For years, when I read this parable of the wise and foolish maidens, it always bothered me. In the story the bridegroom is on the way. Five of the bridesmaids are not prepared to welcome the bridegroom. They have no oil. So they ask the wise bridesmaids who have oil in their lamps if they could borrow some of theirs. The wise bridesmaids said no. That always seemed selfish to me. Why not share the oil? Jesus is reminding us that there are just some things you can’t borrow. You can’t borrow character, integrity, courage, faith, or a relationship with God. The point Jesus is hammering home is that you are responsible to God for your life, being prepared, doing the right things, and making the right choices. You can’t always control some things like genes or who your parents are, but you are responsible for your choices. The unwise in the story were responsible for not being ready. One of the saddest things I see is people facing tough times and reaching for their faith and finding that it is not there. They haven’t developed and prepared their faith in advance. The faith you keep today is the faith that will one day keep you. Remember, you are responsible for keeping oil burning in your lamp. What are you going to do to nurture your faith today?
– Dr. Tim Thompson