Matthew 25:12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
I don’t know why five of the ten virgins in Jesus’ parable ran out of oil. Evidently, they thought they had enough to get by. But their miscalculation caused them to lose everything. Kind of like getting to the end of life and realizing we’ve put all our eggs in the wrong basket. Not a scenario any of us want.
Bible commentators discuss how the parable warns us to be ready as we wait for Christ’s return. It cautions us not to take the day or time for granted. He could return any hour, any moment. So we best have our wicks trimmed and our oil supply full.
In addressing the five who ran out of oil, the Lord says they can’t come to the wedding feast because he doesn’t know them. Had they known him, their lamps would have been full and flowing with oil. But for some reason, they stopped doing what they needed to do to keep their relationship alive.
My husband recently met a man from Seattle. They got into a conversation and Chip told him about an old army buddy who lived there. “I knew him once, but we haven’t communicated in years. I don’t even know if he’s still living. So I really don’t know him anymore.”
I think that’s similar to what happened to the five virgins.
As in any relationship, lack of communication creates a gap, whether with husbands and wives, parents and children or friend to friend. Before we realize it, the person we thought we knew has become a stranger. Some of the saddest experiences in my life have occurred when someone close mischaracterizes me. I thought they knew me better than that.
Let’s not let that happen in our relationship with God. If we hope to keep our lamps burning, it’s vital to replenish the oil by cultivating our relationship with him. Oh friend, don’t let busyness or lesser affections or complacency divert you from the most significant call in life. The ten virgins had one assignment—watch for the bridegroom. Half of them blew it. We don’t have to fall to the same fate.
May your knowledge and love for the Lord burn brightly. Fiercely. Eternally.