A Parable

This painting to the left is called: The Ten Virgins I.

Hope involves waiting, and waiting is always active. With some people their hope and therefore their faith perish because the wait is too long as in the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25. Here is the parable:

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any [additional] oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour”. (From Matthew 25:1-13, Note: Adding the word “additional” is contextually justified in this parable, because each virgin had an initial supply of oil. If you don’t believe me, look where the foolish virgins say, “our lamps are going out”. The lamps can’t go out unless they had some oil to begin with).The word “virgin” is symbolic of purity in this parable. And so all ten virgins initially belong to God. As the virgins wait they all foolishly fall asleep and in the process waste the precious oil in their lamps. They are then rudely awakened at midnight – a time of darkness and trial. The promise then goes out that the bridegroom is on His way. The foolish virgins initially had the commitment to overcome their earlier trials and temptations since they had an initial supply of oil in their lamps. But as they progress it becomes evident that their hearts did not have the critical amount of commitment required to hold onto the promise and persevere through the darkness. The promise was that Jesus the Bridegroom is on His way. The foolish virgins had neglected to sell all of their earthly treasures in order to purchase more of the precious oil required to light their lamps that would have helped them await the bridegroom on into the night. The wise virgins had extra oil, and so could await the bridegroom on into the night. The oil in the parable represents the virgins’ commitment to God. Without it they could not have braved the darkness. This oil of commitment in the clay lamps (think us) burns together with the breath of life (think Holy Spirit) to make the light of the Gospel. The light of the Gospel is love.