不可转让
马太福音二十五章1至13节
1那时，天国好比十个童女拿着灯出去迎接新郎。
2其中有五个是愚拙的，五个是聪明的。
3愚拙的拿着灯，却不预备油；
4聪明的拿着灯，又预备油在器皿里。
5新郎迟延的时候，她们都打盹睡着了。
6半夜有人喊着说：‘新郎来了，你们出来迎接他！’
7那些童女就都起来收拾灯。
8愚拙的对聪明的说：‘请分点油给我们，因为我们的灯要灭了。’
9聪明的回答说：‘恐怕不够你我用的，不如你们自己到卖油的那里去买吧！’
10她们去买的时候，新郎到了，那预备好了的，同他进去坐席，门就关了。
11其余的童女随后也来了，说：‘主啊，主啊，给我们开门！’
12他却回答说：‘我实在告诉你们：我不认识你们。’
13所以，你们要警醒，因为那日子、那时辰，你们不知道。
信息分享
今天的故事告诉我们，我们为迎接新郎来到所作的事前准备，也是「不可转让」的。
当时在户外使用的油灯，是用浸过油的布条，放在一个盛着油的器皿中，点着后再将它固定在一根柱上作照明。由于容器很小，需要每十五分钟添油一次。所以，很容易理解那五个童女说：「我们的灯要灭了。」因为她们没有预备足够的油。正如我们的主说：「有五个聪明的童女（她们预备了足够的油），和五个愚拙的童女。」
这个比喻的重点是要指出，我们必须在危机发生之前作好准备。故事所言的危机，是新郎延迟来到，以致五个愚拙的童女所预备的油不够用。若非是新郎延迟到达，没有人能分出十个童女的聪明和愚拙。现实中的「危机」，就是我们都在等候基督的再来。
基督在这个比喻之前和之后的信息，都指出当祂再来时，便会将人分为两大类。例如，两个人在田间，一个被接走，一个留下来。仆人会分出谁忠心，谁不忠心。此外，绵羊也会从山羊中分别出来，分别接受审判。
也许，没有任何写照，比那五个没有作好准备的童女更可怜和悲惨了。她们眼巴巴地看着自己预备的油用完，苦苦哀求新郎开门却遭到拒绝：「我不认识妳们！」
我们有很多东西都可以互相分享，可是，准备基督再来一事，每个人却要自行负责，救恩是不可转让的！所幸的是：我们如今还有时间作准备！
NON-TRANSFERRABLE
Matthew 25:1-13
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.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’
12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
Message
Here in our story it is preparedness for the coming of the bridegroom which proved to be 'non-transferrable'.
The outdoor oil lamps of the day were mostly oil soaked rags, (with a small reservoir), mounted on a pole. The reservoir needed to be refilled about every fifteen minutes. It is easy to see how the five of the girls said, 'Our lamps are going out'. They did not have extra oil with them. As our Lord said, 'Five were wise (and took extra oil) and five were foolish'.
The point of the parable emphasises the need to be prepared before the crisis hour arrives. Here it is the arrival of the bridegroom. Until then it would have been hard to tell the difference between the two groups. In reality it is a picture of the second coming of Christ.
In his previous messages (and in his message to follow) Christ spoke of the division that would occur at his sudden return. Two men in the field, one is taken the other left. The parable of the faithful and the unfaithful servants speaks of division. The judgment of the sheep and the goats tells the same story.
There is perhaps nothing so tragic, so pathetic than the picture of those five unprepared girls. The awful shock of their empty jars and the finality of the answer of their request. And lastly the closed door and the words, 'I don't know you'.
We can share many things in life but readiness for Christ's return is an individual matter and salvation is non-transferrable.
The good news is - there is still time to get ready, NOW.