Discipline: Parable of the Wise, Foolish Virgins

Matthew 25 :1 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

As you read different commentaries on this passage, the interprtations vary. I’d like to add my perspective.I believe the five foolish virgins represent for us the foolishness of lack of self discipline. They were too lazy to prepare their lamps for the responsibility of escorting the bridegroom to his new venue.

Various Christian colleges have bemoaned the fact that their freshmen students are Bible illiterate. They didn’t buy sufficient oil for their lamps. They didn’t discipline their time and themselves to have a consistent time with God in His Word. As christians they were unprepared to face the challenges of leaving home and beginning the stage of adulthood.

When I was in counseling full time, I’d frequently see a client begin a life of self discipline – exercise, consistent time with God, the discipline of bringing negative thoughts into captivity, etc. They were becoming free. A few months after the cessation of counseling, some would return and say, “It’s not working any more. I’m back to the old problems.”
My first question I’d ask them, “How are you doing with a consistent time with God?” Invariably they’d make a statement something like, “I got so busy I just didn’t have time to be in prayer and Bible study.” Like the five foolish virgins, they were unprepared to meet the challenge. Romans 12:2 was no longer in effect. (“Be transformed by the renewing of the mind.)” Their transformation had been aborted because they had stopped renewing the mind. They were living with the pain of regret instead of enjoying life because of the pain of self-discipline.

Life’s two teachers: wisdom and consequences. To achieve wisdom for effective living and dying requires the pain of self discipline. (The five wise virgins.) Rather than wisdom, many choose to live by consequences and experience the pain of regret. The five foolish virgins.) Their addiction to “ease” relegates them to miss out on the blessings of wisdom.