Insights

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten young women took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. “ Matthew 25:1-3

In Matthew 25, Jesus uses this parable to describe life in the kingdom of heaven.   There are two groups: the wise and the foolish. Dallas Willard talks about the genius of Jesus using parables and how Jesus would make his audience question what role they played in His stories. Even today, after reading Matthew 25, we have to ask ourselves: Who are we in the parable?

I can imagine a group of young girls excited about a wedding. They must have delighted in talking about the wonderful celebrations, the ceremony, the feast, and all the beautiful, wonderful things that had been planned once the Bridegroom arrived. I can hear them talking and giggling excitedly about the Bridegroom and how much they can’t wait to greet him. It was going to be a joyous event!

But night came and the road became dark.

No worries though! The young girls had lamps. They can light the path! The celebration can still happen, but some girls didn’t have enough oil or not enough to last. They didn’t make it to the celebrations. They didn’t get to welcome the Bridegroom.

Because the light was so important, the oil became valuable.

What we do now to prepare for the Bridegroom returning is valuable. Commentators have different ideas of what the significance of the oil is in the parable, but I like to think of it as how we love God and love others. The oil produces the light that shows the path for others in our community to follow,  so that they can welcome our Bridegroom. That is why I am passionate about Christian education. It is important to prepare and invest in the next generation. We model how to love God and others. We pour into our students and anoint them to make an impact for Christ. They can light the path, too. They will be able to welcome the Bridegroom. It will be a joyous event!

Leah Rabb
Elementary Principal
Logos Preparatory Academy