The Wise and Foolish Virgins

1910

Lesson — Matthew 25:1-13

This is one of the most beautiful and touching of the parables. Poetry, painting and the drama have combined to give it an exceptional hold on the Christian imagination. The weird pathos of the story is unspeakable. The occasion is so happy, the agents so interesting, the issue so tragic. The story is a picture of an oriental wedding. Among those friends of the bride who waited to join the procession were ten virgins. While they were waiting, the time of the procession being ever unknown, they became drowsy and slept in peace, knowing that the shouts and cries of the coming crowd would awaken them in time. They had no anxiety; the wise, because they had faith and were prepared; the foolish, by false security and by ignoring the future.

The ten virgins had to wait till about midnight, when through the still air came shrill and clear those peculiar shrill, quavering cries of joy, called Zugaret, which are heard throughout the east on occasions of special rejoicing. (See Rev. 19:6-9.) And they heard the cry: Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

The wise virgins trimmed and replenished their lamps with the oil which they had the forethought to bring with them.

The foolish found their lamps burned out, but they had been too careless to bring extra oil with them. They begged oil of the wise, but they had none left; and advised the foolish to go to the source of supply where they should have gone earlier. While they were gone, the procession reached its destination; those who were ready went in to the marriage festival. And the door was shut. Like Esau the foolish virgins came too late for the blessing. They had thrown away their opportunity.

The Lord was soon to depart by the way of the cross. But he promised to return. He came back in the resurrection. He came in the coming of the Spirit of the day of Pentecost. He came at the destruction of Jerusalem. He is coming in glory at the last day, when his kingdom shall come and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The same principles apply to all, whatever may be our understanding of the promise.

Every crisis of our lives, every opening of opportunity, every crisis of the world or the church may be called in its degree a coming of the Lord whose providence is over all. (1) The coming is something of the greatest value and blessing. It is like the wedding festival, full of the best of life. Even in the subordinate comings and crises of our lives, there is always a door, an invitation, to something better than we have had. Even death is a gate to heaven (2) The time of the coming is always unknown, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

In What Way Are We to Watch? The company of watchers was divided into two classes, the wise and the foolish. The equality of numbers has no bearing on the proportion of persona in real life who are wise or foolish.

The lamps signify the outward profession, and the possibilities. All had some light, they had religious feelings, they were moved by the influences of the Holy Spirit.

The oil is the spiritual life, the heart, which is the source of the flame, the visible manifestations of the Christian spirit. But this significance was shown only by the burning lamp.

Those who took vessels of oil, a permanent supply, were those who had the living reality of that which they professed, who put into practice, into character, that which shone forth from their lamps.

Those who took no supply of oil had a surface feeling, like the seed sown on rocky soil, which sprang up quickly and endured till persecution or trouble arose (Matt. 15:5, 6, 20, 21). They had no deep religious feelings, nothing wrought into their character, no abiding principles which led them to live up to their professions and hopes.

Watchfulness consists in being prepared for every emergency, and every duty, as the wise virgins watched by having their lamps continually burning, and a full supply of oil to keep them burning.

Reader Harris, leader of the Pentecostal league, and an eminent lawyer, got his first lift in life significantly. Employed in a drawing office of the Great Western Railway company's engineering shops, he found young men were occasionally sent down the line on responsible commissions. Receiving instructions in the morning, they spent the day preparing to start. Shocked at the waste of time, he filled a bag with traveling conveniences, and took it to the office, to be ready to start at short notice. His companions ridiculed the idea. But one day the chief engineer came in and asked about the bag. The owner said: "I determined, if I had a chance to go, to be ready." "You did? You see that train?" "Yes." "Jump in; I'll telegraph instructions." From that time Mr. Harris made rapid progress. They who wait for Christ in readiness shall not wait in vain.

And the Door Was Shut. — The opportunity came, and the gift in its hand was gained or lost. There came a time when it was too late to change. This is a fact of nature, as well as truth of the Word. There is a tendency to fix the character, so that one will not change. In the misuse of the body there comes a time when it is impossible to ward off disease. We shut the door against ourselves. No one but ourselves is to blame for our not entering. We shut the door by negligence to be prepared to enter.