Citywide Baptist Church

The parable of the 10 virgins (or maidens) echoes what Jesus taught in the last few verses of Matthew 24.
- He’s coming back but doesn’t know when that will be.
- His followers need to be prepared for a long wait.
- He wants them to always be ready for his return.
- Being ready means living for God and serving the needs of others.
The story is about a common event in people’s lives, but it’s more than that.
- Jesus invites us to go below the surface detail;
- To reflect on deeper, spiritual truths about God, his Kingdom, and our relationship with Him.

Weddings in 1st century Palestine
- Parents arranged the marriages.
- A contract negotiated at the time of the engagement was as binding as the marriage itself.
- The wedding was a simple, civil ceremony at the bride’s home.
- It was followed by a week-long feast at the groom’s house.
- The wedding took place once the groom had finished building the new home for him and his bride
- After sundown he then went with some of his friends to fetch his bride.
- After the ceremony, the groom and his bride formed the start of a torch-lit procession back to where the banquet was to take place.
- They took the longest road to receive the good wishes of as many people as possible.
- Everyone in the village celebrated the event.
- Anyone who joined the torch-lit procession was welcome to join the feast.
- The lamps were either torches with oil-soaked rags wrapped around a stick that had to be regularly dipped in oil to keep them burning or little teapots filled with olive oil that had a wick leading into the oil.
- It was normal for those waiting on the roadside not to know when the groom would come by.

The maidens all looked ready when they first arrived at the side of the road, but appearances can be deceiving. It turned out that only 5 were ready for a long, uncertain wait.

To begin with, it’s not possible to pick who’s wise and who’s foolish. But there’s always a crunch point when it becomes obvious and the consequences unfold. The consequences are significant.

The maidens waited so long that they all fell asleep.

Whether I die – fall asleep – or not, the things I do here and now to keep my light burning will determine whether I am ready for Jesus’ return.

When word reaches the sleeping maidens that the groom isn’t far away, they start relighting their lamps but we find out that only half had brought enough oil to do that.

The story makes clear that certain things cannot be obtained at the last minute.

Every person is responsible for his or her own spiritual condition.

We cannot buy or borrow our relationship with God.

If we haven’t actively followed God with all our heart and passion, mind and intelligence, soul and prayer, strength and energy, then like the foolish maidens we will be unprepared for Jesus’ return. Like them, we will miss out on all the joy and other blessings Jesus has in store for those who love and serve him.

The choices we make every day determine whether we are ready at any time of the day or night.

The distinction between being foolish and being wise is important to understand. The story of Saul and Daniel in 1 Samuel can help us here.

God told the prophet Samuel to fill a flask with oil to anoint Saul as the leader of Israel.
- Samuel poured the oil over Saul’s head as a sign of God’s calling on Saul’s life.
- “the Spirit of the Lord came on him in power.” 1 Sam 10:10
- At that time, God changed him into a different person inside; gave him a new heart.

A time came when Saul stopped being obedient to the Spirit of God.
- He started relying on his own strength.
- He got impatient with God’s timing.
- He did things his way when it suited him.
- Rather than using the power and influence God gave him to bless others, he satisfied his own desires.
- He became greedy, ignored God, and blamed and punished others for his mistakes.

There was no longer room for the oil of the Spirit to fill his heart and mind and spirit.

Only toward the end of his life did Saul realize how much he’d wasted the opportunities God gave him.

Because of Saul’s foolishness, God asked Samuel to once again fill his flask with oil and anoint David with the Holy Spirit.

As Samuel poured the oil on David’s head, the Spirit of God settled on David in power.
- David used the opportunities God gave him to do what Saul had failed to do.
- He actively and faithfully stepped into the calling God placed on his life.
- He showed his people what is good and what God required of them.
God chose David because of the readiness of his heart to faithfully love and serve God.

Saul’s encounter with Goliath:
- Each morning, Saul and his army equipped themselves to fight their enemy, dressed in their armour and lined up in battle formation.
- Yet, when challenged to single combat with Goliath, Saul was fearful and stayed in his tent.
- He had received the Spirit of God and had everything he needed to protect his people and take on this man who mocked God
- He was unready to do so because he had stopped trusting God. He didn’t have enough oil in reserve for a moment such as this.
David’s encounter with Goliath:
- Hearing Goliath’s taunts and realizing no-one was willing to accept the challenge to fight him, David put himself forward.
- He knew he had the skills and wisdom needed to face the giant
- He trusted in the name of the living God, and overcome Goliath.
- He had enough oil to keep his lamp burning.

Thinking about Saul and David, are there things you can learn to help you live in ways that prepare you for Jesus’ coming?
God’s Word can be the lamp to guide and lead us into wise choices.

As we allow God’s Spirit to continually renew and fill us, we can be the light of the world, as Jesus called us to be.

Mother Teresa - “We are called to be contemplatives in the heart of the world – by seeking the face of God in everything, everyone, everywhere, all the time, and his hand in every happening; [By] seeing and adoring the presence of Jesus, especially in the lowly appearance of bread, and in the distressing disguise of the poor.”

That is the kind of oil we need to have in our lamps.

Questions to think about:
- How prepared am I?
- Do I have that kind of oil in my lamp?
- Am I using that oil in the world and spending time with God so that I have enough in reserve.
- Am I ready to shine the light of life that Jesus gives me, until he comes?
May the Holy Spirit fill us with the oil of the joy of God’s presence and the love of others because of our love for Him;

May he enable us to keep the light of Jesus burning brightly so that we can bless others; and

May he help each of us to always be ready.