Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV)

1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Reflection
At first glance, it seems like Jesus calls the virgins “wise” or “foolish” based on whether or not they had brought enough oil for the long wait. Yes that is true, but when we look a little deeper, we see that it is not just about preparedness but more about the heart attitudes that motivated the virgins. Jesus calls “wise” the virgins whose heart attitude showed that they wanted to be with the bridegroom above all else demonstrated by bringing the extra oil and even unwilling to share their oil. Jesus calls “foolish” the other virgins whose actions revealed a careless attitude toward being with the bridegroom. Because it was less important that they be with the bridegroom, they were careless in their preparation and took a chance on being excluded from the wedding banquet.

What makes a wise or foolish servant? Is it about being prepared, having the right stuff, or doing things well? Readiness is not only about preparation but also an attitude of the heart. A blessed servant is the one who desires to be with Jesus and prepares wisely to be with Him. Nothing else is more important than being near Him. When we have this kind of attitude, we can genuinely serve and give ourselves as servants for His kingdom.

Response
Let’s take a moment to search our hearts. As we find attitudes and motives that are less than the desire to be with Jesus, let’s ask Him to purify our hearts and give us renewed desires to be with Him. Remember, we are the blessed servants and we can be assured that we can have a faithful heart and be ready for Him.