Love: Oil for our lamps

If you’ve read Jesus’ parable about the 10 virgins (Mt 25:1-13) you’ll find that all 10 slept.  Though sleeping can be seen as not participating in the work of the Lord, Jesus tells us that 5 of the virgins are wise.  Sleeping has a different meaning in this parable. There is a time to work, and a time to rest, or sleep. 

“As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” (Jn 9:4)

All 10 virgins were sent to welcome the Bridegroom, but there was a period of waiting, for He came at the last minute, or midnight. Therefore, one of the things we see about this parable is that it’s about time.

Jesus’ parable about the 10 virgins is also about relationship.  The 5 virgins that were ready when the Bridegroom came went in with Him to the marriage. Marriage is the most intimate of relationships to share.  But the 5 virgins who were not ready were sent away.  The Bridegroom said “I know you not.”  He would not share an intimate relationship with people He did not know.

The difference between the 5 virgins who went into the wedding and the 5 who were sent away is wisdom.  Wisdom caused the wise virgins to take oil for the journey, whereas the foolish virgins did not. Because this parable is about time and relationship, I believe the oil is love.  Love helps us to endure waiting.  Love draws our hearts towards God and His children, our brethren. And during our enduring, love helps us to do what is important.

If we love, we wait well.  If we do not love, we wait poorly. Jesus told a similar story in which a Master was delayed. The faithful servant fed his fellow servants their portion in the proper time. But the servant who was wicked said “My master is staying away a long time,” and he beat his fellow servants, and ate and drank with drunkards. (Mt 24:45-49).  The faithful servant endured the wait, loved his brethren and cared for them. The wicked servant did not have the endurance needed to wait.  He did not have love, which endures (1 Cor 13:7).

Many are asked to wait and endure in faith. Love will ready our hearts for an intimate relationship with the Christ.  If we love God, we must also love our brethren.  We cannot say we love Jesus and then fail to love our brothers in Christ (1 Jn 4:20-21). If we have big plans of what we are going to do for Him and neglect or mistreat our brethren we will not be ready for Jesus.

Let us take true love into the night seasons with us.  God wants to invite us in to the most intimate of relationships. If we have loved, then we will endure the journey and be ready for Him.  Amen.