Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Joseph Smith Translations: v. 1 "And then, at that day, before the Son of man comes, the kingdom of heaven..."
v.12 "But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, Ye know me not."
Classification: The Second Coming
Narrative: A few days before the feast of the Passover, a few days before His crucifixion, Jesus went and sat on the Mount of Olives. Here it was that His disciples came to Him wanting to know more about the second coming and when it would be. It was here that He told them the parable of the fig tree, the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents and the parable of the sheep and goats.
Interpretation: The bridegroom is the Savior and the event that they are all waiting for is His second coming. The virgins are all those (male and female) who have covenanted to be there, ready and waiting, when He comes. But only half of them will be ready when He does finally come.
Application: The virgins in the story were all together. They were all able to choose freely and equally how they were going to spend their time waiting. They all had the same opportunity to provide themselves with oil. None of them could say they didn't know, or weren't shown the way. They all had the same knowledge, the same amount of money to buy the oil. But only five had the forethought to prepare a little more.
What is our oil? Our testimonies, the amount of time we put into service of our fellow men, the time we spend developing talents and sharing them. The time we spend doing genealogy, doing the things that would please our Heavenly Father.
Spencer W. Kimball said of this parable, "This was not selfishness or unkindness. The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge; How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity... Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself.. In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Fasting, family prayer.. control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures - each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity - these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps."
I don't want to be part of the half that isn't ready. And I don't want anyone I know to be part of it either. We can do this together by sharing our knowledge, teaching one another what we know, helping each other when we're down, and encouraging each other. But it only works when all are willing to make it work. No one can be forced into it. And at the end of the day the only person I can provide oil for is myself.
"Preparation for the Second Coming" by Dallin H. Oaks
 |
| Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, 1616, Hieronymus Francken the younger |
No comments:
Post a Comment