It is told to motivate Christians to active discipleship that does not wait until things look bad to be a true follower of Christ. Living in a way that is prepared for Christ s return will not only prepare followers for the coming event, but will make life worthwhile here and now. We wish we had known when he was coming so we could have gone out 15 minutes beforehand to get the extra oil. Instead, their preparedness for whatever length of time they needed to wait was worth it. This parable calls Christians, even today, to a life that is ready for whatever will come.
Some scholars doubt the time of the bridegroom s arrival to be plausible in that context in time.
Much of this will be discussed later. The factors that contribute to some scholars decisions to dismiss the authenticity of this parable are more complex than those presented here. For a more complete summary, refer to Scott, pages 70-72. Or some have said that the five wise virgins would be Gentiles and the five foolish virgins, Israel. This would be a later interpretation.