Matthew 25:1 “The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. 3 The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil, 4 whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep. 6 It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!’ 7 The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting. 8 The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11 Later, the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they cried, ‘Let us in!’ 12 But he answered, ‘Indeed! I tell you, I don’t know you!’ 13 So stay alert, because you know neither the day nor the hour.”
You would likely assume the Bible has a near infinite number of oil applications but there are only a few:
Here, we want to focus on the last one.
But he answered, ‘Indeed! I tell you, I don’t know you!’
The bridesmaids that had no oil were equated with those He does not know. What could this possibly mean? How can a lamp burning out indicate we are not known?
“Oh man, I forgot to stop at Costco to grab that big vat of oil. Now He says he doesn't even know me? I was trying to be a good steward and buy at a discount. Have you seen the prices here in town?! He should be giving me a medal instead of throwing me out of the party.”
To make this even more uncomfortable, look closely at what was mentioned: they were part of the group that went out to meet the groom. They obviously knew He was coming and they also were part of the wedding entourage. These weren’t random people off the street.
Knowing He was coming, why on earth would they have no oil? Did they squander all of their resources so they had no money to make the purchase? Or were they just too busy to run to the market and buy it? Or worse still, did they just not care? Maybe they were simply lazy.
Whatever the reason, this wedding must not have been considered important to these young ladies. Sure they were excited, but not excited enough, apparently.
The lamps they had. But lamps without oil -- these have no use at all.
Abba’s House is illuminated by lamps filled with oil provided by the people:
Exodus 27:20 “You are to order the people of Isra’el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually.”
Continual burning. Which means a continual supply of oil.
Oil for a lamp is what’s called a consumable. It does not last forever. It burns and converts itself into light (and a little smoke). Fully consumed. Fully converted.
Shouldn’t this be you?
Consider the olive.
You come forth as a beautiful flower that gets pollinated and fertilized. You then grow and develop in the safety of the branches, absorbing the sun in its time and rain in its time, partially shaded by the leaves and ripening as cool weather makes its way in.
Ready for the picking, you are taken out of the safety of the tree. You are now away from the tree but also with others that were harvested at the same time. This isn’t a bad thing, it’s good. Necessary even. Left there on the branch, you would rot and die. Or perhaps you’d fall to the ground and the birds would eat you. No, you want to eventually leave the tree.
Instead of rotting or being eaten, you are put in the press so the oil can be extracted. A process that could be interpreted as painful and destructive, but there is a greater purpose involved. So you endure.
After this lengthy journey, the oil is now prepared for the lamp, for the burning. It lies in wait, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to be converted to light. Fully consumed. Fully converted.
Does this not describe the full journey of the believer?
Read back through and see where you are in the overall process. If you can’t be found, get concerned. Then get some perspective. You must produce light.
Proverbs 13:9 The light of the righteous [shines] joyfully, but the lamp of the wicked will be extinguished.
Matthew 6:19 “Do not store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where moths and rust destroy, and burglars break in and steal. 20 Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and burglars do not break in or steal. 21 For where your wealth is, there your heart will be also. 22 ‘The eye is the lamp of the body.’ So if you have a ‘good eye’ [that is, if you are generous] your whole body will be full of light; 23 but if you have an ‘evil eye’ [if you are stingy] your whole body will be full of darkness. If, then, the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
Generosity is the oil. Caring for others above yourself, this is what causes that light to shine. This is what was needed in those lamps. And those young ladies had none of it.
This is why the Bridegroom said He didn’t know them.
It wasn’t that these bridesmaids were necessarily evil, they were just selfish. So all of those possibilities mentioned above: squandering resources, too busy, didn’t care, lazy -- all selfishness. Keeping what’s yours for you. Your money, your time, your concern, your motivation. All yours. Just be sure to enjoy it while you can because a time is coming where that internal darkness will be converted into actual darkness where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.
Stinginess produces absolutely zero fruit. No blossoms, no beauty, no harvest, no oil -- which means no light.
They did have the eye, the lamp, for the Bridegroom. But they were empty inside. Stinginess had stolen their life from them. The irony of it all. Hoarding everything so you can enjoy your life, only to have that very life violently ripped away.
How can anyone possibly justify in any way whatsoever that this is somehow acceptable? Seriously.
How deceived must you be to think your life is worth more than your life?
Remember how Abba’s House is illuminated by lamps filled with oil provided by the people? That oil, the oil that is collected from the people -- that is the generosity of the saints.
Exodus 27:20 “You are to order the people of Isra’el to bring you pure oil of pounded olives for the light, and to keep a lamp burning continually.”
A beautiful, beautiful glow that illuminates every corner of His House. It comes from you. Or it doesn’t.
Where are you in all of this? Do you have oil in reserve?
I’ll wait while you go check.