In His Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus taught that it was foolish to be unprepared for His return. Foolish in Greek is moros, meaning, “dull, stupid, or blockheaded.” All ten virgins knew the wedding drill. They had been given the capacity to bring the extra oil in the jars because it was customary to wait throughout the evening for the bridegroom to arrive. The wise ones brought the jars of oil; the foolish ones did not.

Christ has given us the capacity to surrender to Him by lighting each one of our hearts with a spirit (see John 1:9). When we surrender our hearts to Christ as Lord, that spark becomes a flame. However, when we foolishly reject the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, God is justified in rejecting us: “He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come” (Matthew 12:30-32). The result is the same as recorded in Jesus’ parable: panic (see Matthew 25:11) and separation from God, the point of no return (see Matthew 25:12).

This week, follow Jesus’ plea: “Keep watch” (Matthew 25:13). We don’t know the day or the hour of His return. Consequently, be wise, in your heart set apart Christ as Lord. Be prepared, share the reason for your hope with everyone who asks. Let His light shine in your jar of clay (see 2 Corinthians 4:6-7).

When we fully surrender our lives to Christ, He uses us to bring His restorative hope to others, living out our preparation of Christ’s return.

Episode 252: Parable of the Ten Virgins from mitchkrusetv on Vimeo.