| Author | Message | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 403 Registered: 10-2002  |
The other day I was listening to Donnie McClurkin's first CD and during the last song I had a thought. The song is called "We Expect You" and is by Andrae Crouch, who sings during the middle section of the song. The parable of the Ten Virgins is one that is kind of confusing if you were raised to interpret it according to "this means this" and "that means that". Somehow I don't think that's quite what Jesus was getting at. In Adventism, well, a whole mess is made out of that parable. After I left, some friends said they thought the "oil" represented the Holy Spirit. But that didn't quite make sense, especially not with Jesus' punchline. What Andrae Crouch wrote, however, does seem to fit, but it's still in a way I can't quite explain or fully get my mind around. It's like this. The five foolish virgins only expected to wait a little for Him. They expected Him to come on their watch, when they expected Him to come. (Hmm, glance in the direction of 1843/1844...) They only gave Him a little of their hearts... just enough 'til He came. How much "oil" do we want? Just enough 'til He comes? Will we love Him & praise Him only to "get in the door"? That won't be enough because He's not going to come as/when we expect. If we do it this way, when we wake up (and we will fall asleep waiting) we'll find we don't have "enough" oil... Can I venture to say that the five foolish virgins were waiting more "to get in the door" while the five wise virgins were waiting for the Bridegroom?? It's helpful to remember that note at the beginning of Proverbs about the Hebrew word for "fool" -- it denotes one who is "morally deficient". It kind of helps to climb into the skin of the foolish virgins... what were they thinking? Why did they only bring a little oil? If I think that way, I think it's a very presumptuous thing to do. And if I think of that in a "spiritual" way, it does seem like "I'm only going to put this much of my heart into 'Jesus'... only enough to get me into heaven." In contrast, if I think like the "wise" virgins, I think that I would take extra oil because I wanted to try and stay awake all night, and I would be honestly admitting that I didn't know when He was coming. Even though I would fall asleep, I wouldn't want to. I'd want to try and be awake to see Him. Thank God that everyone wakes up at His call! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4720 Registered: 12-2003  |
Interesting thoughts, Ramone. I also think of this parable in comparison with the parable of the seeds in Matthew 13. Those that fell in rocky ground and in the weeds did germinate and make plants, but the former group died when the heat was on because they had no roots. The latter group were choked to death by the cares of the world. In both cases, like the five foolish virgins, they had an appearance of godlinessóbut when the tests of life came, they were shown to be not grounded in the Lord. They hadn't become firmly rooted and built up in their faith in Jesus (see Colossians 2:6-7). Interesting thoughts! Colleen | ||
| Mwh Registered user Username: Mwh Post Number: 176 Registered: 4-2006  |
Very interesting, thanks Ramone and Colleen. | ||
| Borgch Registered user Username: Borgch Post Number: 4 Registered: 8-2006 |
Ramone, I do not remember ever hearing an interpretation of the parable of the ten virgins that fits better than the one you described... Not that there cannot be more that we can ever draw out of it, but that's the most potent lesson I've ever heard drawn from it. Thanks! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4782 Registered: 12-2003 |
Borgch, I missed your first postóI just wanted to welcome you to the forum! Glad you're here! Colleen | ||
| Borgch Registered user Username: Borgch Post Number: 7 Registered: 8-2006 |
Thanks for the welcome, Colleen. Very happy to be here! Chad Borges | ||
| Randyg Registered user Username: Randyg Post Number: 293 Registered: 12-2004 |
Chad, welcome to the family. ....great blog as well, thank-you for sharing your journey. |
