Matthew 25:4 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Matthew 25:4

Comments

Five of them were wise. Wisdom for the virgins meant being prepared for the task which they had been given to do. The five virgins are described in this way for the sake of the parable. Actually, nobody is wise from the perspective of heaven. None of us has sense to turn to God. None of us would ever have sought him if God had not first come to us and drawn us to himself. The wise virgins represent those who have sought the Lord, believed he has suffered and died for sinners, repented of their sins, and trusted in him for salvation. They have been converted and live to honour Christ. The world is divided into two categories by the parable. None of us deserve to be called wise. You can imagine that one had said to herself, ‘If I do not prepare, he will come and I will not be ready. What a tragedy! How shameful!’ Perhaps another thought, ‘This is a great privilege. The opportunity to do this will soon be past and gone. It would be foolishness, a mark of disrespect to be so caught out.’ She made sure she was prepared. Another said, ‘I must take the oil, I have the privilege of being invited to the marriage of my friend. I’ve been asked to perform this function, not just to look pretty. I must not let him down. I would be useless if my lamp didn’t work.’ Another said, ‘I need lamp to light my way. It may be dark by the time he comes. If I don’t take oil, I will not be able to see.’ Such fears were at the bottom of their wisdom.

Application

We too need that deep concern. How can I fulfil the purpose of life? I do nothing for him, I don’t live for him. What good am I? I will miss out on the opportunity to serve my heavenly King in this world. have no contribution to make. The opportunity to do this will soon be past and gone. If I leave it too late, I will be shut out of heaven, and maybe even before death I will be judicially hardened. Persistent rejection of God can lead to hardening.

Are we ready for him? What will happen if I am caught out and I have spurned him all my life? Why am I here, alive? Why has God breathed life into me? Just to live for sensations, for earthly pleasures? Time isn’t everything; it is only a very small fraction of eternity. How can I know how to behave in life if I don’t get it from the book of God? I do not want to descend into old age with no heavenly friend. The chief end of man is to glorify God for ever. ‘So whene’er in death I slumber, let me rise with the wise, counted in that number’ (John Cennick).

It was not important to the wise virgins to know exactly when the bridegroom would return, for they were ready. So too the true believer knows that his Lord will return at the time appointed by God and that that time will be perfect. Before that time comes, iniquity may abound and the love of many may grow cold but his God will keep his children through all these troubles and he trusts all things into the hands of God.

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Matthew 25:4 Commentary and Bible Study