Preparing Spiritually

Introduction

Last Sunday morning, we discussed Amos 4:12—“Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel, because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel!" An important New Testament text on preparation to meet the Lord is Matthew 25:1-13. It is known as the parable of the ten virgins. The analogy is a wedding banquet, which is mentioned specifically in 25:10. The story line would have been easy for those in the first century, and even for us today, to follow. The point of the parable is likewise inescapable. Jesus said, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (25:13.)

In any story or analogy, there are things that make up the story that are not important spiritually. Those items are simply a part of the overall story that completes the details, but do not have any particular significance. Here are some examples from this parable.

1) The fact that 5 were wise and 5 were foolish does not mean that approximately 50% of mankind will be prepared to meet the Lord when he comes. There is no special value attached to those numbers.

2) The fact that all 10 are called virgins does not mean that they were all pure and prepared to enter when the bridegroom came. In fact, we know that 5 virgins were not permitted to enter. The word, virgins, just means young unmarried maidens. (The RSV rightly translates the word, maidens, instead of virgins.) The custom was for servants to light the way for the bridegroom as he came home with this bride. They formed part of welcoming committee.

3) Falling asleep is not significant. The bridegroom was a long time in coming. (25:5.) It was natural that they would get sleepy since it was nearing midnight. All ten maidens became sleepy; not just the unwise.

4) Buying oil at the market does not mean that you buy your preparation or salvation. Isaiah said that we could come without price and without money. (Isa. 55:1, see also 1 Peter 1:18-19.)

5) Oil does not represent anything spiritually. Ancient interpreters were accustomed to liken it to compassion. Augustine wrote that it signified something great, like love. “Just as oil always come to the top when mixed with water; so love is greater than all other traits,” he wrote.

Things That Are Significant

#1: The Kingdom of Heaven: (25:1) In typical fashion, Jesus taught in parables to make known what the Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven, were like. Parables put two things side by side, the physical which was known with the spiritual which Jesus wanted to make known. This story about the wedding feast gives a little more insight into God’s Kingdom.

There are two kingdoms—one is physical and evil in nature; the other is spiritual. The kingdom of heaven has its origin from heaven and its destiny in heaven. It has to do with redemption and salvation from sin. Though it is unseen, it is just as real as the physical world. Jesus and John the Baptist came teaching things concerning the kingdom of heaven. “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matt. 3:3, 4:17.)

In the model prayer, Jesus taught his disciples to pray: “Our Father which art in heaven; Hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. . . For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matt. 6:9-13.) Paul wrote, “(Father) Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son. In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.” (Col. 1:13-14.) This shows how important it is to be in the kingdom. This is where redemption is found.

The angel cried with a loud voice in heaven when Jesus defeated the old serpent, the Devil, “Now is come salvation, strength, and the kingdom of God and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death.” (Rev. 12:10-11.)

In the end of time, the kingdom will be delivered up to the Father. “Then comes the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule, authority and power.” (1 Cor. 15:24.)

#2: The Bridegroom is Jesus Christ (25:6) Though the bridegroom is not specifically identified in this parable, it is clear that Jesus is the bridegroom. The bridegroom is the central figure in this parable, even though the emphasis is upon the lack of preparation by the five virgins. New Testament writers identified Jesus as the bridegroom.

“Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that you should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit to God.” (Rom. 7:4.)

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. . . This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” (Eph. 5:25, 32.) In this analogy, the church is the bride.

“And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Rev. 21:2.)

#3: The Shut Door (25:10.) The shut door is an alarming statement. It reminds us of what happened during the Flood when Noah built the ark. When the eight souls were on board, the Lord shut them in.

“And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. They that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him; and the Lord shut him in.” (Gen. 7:16.) In doing so, we shut all others out.

The five foolish virgins wanted to enter the banquet, but they were not allowed. They asked, Lord, open to us. But he answered, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not. (25:12.) If we had a painting of this scene, the shut door would be displayed prominently. If we were seeing this play re-enacted, we would hear the door close loudly. If we were present, we would feel the loneliness and rejection of being shut out.

John wrote to the church at Philadelphia, “These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that opens and no man shuts and he that shuts and no man opens.” (Rev. 3:7.) To the Laodiceans, John wrote, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to hi and will sup with him and he with me.” (Rev. 3:20.) Before we accuse the Lord of being harsh and unforgiving, remember that he once stood outside the door of our hearts and knocked. We shut the door and would not allow Him to enter. We said, We do not want you to be our Redeemer and Savior. We shut Him out first. The shut door is the one that we shut on Him. He did not close it; we did.

#4: The Wise and Foolish Virgins (25:2.) “And five were wise and five were foolish.” This is the great difference in humanity. How do we know that some were wise and some were foolish? By what they did or did not do. We know by the oil. Five prepared and had plenty of oil in their lamps. Five were not prepared. Those unprepared are styled by Jesus as being foolish.

The Bible has much to say about the subject of wisdom and foolish. These designations have nothing to do with one’s intellectual capacity, but rather it has to do with one’s moral judgements. In the face of overwhelming evidence, some say that God does not exist. (Psalm 14:1, 53:1.) The Bibles says that such are foolish to say that God does not exist. One major part of the Bible is called “wisdom literature.” Some of the major books of the Bible so called are Job, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs and some of the Psalms. Of course, much of the teachings of the New Testament promote the wisdom of God over the wisdom of men.

Jesus said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matt. 7:24-27.)

“Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descends not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.” (James 3:13-18.)

The most foolish decision a person can make in life is to deny his Creator and live contrary to God’s will. It matters not how brilliant a person may be in any academic field of study. Biblical wisdom does not have to do with IQ; it has to do with the will of man and the heart of man.

#5: Give Us Some of Your Oil (25:8.) This is an important part of the story that Jesus told. The five wise maidens were not selfish because they did not share their oil. In this analogy, they could not share their oil. The lesson is this: No one else can prepare for you! This is entirely a personal matter. In the end, redemption and salvation is based upon your choice and decision alone.

Someone well wrote that God is our often called our Father in Scripture, but He is nowhere described as our Grandfather. It is interesting that God does not have “grandchildren.” That is, one is not a Christian through their parents. Each person must respond to God personally, individually and directly. Each one is born of the Spirit of God. You may be taught and encouraged by others, including your parents. But you cannot be born again by your parents. Nicodemus had it right when he asked, How can a man enter into his mother’s womb a second time and be born? (John 3:4.) Neither can a sinner be born of his parents in a spiritual sense. No one else can give you some of their oil (preparation).

#6: Long Time in Coming (25:5.) Some scholars have argued that the New Testament reflects the view that the Lord would come shortly after He ascended. But there is really no indication of that. In fact, there are many texts that argue just the opposite. This is one of them. The bridegroom was ”long time in coming.” It has already been two thousand years.

The apostle Peter added: “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9.)

The bridegroom came at midnight. (25:6.) This indicates a time when most would not expect his coming. He did not come during the brightness of the sunlight hours. There is no indication that the Lord is trying to trick people so that he can catch them unprepared. But the point seems to just the opposite. Man should not think that he can deceive the Lord. He knows the condition of our hearts. If we knew that the Lord was not coming back during our lifetimes and we knew the hour of our death. Knowing human nature, we would think foolishly, I know what I will do. I will wait until just before I die to obey the Gospel. Such is a legalistic view of salvation and it reveals a heart that is self-deceived and empty of the love of the God. God is not trying to trick us; He is trying to teach us a lesson. Why do we serve God? Is it genuine? Is it something that we want to do from the heart? Do we want to serve him throughout all of our lives?

This is evident in the statement of the bridegroom to the five foolish maidens. He said, “I know you not.” That is, I do not know you in a redemptive sense. Your heart is not right with God.

Conclusion

The central message is unmistakable. It is found in the last verse. (25:13.) “Watch therefore, for you know not the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.” A wise person prepares for important events in life. Foolish people do not. This is the most important of all the events of life. Watch and pray.