Commentary - Matthew 25:1-13

Bird's-eye view

This parable, the first of three climactic warnings in the Olivet Discourse, addresses the crucial distinction between apparent and authentic discipleship within the visible church. Jesus is not talking about the difference between the church and the world, but rather the difference between two kinds of church members. All ten virgins are in the right place, at the right time, with the right equipment, and with the same initial expectation. They all look the part. But the Lord, with surgical precision, divides them right down the middle, five-five. The division is not based on their initial enthusiasm or their external profession, but on their preparation for the long haul. The foolish virgins represent those who have the outward form of religion but lack the internal reality of regenerating grace. The wise have the oil of the Holy Spirit, the true life of God in their souls, which cannot be borrowed or bought at the last minute. The parable is a stark warning against a superficial, emotional, or merely formal Christianity. It teaches that the kingdom's advance is a marathon, not a sprint, and only those with genuine, persevering faith will be ready when the Bridegroom returns to usher in the wedding feast.

The delay of the bridegroom is a central feature, teaching the church to expect a long period of waiting. During this time, the genuineness of our faith is tested. The midnight cry and the shut door are images of the final, unalterable judgment. When the King comes, the time for preparation is over. The final verdict, "I do not know you," is one of the most terrifying statements in all of Scripture, revealing that it is possible to associate with Christ and His people, to carry the lamp of profession, and yet be an utter stranger to Him. The parable's concluding exhortation, "stay awake," is therefore not a call to sleeplessness, but to a state of constant spiritual readiness, rooted in a true and living faith.

Outline

Context In Matthew

This parable is a direct continuation of the Olivet Discourse that began in chapter 24. Having prophesied the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 and described the nature of the entire age between His first and second comings, Jesus now turns to a series of parables to illustrate the practical implications for His disciples. The theme is preparedness for His return. The Parable of the Ten Virgins (25:1-13) is followed by the Parable of the Talents (25:14-30) and the description of the Sheep and the Goats (25:31-46). Each of these addresses the final judgment from a different angle. The Virgins focus on internal readiness and persevering faith. The Talents focus on faithful stewardship and productive labor in the kingdom. The Sheep and the Goats focus on the practical outworking of true faith in love for the brethren. Together, they form a comprehensive picture of what it means to live as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven while awaiting the King's return. This is not about date-setting or decoding signs; it is about the character of the waiting church.

Key Issues

The Great Divide

It is crucial that we locate this parable correctly. Jesus is describing the kingdom of heaven, which in Matthew's gospel often refers to the visible church in its present, mixed state. This is the same reality we see in the parable of the wheat and the tares. The kingdom, in this age, contains both the genuine and the counterfeit. The ten virgins are not five Christians and five pagans. They are ten church members. They are ten people who have answered the initial call, who associate with the people of God, who are waiting for the same event. They all have lamps; they all have a profession of faith. They all fall asleep during the delay. From the outside, for a time, they are indistinguishable.

This is a sobering reality. The most significant dividing line in the world is not outside the church walls, but running right down the center aisle. It is the line between those who have merely the lamp of an outward profession and those who have the hidden flask of oil, which is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. This is not a difference of degree, but of kind. It is the difference between life and death, between being known by Christ and being a stranger to Him. This parable forces us to look past the externals of our own religious lives and ask the fundamental question: Do I have oil in my flask? Is my faith a genuine work of God, or is it a self-generated spark that will die in the darkness?

Verse by Verse Commentary

1 “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

The word "then" links this parable directly to the preceding discourse about the end of the age. This is what the kingdom will be like during this long waiting period. The image is of a wedding procession. The virgins, or bridesmaids, are waiting to join the groom's party to escort him to the wedding feast. This is a picture of the visible church, waiting for the return of Christ. Notice, all ten go out. All ten have lamps. All ten are identified with the wedding party. This is a story about insiders.

2-3 Now five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

Jesus immediately draws the line of division. It is not a 90/10 split or a 10/90 split. He divides them perfectly in half to emphasize that the counterfeit can be a significant portion of the visible church. The distinction is between foolishness and prudence, a common theme in wisdom literature. The foolishness is defined by a critical omission: they took lamps, but no extra oil. They had the container for the light but not the substance that fuels the light. This represents a faith of mere profession. It looks right, it sounds right, it has all the external gear, but it lacks the internal, life-giving reality of the Holy Spirit.

4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

The prudent, or wise, virgins did one thing differently. They anticipated a potential delay. They understood that the initial supply of oil in the lamp might not be enough. So they brought flasks, reserve containers of oil. This oil represents the indwelling Holy Spirit, true regenerating grace. It is the substance of a true and living faith. The wise disciple knows that the Christian life is not a one-time flash of enthusiasm but a long obedience in the same direction, and this requires a deep, internal resource that only God can supply.

5 Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.

This is a crucial verse. The bridegroom "was delaying." Jesus is teaching His disciples to settle in for a long wait. The expectation of an imminent return in the apostolic era was not wrong, but it had to be paired with the readiness for a long delay. And notice, during this delay, all of them slept, wise and foolish alike. This sleep is not necessarily a picture of sin or apostasy, but rather the ordinary course of life in this age. We get on with our lives, we work, we marry, we die. The church goes through periods of vibrancy and periods of lethargy. The point is that the mere fact of "sleeping" did not distinguish the wise from the foolish. The distinction was revealed only when the crisis came.

6-7 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 cry comes at midnight, the darkest hour, when no one expects it. This is the suddenness of the Second Coming. When the call comes, there is an immediate, universal response. Everyone wakes up. Everyone gets busy. "Trimming their lamps" means preparing the wicks to burn brightly. At the moment of Christ's return, everyone in the visible church will snap to attention. The reality of judgment will be inescapable, and there will be a flurry of religious activity.

8-9 And the foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the prudent answered, saying, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

Here the fatal difference becomes apparent. The lamps of the foolish are sputtering, going out. Their superficial faith, sufficient for the ordinary times of waiting, is utterly inadequate for the moment of crisis. Their desperate plea, "Give us some of your oil," reveals a profound misunderstanding of the nature of saving grace. It cannot be transferred. You cannot get into heaven on your mother's faith, or your pastor's faith. The wise virgins' refusal is not selfish; it is realistic. Grace is not a commodity to be shared out. It is a personal possession, a work of God in the individual soul. Their advice to "go... and buy" is not a literal suggestion that salvation can be purchased. It is a stark statement of their helplessness. "We cannot help you; you must find a source for yourself." But, as the next verse shows, it is too late for that.

10 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.

The foolish virgins are absent at the critical moment. Their last-minute scramble for a faith they never truly possessed proves futile. The bridegroom comes, and the division is made. Those who were "ready", the wise, the prepared, those with oil, went in to the feast. The feast is a picture of the joy, fellowship, and consummation of salvation in the presence of Christ. And then the door was shut. This is a terrifying image of the finality of judgment. There are no second chances after the return of Christ. The opportunity for salvation has a deadline.

11-12 And later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open up for us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’

Their cry, "Lord, lord," is the same cry of the false disciples in Matthew 7:21. It is a claim of familiarity, of relationship. But the bridegroom's response is devastating. It is not "You were not good enough," or "You arrived too late." It is "I do not know you." This is the language of covenant relationship. To be "known" by God is to be in a saving relationship with Him. To be unknown is to be an outsider, a stranger, despite all outward appearances and associations. Their lamps, their presence in the waiting party, their verbal profession, none of it amounted to a real relationship with the King.

13 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Jesus concludes with the central application. "Stay awake" or "watch." Given that all the virgins slept, this cannot mean literal sleeplessness. It means to be in a state of constant spiritual readiness. It is a call to make sure you have oil in your flask. Since you do not know the moment of His return, you must be ready at every moment. This readiness is not a matter of frantic activity, but of abiding faith. It is the settled state of a soul that is truly regenerate, indwelt by the Spirit, and therefore prepared for the long haul, ready for the midnight cry, and known by the Lord of the feast.

Application

This parable should land on us with a healthy weight. It is designed to make us examine ourselves, to see whether we are in the faith. It is easy in our Christian subculture to get a lamp. You can get one by being born into a Christian family, by being baptized, by joining a church, by learning the lingo. You can have a very nice-looking lamp. But the question the Lord is pressing on us is this: do you have oil?

Has there been a time when God broke into your life, convicted you of your sin, and caused you to be born again? Is the Holy Spirit a living reality in your heart, producing the fruit of repentance and faith? Or is your Christianity just a set of behaviors you have adopted, a social circle you enjoy? The foolish virgins were not overtly wicked people. They were respectable, religious people who made one fatal miscalculation. They assumed that the external form was enough.

The application is not to get busy trying to earn your way in, but to go to the source of the oil. The Holy Spirit is a gift, given to all who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ. The foolish virgins were told to go and buy, but Isaiah tells us to come and buy without money and without price. We must confess our foolishness, our emptiness, and ask God to grant us His Spirit. We must trade our empty lamps for a heart that has been set ablaze by the grace of God. For when the door is shut, it will be too late. But today, it is still open.