but the intelligent took flasks of oil for their lamps.

⁵ Since the bridegroom was overdue, they all became sleepy and dozed off.

⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

⁷ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

⁸ And the thoughtless said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’

⁹ But the intelligent answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’

¹² But he answered, ‘Honestly I am telling you, I do not know you.’

¹³ So keep alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.

oil shortage

Jesus’ had just taught his disciples not to be caught unprepared for the second coming. Now, he illustrates that teaching with the parable of the ten virgins. There was going to be a wedding, and they knew that they would have to wait a long time for the bridegroom to show. The intelligent ones prepared themselves for the wait. They brought extra oil for their lamps, so that the bridegroom would recognize them, and invite them to the feast. The thoughtless ones did not bring extra oil. When the oil for their lamps ran dry, they had to run off to the market to replenish it. That is when the bridegroom came, and they were not allowed into the party.

There has been a lot of speculation about what the oil represents in the parable. But Jesus had already taught in chapter 24 how believers are to prepare for his second coming. We prepare for him by loving and caring for the people around us.

LORD, give us the kind of intelligence that loves the people you put in our path, so that we are always prepared for your coming.