This verse in Matthew 25:1-13 has always bothered me.

“…The Kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Now five were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps…”

As I read this parable, I notice three things that trouble me…

All ten were virgins–All ten had lamps–all  ten slumbered and slept.

It seems that appearances can… and will be deceiving to the church and to the world in these last days. There is nothing visible to distinguish between the five who are wise, and the five who are foolish.

But from God’s perspective, it is all about the presence of the oil!

Strong’s Concordance #1636-1637 tells us that this oil is the “fruit” of the olive.

There are two kinds of olive references in Scripture, wild olives, (or natural) and cultivated, (or spiritual.) This leads me to believe that this parable is all about the “fruit of the Spirit!”

Let’s look at this again…

All ten were virgins, or set apart to wed the Bridegroom.

All ten had shiny lamps to trim, or gifts and abilities that they used within their churches and communities. They were outwardly beautiful and capable of lighting the way…

And they all grew weary and tired of waiting. And they all fell asleep.

It is in this time of waiting where it seems that the wise are separated from the foolish. Five are wasting time…and five are somehow purchasing oil.

How are they purchasing the oil? How are they collecting this hidden essence that turns faith into substance?

I believe purchasing oil, is another way of saying being “fruitful” How can we translate that into understanding for our own lives?

Before we respond to that question, we need to define what the “fruit of the Spirit” is:

(Galatians 5:22) : Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, Self-Control.

The challenge of this Truth is:

It is in the time of in-between (the promise of our redemption and the fulfillment of our salvation) where we  are given opportunity to cultivate authentic fruitfulness in Christ. It is how we spend our time each day as we wait on the return of our Lord.

It is in our daily relationships and casual encounters where we choose to “buy” oil… or refuse the purchase price.

Yes…It squeezes us.

And Yes…It hurts.

But this is not a hard truth…this is a heart issue.

The price we must pay to buy the oil of genuine fruitfulness, is:

Obedience to God’s Word…

Self-sacrifice to our personal preference and pleasure…

And trust in God’s purpose and plan for our lives…

When Christ returns…

Will He find faith in the earth? Will He find genuine love, or patience or peace among His Beloved? What fruit will he find burning in the vessels He has given us to shine forth for Him?

Or will we be caught unaware in a moment we are not expecting…

Holding empty vessels…and Shiny lamps.

Lest we forget that on the Day that the Bridegroom appears…it is too late to buy oil.

Today, let us be like wise virgins…

Living, and loving well…and not just looking good!

Forgiving those who have trespassed us.

Feeding the hungry and tending to the poor.
Peacemakers and friends to the lowly of heart and the tender among us.

Let us spend everything we have …to gain an oil that will burn for eternity!

Amen!