Jesus gets straight to the point as he tells the parable of the ten virgins waiting on the Bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. The wise virgins had flasks of oil for their lamps. Have you ever considered, though, what all ten ladies had in common?
All ten ladies were virgins.
All ten ladies were waiting on the Bridegroom.
All ten ladies had lamps.
All ten ladies fell asleep.
All ten ladies heard the cry.
All ten ladies got up and trimmed their lamps.
But
Five had flasks of oil with them.
Five had no oil with them.
Matthew 25: 1 – 13
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
As I recently read this parable, I was struck by the one difference in the list of commonalities between these ten ladies. Oil. Of all the things, oil. It wasn’t enough to be a virgin. It wasn’t enough to be waiting. It wasn’t enough to have lamps. It wasn’t enough to hear the cry of the Bridegroom. It came down to having oil for their lamps. Not only did these five wise maidens have oil for their lamps, they did not give it away. Even further, they instructed the other five maidens to go buy their own oil.
My initial thought I after reading this parable was Oh, wow, wisdom trumps compassion. I believe that thought was true, but, also, incomplete. I don’t think it’s about wisdom being better than compassion. Perhaps it’s about having wisdom in our compassion and compassion in our wisdom. They make a pretty handsome couple. Immature compassion would say I’ll share my oil with you. Or, My lamp creates enough light for all of us. But Jesus is saying something very different in the parable.
Wisdom can draw some seemingly harsh boundaries at times. In a Gospel that’s all about love, the five wise maidens didn’t appear compassionate as they drew a boundary line with the other maidens. But may I suggest one thing? The most compassionate thing we can do is tell others that they have to buy their own oil in the Kingdom of God. Is it not both compassion and wisdom to tell others our light will not be enough to get them to the marriage feast of the Lamb? Is it not both compassion and wisdom to tell others our oil will not make them children of God? It’s immature to think our love will cover someone and that our light will get them into the Kingdom of God. Our love and our light will point the way for others, and hopefully cause them to see Jesus. Then, they have to buy their own oil.
The systems of the world are loud, aggressive, demanding, and intimidating. There is a lot of momentum in the world right now. It is calling on the Church, the Body of Christ, to have compassion. It’s even using, albeit in a in a twisted way, the word of God to support their demand. The Church is being faced with the choice to give in and show immature, lifeless compassion, or to draw a boundary line with wisdom that inevitably extends transforming compassion to others.
I wish I had a “Here are Five Ways to be Wise and Compassionate” conclusion. I don’t. I don’t think it’s that nice and neat. I think it’s going to be really messy to draw wise boundaries. And I wholeheartedly believe the only way to gain wisdom teamed with compassion—to have oil for our lamps—is to commune with the Lord day and night. It’s a lifestyle of asking, listening to, receiving from the Lord. It is truly the wisest thing we can do.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Proverbs 1:7
Brave Sparrow 