While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
The topic is the kingdom of heaven. The subject is watching for its coming. The contrast is between wisdom and foolishness. The illustration is ten virgins awaiting the bridegroom. The wise took oil for their lamps. The foolish did not. The wise have prepared themselves for the eventuality of it being a longer wait. The foolish expect the wait to be short and have therefore not prepared for an extended wait.
They all— all ten— slumbered and slept.
Taking rest is not the equivalent of losing hope or failing the watch. Rest is essential, especially in an extended wait. Rest is one of the blessings of faith. We rest in the confidence of Christ. We are confident he will keep that which we have committed to Him until that day.
But there is such a thing as foolish confidence.
· The one who is confident there is no God is foolish.
· The one who is confident Jesus is not coming is foolish.
· The one who is confident in his religion is foolish.
Were the five wise virgins ungracious because they would not share? Not at all. Our relationship with Christ is personal. I can encourage others to have that relationship, but they can’t rest in mine.
The wise of this world meet Christ and grow in grace right now, while there is time.
The foolish rest in whatever is their self-confidence until it is too late.
#KingdomWatch #WisdomVsFoolishness #OilForLamps #ExtendedWait #PersonalFaithRests
Oil for the Journey: The Wise Virgins, Foolish Confidence, and the Coming Kingdom
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