In Sunday School we were discussing the parable of the 10 virgins found in Matthew 25: 1-13. At one point one gentleman asked the question, "Why did they word their refusal as they did? They didn't say they were unable to share. They said, "Not so, lest there not be enough for us and you."
We generally say their oil represented their testimony, and we cannot share our testimony in a way to create it in others. So they couldn't give their testimony to the others who didn't have one. However, this doesn't fit as well to the idea of why they wouldn't share their oil. They did not say they were unable to share it. They said no, and that if they did there wouldn't be enough for the both of them. This definitely implies that they had the capability to share it, but chose not to.
It cannot be considered a selfish thing for them not to share because they are the segment of the parable that did things correctly. They are the wise virgins.
So the question he asked is very good. What is it that they had the ability to share but did not, knowing that there would not be enough and then they both would have insufficient?
Tracy Smith suggested it could be analogous to when we agree with others and go along with their behavior or ideas that are not in line with a high gospel standard in order to avoid making them feel badly. When we do this, we are actually lowering our standards down to meet theirs. Then we both have behavior that is below the standard of conduct the Lord requires. This seems closer to the function of the oil in the parable - a value system and behavior that can or cannot be shared or adapted to other's value systems.
It still feels a little awkward. Perhaps if I explore it by saying that our oil is our standard of living the gospel. When we compare our high standard to those with a lower standard, it does make them look not-so-good. We must remember that we have been taught that all 10 virgins represent the membership of the church. So we must suppose that these 5 foolish virgins are members of the church, not those in the world outside the church.
Another aspect to note is that the 5 foolish virgins had some oil. Their lamps were burning all night. The Greek translation of verse 8 changes it from "our lamps are gone out" to "our lamps are going out.". That makes a difference. They had oil so they were burning their flame of testimony. But waiting through the long night required more oil than what they had. The footnotes in the LDS version of the King James Bible translation references the word 'procrastination.'
Procrastination refers to actions. So the oil must be what we do, and that supplies us with the fuel that creates our testimony, or the flame. What we do is a daily process, a lifestyle, that either gives us enough reserve oil to keep our testimony burning throughout a long wait, or not enough reserve oil to keep our testimony burning strongly through the entire night. Our lifestyle is driven by and is a reflection of our standards, i.e. how we interpret the gospel and the commandments into our every day living activities.
So if we procrastinated in living the gospel strictly, we wouldn't have enough actions or standards of behavior, or lifestyle, that produced enough oil to take us until the bridegroom came at midnight. If our flame in our lamp is our testimony, then our testimony will be beginning to wane when it is needed most. No one walks in the bridal procession with a lamp that is dark. The light in your lamp lets you see where to go.
In asking the 5 virgins to share their oil, it is asking them to lower their standard of living.
Is that the same from the viewpoint of the virgin with her lamp that was going out? If they give of their oil, then all will each have the same amount of oil, and all will briefly have a flame. But the wise realize it is not enough oil to sustain them. Perhaps it will be easier for me to think of this if I put their analogy into context of before they are actually in the bridegroom processional. The cry went out when he was 'coming', not when he was actually there. So the oil is during the preparation time. That meets better the criteria that the 5 wise were not willing to lower their standard of behavior so they all had the same standards and all had their flames burning. They knew that standard of living would not give them enough testimony to last all the way to the marriage house.
So sharing their oil does match with the idea of lowering their standard of behavior to make them even with those whose lifestyle had not been at an appropriate level to produce sufficient oil. They could have shared to be nice, to help those who didn't prepare with a higher standard of living. Then they would have all had the same amount of oil, or lifestyle standard, and they all would have all looked as prepared as each other. In reality, they all would have been ill prepared.
Later Janice Ware mentioned in a conversation she thinks people support the gay marriage issue so they won't make those members who are desiring it and promoting it feel badly. They emphasize being inclusive and not exclusive, and loving verses shunning. They feel it is a way to make sure they don't make those who deal with homosexual feelings feel like we are shunning, condemning, or rejecting them. Truly, these are not Christ-like activities.
Being inclusive and loving is very important. In fact, those are behaviors that add oil to our lamps. However, we need to be inclusive to the people, not to the ideas that are a lower standard. We need to love people, even those who struggle with ideas, commandments, or testimony. Loving and embracing the ideologies they promote is not the same as loving, being kind to, and welcoming them. We should, and hopefully do, always welcome anyone to worship with us, fellowship with us, and to partake of the gospel and redemption offered by Christ by making and keeping covenants to live the gospel. Living the gospel is outlined to us by the commandments, which creates a lifestyle and a standard of living. Everyone is welcome to embrace our standard of living and the blessings it brings.
If we promote their ideologies that are specifically contrary to the word of the Lord as clearly and plainly given to us by the living prophet of God today, we are lowering our oil to their standard. We may lower our own standards, but we can't lower the standard required by the Lord. We will only end up with "not enough for us and you."
That is what Tracy said.
