A Study on Love: Part XLVI

Matthew 25:1-13

"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

"'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.'

"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.

"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'

"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."

-Now, you again might ask, "what does this passage have anything to do with love?" And that would be a good question. Here are five virgins not sharing with the other five virgins. And I am teaching my son to share, which is a good thing. Here's a situation of five women who are prepared. They have kept themselves pure, they have done everything... except prepare. They didn't have enough oil. It wasn't like they didn't know this was going to happen, because they did know. And if I am one of those ladies, and I have enough oil, do I share it with someone who doesn't? This is a metaphor. The oil is like my salvation. Am I prepared? Do I have enough to get me to the end? Am I willing to take a chance of loosing my salvation to help someone else? That's a legitimate question. It is good to be outward focused. And it is not like the five virgins with oil didn't offer a solution, because they did. Sometimes loving someone is doing the harder thing, which is allowing someone to do the work themselves. I am not saying that we shouldn't be outward focused. I am saying that sometimes the better thing to do in a situation with someone is to take a step back, and let that person see the situation they have put themself in. And doing the harder thing, letting someone see their foolishness, is an expression of love. It is the expression most forgotten and it is the expression most appreciated.