In the past few devotionals, I have been sharing some insights about a parable Jesus told in Matthew 25 about his return.

In short, a groom shows up at his own wedding banquet. Five women who were faithfully waiting for him get let in to the festivities. Five women who were unprepared get left out. The difference between them is that the first five had oil for their lanterns, and the second five did not.

The various details in parables are intended to represent other things. For example, most notably the groom is Jesus. But since the women are either let in (or left out) based on whether they did or didn’t have oil, what does it symbolize?

I think it represents three things at once.

First, the oil represents faith.

Everything Jesus teaches in the Gospel is based on up faith—i.e. trusting in who he is and what he does for us.

Second, the oil represents loving action.

A lamp gives light. Earlier in the Gospel, Jesus made another statement about light: “let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). Then, in Matthew 24:12, he said that prior to his return “the love of many will grow cold.” In other words, just as light from a lamp fades out, so will many people’s love. They key is to keep it up. 

Third, the oil represents perseverance.

The women who were let into the banquet brought extra oil. They made provision for the long haul.

As we await the return of Jesus, these three things should be top-of-mind: faith, loving action, perseverance. 

Don Carson, has a helpful question for us as we look in the proverbial mirror and await Jesus’ return: What would you like to be doing, saying and thinking when Jesus comes again?*

Well, those are the things we should be doing now. 

It’s easy to get sidetracked. Life gets busy. We over-invest in pointless pursuits. We make mistakes and the consequences bog us down. We let lesser things get the better of us. But it’s never too late to enter new coordinates into the directional maps of our souls. Starting now.

What would you like to be doing, saying and thinking when Jesus comes again? 

Faith, loving action and perseverance. Those are the things we should be doing now.

Notes:

–Replay: A Serious Historical Deep Dive into the Nativity. Click here, or find it on ‘The Pulse Podcast with Matthew Ruttan’ (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.)

-*His three questions are here condensed into one. D.A. Carson, Basics for Believers: The Core of Christian Faith and Life (BakerBooks: Grand Rapids, 1996), 137.

-The Up Devotional is published 5 days a week (Monday-Friday) and returns on December 22, 2025.

-Bible quotes are from the ESV.