The Cost of Delay: Lessons from the Five Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25)
- 3 days ago
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Understanding the Oil and the Shut Door
We continue exploring Jesus' teachings on the Last Days and His Second Coming. He told a parable about ten virgins (similar to bridesmaids today) waiting to light the path for the Bridegroom, representing Jesus in His return. All ten were asleep when He arrived, but five had brought extra oil, while the foolish five had prepared nothing. They were shocked to find the Bridegroom coming in the middle of the night. Here is the second part of the parable:
7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9“‘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.’ 10“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. 11“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ 12“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:1-13).
The Danger of "Someday": A Personal Lesson from the Sea
I started working full-time with my father on his commercial fishing boat at age 17, but it was dangerous because I hadn't learned to swim as a child. One day, while working with him, I fell overboard and nearly drowned. My mistake was postponing swimming lessons and not realizing I would need to swim. Fishermen usually don't prepare for falling into the water. This foolish oversight is similar to the mistake of the five unwise virgins—they always planned to get their lives in order and gather more oil but never took steps to prepare for the possibility that their lamps would need to stay lit, perhaps thinking the bridegroom would arrive during the daytime. The core message of the parable is to encourage action before Christ's return—don't delay getting ready for the Bridegroom. In warning about the spiritual sleep of the last days, He said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” (Matthew 25:13).
Hell is filled with people who had good intentions. They may have heard of Christ and even aimed to get their lives right with Him, but then came a moment when they needed to know Him, and it was too late. On that day, many will approach the door only to find it shut, and the Master at the door will tell them that He doesn't know them. I can’t imagine their expressions when they see the door closed in front of them. You must decide what to do with the claims of Christ before that day arrives. Many plan to surrender their lives to Christ but delay the heart-change process. I fear they will be excluded from eternal joy.
Is There a Second Chance After the Door Closes?
Another mistake they made was believing they could arrive later and find the door still open. When the foolish virgins finally showed up, they were stunned to see there was no entrance left for them. Some Bible teachers say there will be a second chance after the Church is removed—do not believe it! Do not think there will be another opportunity to enter after Jesus comes for His Church in the rapture—the door will be closed (v. 10). This parable shows that there will be no interval between the bridegroom's arrival and the door being shut.
Why You Can’t Borrow Someone Else’s Faith
Reflect on the pain of those who delay aligning their lives with God. One might say, "Why didn’t the wise share their oil? That's not very Christian of them!" Yet, a relationship with God is not based on your conditions; God invites you to accept forgiveness on His terms through Christ's substitutionary death. William Barclay noted, "A man cannot borrow a relationship with God. He must possess it himself. A man cannot borrow a character; he must be clothed with it. The time to ensure you are prepared is now.”
The "Oil Inventory" Check:
Ask yourself: "If Christ returned at midnight tonight, would I be scrambling to get ready, or am I already at peace?" Application isn't just about avoiding hell; it’s about the current state of your "lamp." Are you fueled by daily prayer and the Scriptures, or are you running on the fumes of last year’s faith? Can I encourage you to spend 10 minutes tonight in silence, asking God to show you any areas where you are "stalling." Also, identify that one thing you've been "meaning to do" for God and do it within the next 24 hours. Don't wait for the storm to learn how to swim. Keith Thomas
If you are not ready for that day, click the following link: How Do I Become a Christian?
Continue Your Journey…
To keep up with our daily meditations on the Second Coming of Christ, consider bookmarking the link below for all our 3-minute Bible meditations in English:
The in-depth study on the parable is here: Parable of the Ten Virgins.
YouTube video teachings at: https://www.youtube.com/@keiththomas7/videos
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