No Oil? No Light

Months ago, I wrote an article entitled One Word: Period! I had noticed some devotional writers and radio personalities were encouraging people to make a single word (presumably from God) their focus of 2024. I would urge folks to use caution when trying to distill a message from God into a single word for an entire year, or at least that's what I said in the article. I mentioned finding several brand-new lighters as I was out walking and hearing some words about light all within a couple weeks of each other. Light must be my word, right? Not since that time has light even come to mind; there have been no more lighters, no holy whispers, nothing. In fact, the only thing remotely related to light was catching the eclipse and the sunlight waking me at 6:00 every morning, even when I've hoped to sleep late. That is, until this past week. Over and over The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) came up --in articles and books I was reading, in conversation. Tell me what sort of conversations you have to be having to casually mention The Parable of the Ten Virgins. Anyhoo, I relented and spent a couple days studying the parable. Take a few minutes to read it carefully using the above link, and then continue for some of my takeaways:

First, the very first verse of Matthew 25 says, "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to..." When? At Jesus Second Coming. If we look back to Matthew 24, that's what Jesus is talking about: what things will be like when He comes back again. So often we focus on the ten virgins, or maidens. When we start talking wise vs. foolish, we want to put ourselves in one category of another --obvious which we'd prefer --but we move the focus from what the kingdom of God will be like when Jesus returns to What am I like? or What should I be like?

Second, each one of these young ladies had a lamp and the responsibility to let their light shine. Each one, however, did not have oil; some had nothing but empty lamps. When I was raising our oldest children, I wanted to do everything right --more than that, I wanted everything to be right. When things went wrong I denied or blamed; I tried so hard to be everything to everyone, to create the illusion that our lives, my children, I --we were all just perfect. Eventually, the wheels fell off. I was exhausted, I had exhausted my children, and without Jesus, nothing had any real substance. My lamp was empty. When Jesus comes back to earth, some will be found burning brightly with the Light of the World in their hearts; others will be dry.

Third, these five foolish virgins were unable to borrow oil from the wise virgins.  But, of course, this isn't about oil. Mom can't "pray enough for both of us." I might come from a long line of preachers, but there is no "Jesus gene;" Pappy's spirituality can't serve in place of my own relationship with Jesus. Come Judgment Day, we will be judged based on the fuel with which we filled our lamps --good works, a godly pedigree, intelligence, or Jesus. Those who do not have their own relationship with Jesus, eternal fuel for the fire in their hearts, will be excluded from the Wedding of the Lamb. No excuses. 

Fourth, the bridegroom tarried. But he's not the only one. The five foolish virgins dashed out at the last minute to get oil. Why did they not have it to begin with? Distraction? Procrastination? Oversight? Maybe they were unsure of the quality of the oil the last time they saw it on the store shelf. Or maybe the price was too high; they figured they'd wait for a sale. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (emphasis mine). Jesus' return will be sudden and, for some of us, our deaths will be just as sudden. No time to talk to a pastor, look up that verse that the street preacher was quoting, or even make a quick confession. In the twinkling of an eye. To wait is not an option and no other "oil" but Jesus will do.

Light. Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." Only Jesus in you is light for a dark world. Will He find you burning brightly at His return?