THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS

What is the meaning of Jesus’ parable of the “ten virgins” in Matthew 25:1-13. Take the time to read this short story in your Bible if you never have.

The groom is Christ, obviously. The story is a parable about his return to get his people. Throughout the Bible, Jesus is pictured as the husband of believers in a spiritual sense. (Hosea 2:19; Ephesians 5:25–32). Those who are truly saved will be waiting for him, looking for his appearing (Titus 2:11-14).

So the five virgins who have the extra oil represent the saved. These are the ones who are ready to meet him. And why are we ready? There is only one reason: we have more than enough grace to be saved. He saves us completely and to the fullest—those who come to God through him (Heb. 7:25). No matter how long it takes, we wait for him with eager anticipation because we love him.

That means that the five virgins described as foolish are lost, and in this context they primarily have reference to those who think they are saved because of their religious association. Everything Christ teaches in this section of Matthew was aimed at the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees, who trusted in themselves and their system.

The application today would be to those in man-made religion who think they will be saved because they are “right” or belong to the right group or are “better” than others. They have to be religious because they’re close enough to the saved to say “give us some of your oil” (verse 8). Notice what Jesus says about “Lord, lord” and “I do not know you” in verses 11 and 12 and compare it to what he said about false believers in Matthew 7:21-23.

Those who are found “going away to buy oil” (v. 10) when the groom comes will not be ready and therefore will be lost. This points to the fact that now is the only time we have. The present. The eternal salvation of your soul is the most important thing there is. Don’t put it off (2 Cor. 6:2). Turn to Jesus now.

So this is a parable about being ready for Jesus to return and trusting in him alone.

Dewayne Dunaway