“More Oil”
This drawing is based off of the parable of the ten virgins found in Matthew 25:1-13. In this imagery, it portrays a wedding where the ten virgins represent the church, while the bridegroom represents Jesus. The ten virgins are anxiously awaiting His return and their job was to keep their oil lamps burning in preparation. When speaking of oil in the Bible, this signifies the Holy Spirit. In this parable, this delay of the bridegroom portrays the time between Jesus’s first and second coming. The church is to remain steadfast in our love for the Lord in our time of waiting for Him, seeking him and doing the work the Lord has given us to do. John piper explained the importance of having oil by asking the question of, “Do you have oil in the form of your religion or are you just carrying your lamp around but inside there are no spiritual affections for God, love for the bridegroom, and intense expectancy that it’s going to be better when he comes than anything we’ve ever known?” As the ten virgins were expectantly waiting their bridegroom, we are betrothed to him and our job is to prepare people for the marriage when Jesus comes back for His bride (Piper, 2013). At His return, those that were ready went in with Him to the wedding banquet. Charles Spurgeon describes this joyous occasion when he states, ‘Notice, next, that the entrance of the wise virgins into the marriage feast was not only immediate, it was also intimate. “They that were ready went in with him to the marriage.” I like that expression “with him.” I would go nowhere without him; and if I may go anywhere with him, wherever he shall lead me, it shall be a happy day to me; and so it shall be to all who love his appearing”’ (Spurgeon, 1885). To those that know and love Jesus, this is the most joyous day you could imagine, finally being able to be with the Lord for eternity.
The parable, however, also explains that among the wedding party there were the five foolish who did not take their job of giving light seriously, so their lamps can do no good. Their foolishness was in thinking that the oil needed for their light to keep shining could be borrowed in the last minute. Although it may seem selfish for the wise virgins to not share their oil, if the oil represents their faith and the Holy Spirit, this is not transferable. John Piper stated, “The point of the wise virgins not giving the foolish more oil is to show the impossibility of borrowing faith. The impossibility of borrowing the spirit. The impossibility of borrowing life. The impossibility of borrowing reality. That transaction cannot happen here” (Piper, 2013). The Lord is delayed in his coming because he is patient and desires that none should perish. Although he is a loving God and desires for all to be with Him, there will be a time when the door will close and it will be too late. All ten of the bridal party had all night to get ready, even complaining of the bridegroom’s delay. Only half, however, kept their light burning and were able to attend the wedding banquet. Even though his love for you never waivers, He will not force you to spend eternity with Him. You must take that step to accept Him as your savior and be reconciled to God. Concerning this, Spurgeon states, “A great change has to be wrought in you, far beyond any power of yours to accomplish, ere you can go in with Christ to the marriage. You must, first of all, be renewed in your nature, or you will not be ready. You must be washed from your sins, or you will not be ready. You must be justified in Christ’s righteousness, and you must put on his wedding dress, or else you will not be ready. You must be reconciled to God, you must be made like to God, or you will not be ready. Or, to come to the parable before us, you must have a lamp, and that lamp must be fed with heavenly oil, and it must continue to burn brightly, or else you will not be ready. No child of darkness can go into that place of light. You must be brought out of nature’s darkness into God’s marvellous light, or else you will never be ready to go in with Christ to the marriage, and to be forever with him” (Spurgeon, 1885).
Jesus loves you with an everlasting love. You are never too far gone to come to him. I once thought that I wasn’t worth it and that God can never accept me because of what I’ve done. This could not have been further from the truth. The way that He has redeemed me since I finally said ‘yes’ and fully surrendered my life to Him has been truly miraculous. There is no need to try to get your act together before approaching him, but the Lord says to come as you are. Once you have given your life to Christ, that is when the internal change occurs as you walk through life with Him. Although he desires for all to come to Him, patiently waiting to return, the door will one day close, as it did for the five foolish. For those that do not know Him, I urge you to prayerfully seek Him for yourself and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Jeremiah 29:13 states, “You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.”
References
NASB: New American Standard Bible. Foundation Publications, Publisher for the Lockman Foundation, 2020.
Piper, J. (2013, March 31). Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, Past and Future. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmgmT1owJt0
Spurgeon, C. (1885, May 21). Number 2,500; or, entrance and exclusion. The Spurgeon Center. https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/number-2-500-or-entrance-and-exclusion/#flipbook/
