Be Ready. Be watchful. be Filled.
by Jennifer Greene-Sullivan
We, as people, often allow rejection—or even the fear of rejection—to stop us in our tracks. Sometimes, I’ve found myself anticipating rejection before it even happens, allowing that fear to derail my efforts and my goals. Whether real or imagined, the spirit of rejection has no place in the victorious life of a Christian.
The only rejection we should truly fear is the rejection from entering the marriage feast of the Lamb. Over the past several days, the Lord has been impressing upon me the importance of the Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25. Through dreams and prayer, He has kept directing me here, urging me to look deeper. He wants me to see each CONCEPT that I have missed for so long inside of this parable. Tonight in Bible Study at The Tiny House, I want us to walk through this parable and pull out the symbolic meaning for the strengthening of our daily walk of faith.
Scripture Reading: Matthew 25:1–13 (ESV)
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
The Contrast: Wise vs. Foolish Virgins
After prayer and seeking answers, the Holy Spirit has led me to several AHAH moments inside this parable. The unwise virgins are the lukewarm. They are content and comfortable, basking in the glow of their peers’ relationships with Jesus. The wise virgins, however, are the “HOT,” the ones on fire in their relationship with Christ. They carry oil, flasks, and trimmed wicks—ready to respond when the Bridegroom calls.
The lukewarm attempt to live vicariously through their husbands, wives, pastors, or friends. However, they don’t know Jesus personally, nor His Word, nor His heart. The Lord impressed upon me:
“You must know my very heart in order to enter the feast of the Lamb. To know my heart is to know the Father and to live to serve others.”
Symbolism in the Parable
The Holy Spirit has led me to highlight the symbols Jesus used in this parable and prayerfully consider their meaning.
- Ten Virgins – Followers of Jesus, outwardly religious
- Five Foolish Virgins – Halfhearted, lukewarm (Revelation 3:15–16)
- Five Wise Virgins – Fullhearted, faithful, filled with the Spirit (Romans 12:11; Luke 12:35–36)
- Lamps – Outward profession of faith (Proverbs 20:27)
- Oil – The Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13; Zechariah 4:1–6)
- Flasks – Extra supply of the Spirit’s leading (John 7:38–39)
- Bridegroom – Jesus (John 3:29; Revelation 19:7)
- Midnight – The unexpected hour of His return (1 Thessalonians 5:2; Luke 12:40)
- Sleep – Religious routine or complacency (Romans 13:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:6)
- Trimming Wicks – Outward preparation without inward substance (2 Timothy 3:5)
- Dealers – False religious teachers (2 Peter 2:1–3)
- Wedding Feast – Kingdom of God fully revealed (Revelation 19:9)
- Shut Door – Final judgment and rejection (Luke 13:25–27)
- “Lord, Lord” Conversation – Judgment before Christ (Matthew 7:21–23)
A Sobering Pause
This list brought me to a very serious moment of pause. Did I truly grasp the weightiness of this parable? Did I actually understand what Jesus was trying to show to His Jewish students? Do I totally comprehend what it means for me as a follower of Jesus today?
Jesus’ followers then, and Christians like myself now, believe in the Second Coming. Yet will I—and my fellow believers—be ready to meet Him in the air?
Will we be told, “Truly, I do not know you”? The judgment of Christ will come just as surely as the Second Coming of Jesus. So where is my heart? My mind may know the scripture and the religious context, yet has my spirit and my heart sought and found the heart of God?
Has my heart, my spirit, and my mind fully accepted a life reborn with the free gift of salvation through Jesus? Has grace and the sealing of the Holy Spirit permeated into the very fabric of who I am—so much so that I cannot remain comfortable in complacency and a lack of intimacy?
The Question We Must All Ask
Ultimately, are you ready?
For we know not the day or the hour.
Cross References for Study
Application: Living Ready
Jesus is calling us to be more than surface-level believers. To know His heart is to live ready, filled with the Spirit, not relying on borrowed faith. This readiness is not about fear but about intimacy. The oil of the Spirit equips us to shine brightly in dark times and respond when He calls.
The foolish virgins remind us that religion without relationship is empty. On the other hand, the wise virgins show us the joy of living in readiness, prepared for the day when the Bridegroom returns.
Encouragement for Today
Friend, don’t live lukewarm. Don’t be content with secondhand faith. Instead, seek the Lord’s heart, be filled with His Spirit, and stay watchful. The Bridegroom is coming—and those who are ready will enter into the joy of His wedding feast.
✨ Stay filled. Stay ready. Stay faithful.
Challenge of the Week
Take time this week to examine your “lamp” and your “oil.” Ask yourself:
- Am I relying on the faith of others (family, pastor, church community), or do I truly know Jesus personally?
- Do I have daily oil—the presence and power of the Holy Spirit—sustaining my walk, or am I running on fumes?
- What is one specific way I can “trim my wick” and prepare my heart for the Bridegroom this week?
Practical step: Commit to setting aside 30 minutes a day for personal time in God’s Word and prayer. Not a rushed devotional, but a focused moment of seeking His heart.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, I come before You humbled by the weight of this parable. I confess that too often I have been content with routine, complacency, and borrowed faith. Lord Jesus, I want to know You—not just about You, but to truly know Your heart. Holy Spirit, fill me afresh with oil. Let my lamp burn bright with Your presence and power. Guard me from lukewarmness and stir in me a hunger for intimacy with You. Prepare me for the day when the Bridegroom comes, that I may be found ready, awake, and full of Your Spirit. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
#BibleStudy #Matthew25 #WiseVirgins #FoolishVirgins #Faith #HolySpirit #SecondComing #StayReady #KingdomOfHeaven
The Aging English Major 