The Missing Oil

The parable of the ten virgins that Jesus taught in Matthew 25 has always been in the back of my mind ever since it was impressed deeply on me as a child. It was repeatedly emphasized that this story had critically important messages in it for us in particular living near the end of the world. I accepted that analysis and I still do. However, I also have felt impressed that most religious people, including myself, are still missing the real significance of what Jesus is trying to tell us in this parable.

This morning I felt reminded of this story and after a few moments of pondering it a number of insights began to quickly coalesce. I am seeing something that is indeed very significant that I don't think I have seen before, or if I did I was not seeing it with my heart but just intellectually with my head.

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25:1-13 NAS95)

Some very important links and definitions came to mind that are crucial for understanding the deeper message that needs to be understood here. And while I don't particularly disagree with the standard interpretations always put forth on this parable, I believe that most of us have become very complacent with those “canned answers” and are missing some of the most important truths here.

In the story it is clear that the central ingredient that is emphasized is the oil. Without oil the lamps would never burn in the first place and it is the lack of oil that creates consternation on the part of half of the virgins. It is the forethought of having extra oil that makes the dramatic difference between otherwise apparently identical women in the story and makes all the difference in the outcome of their destinies. Therefore, I believe it is the most critical element of the story to understand, not only with our mind but understand how it relates to our heart which is where the real issues are centered.

First of all, the standard explanation given for the meaning of oil is that it is the Holy Spirit. While I will not discount that, I think it may have led us to stop short of digging deeper into its meaning and how it relates to us personally. Whatever this oil is or represents, it does have a great deal to do with spirit, not just God's Holy Spirit as a separate entity. Maybe that's what had bothered me for so many years. Just accepting the standard answer that the oil is the Holy Spirit has somewhat de-personalized the imperative nature of understanding this parable. But I have still sensed an urgency that something is still missing here that is very important, not only to discover, but even more importantly that I need to experience deeply myself.

Simply saying that the oil is the Holy Spirit somehow puts pressure on me to somehow “get” the Holy Spirit so I will be “ready” for the Second Coming. This is the primary construct put on this parable in most of the teaching I have received. But its focus is still primarily intellectual and still leaves something very important missing. I believe it does involve receiving the Holy Spirit into my life. But having that experience has also been a source of great frustration and discouragement for many people as well causing not a few to give up on following God altogether.

So here is some ideas that seem to fit perfectly into this puzzle like missing key ingredients.

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified. (Isaiah 61:1-3 NAS95)

This, if you recall, was the “mission statement” repeated by Jesus when He launched His public ministry quoted in His very first sermon. This prophecy was pointing directly at Him and described what He was all about.

The next text simply reinforces the understanding that the “oil of gladness” was at the center of Jesus' life and relationships.

But of the Son he says, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever, the righteous scepter is the scepter of thy kingdom. Thou hast loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, thy God, has anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy comrades." (Hebrews 1:8-9 RSV)

When I recalled the following verse in connection with the previous ones, it became even more clear why this oil is so necessary.

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10 NIV)

The oil of gladness is also translated the oil of joy. Putting these texts next to each other we see the oil of gladness and the joy of the Lord are the same thing.

He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, And vegetation for the labor of man, So that he may bring forth food from the earth, And wine which makes man's heart glad, So that he may make his face glisten with oil, And food which sustains man's heart. (Psalms 104:14-15 NAS95)

I see here a connection again with gladness and oil, and a further clue that this gladness and oil have an affect on one's face. What really brought all of these together as I looked over every verse in the Bible containing oil was this last verse from Psalms that described what the condition of having oil is rooted in – what it looks like.

How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron's beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. (Psalms 133:1-3 NIV)

When I apply these various senses related to oil back into the story of the ten virgins, it becomes very clear to me that the oil that is so crucial for me to have if I desire to enter into fellowship with the Bridegroom when He comes is joy itself. This then reminded me of all the teachings and important insights we have been receiving from Jim Wilder's ministry explaining how our brains were wired by God primarily for joy. Scientists and expert brain researchers are discovering more and more evidence reinforcing this understanding. We are creatures of joy. It is unavoidable; we are just designed this way. It does not change a thing if our lives have been largely devoid of joy; that does not change the way we were originally designed. It simply means we are living far below the level of fulfillment and satisfaction that we were meant to experience. But that is no surprise either. That's the intended affect that sin has had on our lives. Satan's goal for us is to rob us of all joy and keep us in darkness about the truth of how God created us to interact with Him.

So if I take these insights and apply them liberally back into the story of the virgins, what do I now see more clearly?

To abbreviate an exhaustive explanation of the parable, I see the following.

1. All of the virgins were believers in truth.

2. They all had lamps that were burning. Therefore, to begin with they all must have had some level of joy, gladness and unity in their lives initially.

3. The wise, or prudent virgins, somehow invested in stocking up extra joy in larger capacity containers that they kept with them while the others didn't feel any necessity to do so. This very clearly reminds me of the “joy capacity” function of the brain that Wilder refers to so often.

4. It clearly states that when the foolish took their lamps they took no oil with them. This may be the most important statement in the whole story viewed in the light of joy in the oil.

5. When the Bridegroom delayed, all of them slept. So staying awake was not an element that made the difference between any of these virgins (believers).

6. When the announcement for the celebration to begin in earnest was made, all of them woke up and trimmed their lamps.

7. The tense interchange between the two groups of virgins when the foolish discover their foolish decisions exposed have significance. But I would need more time to flush out the important nuances of this conversation. However, it is significant that they noticed that their lack of oil was the cause of their lamps going out.

8. At this point in the story, the results of investing in greater joy capacity become painfully clear. The Lord – also the same as the Bridegroom – insists that He does not know those who have not entered into His house when the time was right.

9. The two elements that seem to be stressed in this parable are having extra oil and getting your timing right. Because the oil takes time to get, those who invested time to prepare ahead with extra oil had capacity and ability to enter into the joy of their Lord when the door was opened. The others found themselves scrambling to get more oil and in the process wasted critical time that ended up costing them everything in relationship to participation in the celebration.

It is important to note that the very nature of the event itself was immersed in the element of joy. It was all about a wedding, not a funeral, a program or a political event. It was centered around the most joy-intense relationship known to human beings; that of joining a man and woman together into one flesh and spirit who are deliriously in love with each other.

As I think about this and the implications that is has in relation to my own experience, I shudder in fear at how much more I am like the foolish more than the wise. My heart is very inexperienced and lacking in joy-capacity. And while I know it is still not to late to have this deficit remedied, I wonder how to go about getting it fixed. And if I put it off much longer I will find myself at the last moment rushing to the store with the foolish virgins frantically trying to barter whatever valuables I have to get more joy and gladness so I can participate with others in the grand celebration. But if I wait and put it off, I too will suffer the agony and despair of the foolish virgins (which itself is the beginning pangs of hell).

All I know to do is to again cry out to God in desperation and helplessness to unlock my heart of stone and do a work of transformation in me that I am totally incapable of doing myself. I need a very big miracle to radically morph me from a left-brain religious believer hungering for something better into a heart-based child with new capacity for joy and humble willingness to synchronize with other virgins in happy celebration of the goodness of God.

I want to have the heart of an innocent child who is fearless in his joyful exhibitions of celebrating being alive. He is not afraid to run and skip and fling his arms around and have his face glow with life and joy. He is not afraid to sing and dance and interact freely with others and be open and transparent from his heart. Yes, that is what I want to be – a child who feels so safe and protected by his powerful and loving parents that he is not afraid to express with abandon his real identity and celebrate life with others who are free to play with him.

Come now, Jesus. I need a major heart-transplant!