Matthew 25:1-13: Are We Ready?

A Personal Reflection on Matthew 25:1-13

I am a teacher. To think ahead is my inclination, and though my classes seldom unfold as I intend, I never go to one without a plan. Planning is my least favorite part of teaching. Nonetheless, I do it because it primes me for any scenario, even ones that seem to deviate from my goal.

In this parable, I hear Jesus assert that there is wisdom in anticipating His coming and the arrival of the fullness of His Kingdom. Conversely, it is foolishness to dismiss it. While we do not know the time and the place or exactly how it will culminate, Jesus admonishes us to gird ourselves to meet Him when the time comes.

The wise virgins were ready for their encounter with the bridegroom. Yet the foolish virgins were thoughtless about it. They overlooked its importance. So when the unexpected happened, and something or someone delayed the bridegroom, the wise virgins had sufficient oil for their lamps while the foolish virgins did not. It may seem inconsiderate of the wise virgins not to share their oil with the foolish virgins. Admittedly, my initial reaction was surprise and disapproval at their response; it felt selfish. I mean, how could they not share, right? But, in the end, I found it prudent. The oil they brought was not enough for them and the others.

As I wrestled with this parable, I could not help but ask: Are we ready to meet the bridegroom ourselves? What could be the oil in our lamps? I am no theologian, but I posit that we can prepare for His coming by persisting in our discipleship to Jesus no matter how hard it gets or how long it takes. I posit that the oil to our lamps is excitement and readiness for His coming expressed in love, faithfulness to Him, and obedience to His teachings. I posit that we are to be like the wise virgins—engaged in action congruent to our professed status (R.T. France).

This responsibility is not exclusive to pastors, missionaries, or church workers. Jesus had a broader vision for the Kingdom where we are all loving Him, loving our neighbor, and discipling others to Him as teachers, doctors, wives, husbands, computer experts, cooks, musicians, painters, business owners, employees, and in all trades and calling in between. We are to invade the earth, bringing the reality of the Kingdom right here, right now. We are to infiltrate our social networks with the eternal kind of living: sacrificial, generous, authentic, set apart.

All ten virgins had an invitation to meet the bridegroom. In all appearances, each looked the same. But a crisis arose that separated them from each other.

We are to commit ourselves to loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our souls, and with all our minds, and with all our strength. We are to devote ourselves to loving our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-31). We do this through discipleship: pursuing intentional, personal transformation and growth while following through with His charge of making disciples of all nations, teaching them to observe His commands (Matthew 28:19-20).

I realize this call is not a simple mandate. The demand to go against the grain of our society to become the new humanity Jesus yearns for us to be is costly. But we are to press in even as He tarries. We must prepare for His arrival and not give in to negligence as the foolish virgins did.

As a full-time ministry worker, I have a front-row seat to witness how God moves through our people. I am thrilled whenever I hear stories of how the Holy Spirit empowers someone to show up and bless another or how He enables one to speak about Jesus in their context. A sister in Christ, the other day, shared with me how a co-worker unexpectedly asked her about Jesus. It was an opening that my husband, the Pastor, or I would have never had with this person but only with her. When we walk with the Holy Spirit, in His power, intentional in our discipleship to Jesus, we reach the people in our context. Sometimes, we impact the most improbable ones in the most incredible situations. This image is the sort of Kingdom movement that God had in mind when He called us to be different.

I challenge you: If you claim to follow Jesus, heed this parable. Heed this warning. All ten virgins had an invitation to meet the bridegroom. They each had a lamp. Each was drowsy and slept when the bridegroom did not arrive on time. Each trimmed her lamp when the arrival of the bridegroom awakened them. In all appearances, each looked the same. But a crisis arose that separated them from each other. The lamps of the foolish virgins were going out; they did not have oil to refill it. This watershed moment revealed the reality: They were unprepared, but the wise virgins were. Owing to this, they missed the bridegroom’s arrival. It shut them out of the marriage feast.

I pray that the bridegroom does not find us unprepared to meet him and be shut out of the marriage feast. Ultimately, we cannot borrow or rely on someone else’s readiness. As a teacher, I could not give or lend my preparedness to another teacher even if I wanted to. It is simply not possible.