04.03 The inwad spirit
III. THE INWARD SPIRIT The lamp itself cannot shine: the light comes from the oil with which the lamp is filled. “The wise virgins” took the oil with them: the foolish forgot it. In spite of all discussions on the point, there is no real difficulty in interpreting the meaning of the oil. It is that inward spiritual life which alone can give reality and efficacy to the outward life of religion. Both in the Old and the New Testament the symbol of oil is associated with the Holy Spirit. S. John speaks of the Christian having “an anointing from the Holy One.” In the ancient hymn of the Church we pray to the Holy Spirit, “Anoint and cheer our soiled face with the abundance of Thy Grace.” To have oil in our lamps is to have within and behind all our external acts and habits of religion an interior life of communion with God, in which distractions are removed, the channels between the soul and God are open, so that the Holy Spirit moves through them, fulfilling His work of perfecting the fellowship between man and God. It is to “walk in the Spirit,” “to be in the Spirit.”
Without this oil of the Spirit our lamps have no light. We may be regular and conscientious in our stated prayers, diligent in our attendance at church, in our use of the means of grace. We may be students of the Scriptures, or constant readers of theological books, or experts in theological discussions. We may be intensely interested in Church affairs. We may be “excellent organizers,” and full of energy in all sorts of good works. We may be very Marthas in our religious activities. But the one thing needful is lacking the reality of personal spiritual life, in which, withdrawn from everything external, we are “acquainted with God,” and are conscious of a personal relationship, as real and intimate as that which binds us to a friend. There must be the lamp the outward visible “body” of our religion, the sphere of its witness to the world: but the lamp is useless without the oil the inner spirit with its own personal hold upon God.
TAGS: [Parables]