"If The Oil Runs Out"

If The Oil Runs Out

In my younger, more foolish days, there was a game that I liked to play that my children didn’t like very much. We’d be driving down the highway, when I’d notice that the fuel gage was getting close to empty. My children’s preference at this point, was for me to stop at the nearest gas station, while I preferred to get the best deal that I could.

I remember a time we were headed back home from a basketball tournament in Ohio. I knew that the best place to get gas was at Cincinnati, OH; however, I was still about a half hour away from there when the fuel light blinked on. There were many fuel exits that I passed by though that little yellow light burned the warning that I needed gas. Sierra was getting antsy as the miles passed, while I joked, “Let’s see how long we can go on empty.” She didn’t think I was funny.

Soon, we came to our exit. I pulled onto the off-ramp; however, the ramp went uphill, causing the little gas I had to slash to the back of my tank. The car sputtered and died. Now, I was concerned as I put my car in neutral and tried to restart the car while praying to myself. 

Miraculously, the car started, but then I had to wait at the red light. The light turned green, and I started toward the closest station. However, we had another problem. I had to sit in the left turn lane waiting for traffic to pass, and still that light mocked me for my foolishness. Finally, I was able to pull into the station, and just as I pulled up to the pump, the car sputtered and died. I had made it, but that was too close!

Most everyone makes some foolish decisions in life, but some are worse than others.

A foolish man tells a woman to stop talking, but a wise man tells her that her mouth is extremely beautiful when her lips are closed. 

In our text, we find five virgins who foolishly tried to do the same thing that I did, but, unfortunately, they didn’t make it. They ran out of oil, they were not ready when the bridegroom came, and they missed out on everything; the door was shut, and they were in darkness. By the way, that’s the point of the story. I’m giving you the ending even before we work through the passage: Get ready, and stay ready. Let’s read the parable together. 

Matthew 25:1-13 NASB

Now, we have to understand just a little bit of Palestinian culture to understand this. Weddings were and are certainly big deals. And when a couple got married, the party could last for several days. Many people were invited, and there was much food and drink to be had by all. A wedding celebration was certainly a party you did not want to miss.

The wedding procession would begin at the bride’s house and work its way through the streets of the city until it got to the groom’s house. And along the way, it would pick up more and more people, like a snowball rolling downhill. And once the procession arrived at the groom’s house, the doors would be shut, and no more people would be let in. This is the setting for the 10 virgins or 10 bridesmaids. They were simply waiting to go to a big party and rejoice in a wedding feast.

Now, the first thing I want you to notice is who it is that’s waiting. Virgins. Now, this thought may be a little controversial, but I can’t help it. Virginity in the Bible always represents purity. Always. What Jesus is saying is that these 10 were pure people. These 10 represent people who were pure in heart, seeking after God. These were Christians.

1. We have been welcomed (v.1)

All ten of these women were welcomed to the marriage feast. They were all issued invitations. They were to be the bridesmaids. Each one was looking forward to the party. This was going to be some celebration!

But not only were they invited; they had accepted the invitation. They had sent their RSVP’s in. They wanted to be a part of that number. They were looking for the bridegroom. They wanted to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

All of us here have been invited to join the bridegroom at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Over and over throughout the Scriptures, we read that God is calling out to us to come to Him. We are invited to enter into His rest. Jesus called, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” He died with His arms outstretched in welcome.

When I was running my tank on empty, there were many invitations for me to stop and fuel up, but I ignored them wanting a better price. But that wasn’t the fault of these virgins. They had accepted the invitation; they had made themselves ready. They had brought their lamps, worn their best dresses, and were looking for the bridegroom.

1. We must be waiting (v.2-10)

While the virgins were alike in that they responded to the call to meet the bridal party and to go to the bridal feast; they were all dressed in the same bridesmaid gowns, they all carried a lamp, and they all fell asleep waiting for the bridegroom; they were very different in that the wise had brought extra oil, while the foolish virgins’ lamps were flicking out with no oil on hand.

They begged of the wise for some of their oil, but the wise didn’t want to run out as well. “Go to those who sell and buy from them,” they replied, but it was midnight, and it was too late. The shops were closed, the merchants were home in bed, and the foolish went out in vain hoping that they might somehow get oil for their dying lamps.

How could these women be so foolish? Why didn’t they think to bring some extra oil like the wise did? Jesus did not tell us why these virgins failed to have enough oil, but the most likely answer is that they didn’t think that it is necessary.

Throughout the Bible, we find that the Holy Spirit is represented by oil. While these virgins were pure and had a measure of oil, they didn’t have enough when the bridegroom tarried.