「我不認識妳們。」（瑪7:23, 25:12）
糊塗的童女，糊塗在於她們沒有隨身帶油；而明智的童女，明智在於她們在壺裡帶了油。我們自然要問：「究竟『油』象徵甚麼？」傳統把『油』解釋為天主的恩寵。在末日，如果你沒有足夠的天主恩寵，你就被拒天堂門外。這是十分鮮明的形象，而且符合信理神學的解釋，並沒有錯。今天，我想從另一個角度看這個故事。
在瑪竇福音之中，「主啊！主啊！…我不認識你們。」出現過兩次。所以，我相信它們之間，是互相輝映的。第一次在「山中聖訓」的結論之前，耶穌教訓門徒，所作的一切，必須是「承行天父的旨意」，否則一切都是枉然，連「奉耶穌之名說預言、驅魔和行神蹟」都可以是壞事、惡事。（瑪7:21-23）
奉耶穌的名說預言，怎可能會是作惡呢？如果不是天父的旨意，你的預言豈不是「洩露天機」嗎？可能會引發恐慌，使預言自我實現，招至意想不到的大災難。奉耶穌的名驅魔，釋放被惡魔纏繞的人，又或者奉耶穌的名治病，使患絕症的人痊癒，怎可能會是作惡呢？不過，如果這附魔或者疾病，是出於天主的旨意，你豈不是與天主作對嗎？神蹟多是為人解決困境的，但困境也可以是天主的一份恩賜，幫助人發揮潛能，或者突破因循的生活。如果不是天父的旨意而奉耶穌的名行神蹟，豈不是破壞了天主的全盤計劃嗎？因此，凡不按天父的旨意而作的事，無論動機如何美善，都祗不過是「好心做壞事」，的確糊塗！
從上述的角度看，糊塗童女沒有隨身帶油，是她們沒有按天父的旨意行事，做了很多好心的壞事，不斷消耗著天主的恩寵，又豈能進入天國的門檻呢？
聖父啊！請啟示祢的旨意，不要讓我們糊塗地破壞祢的大計。亞孟。
"I never know you." (Matthew 7:23, 25:12)
The foolish maidens were foolish because they took no oil with them. The wise maidens were wise because they took flasks of oil with their lamps. Naturally we will ask, "What does oil symbolize?" Traditionally, oil symbolizes God's grace. At the end of the world, if you do not have enough grace, you will be shut out of heavens. This is a very vivid imagery and is a dogmatic explanation. Today, I would like to explore the meaning of oil from another perspective.
In the gospel according to Matthew, "Lord, Lord ... I do not know you" appears twice. Therefore, I believe that there exists a connection between them. The first one occurs before the conclusion of the Beatitudes. Jesus teaches his disciples that whatever they do, they must do the will of his Father in heaven. Otherwise, all the works done are in vain, even "prophesy, cast out demons and all mighty works done in Jesus' name" can be evil deeds (Matthew 7:21-23).
How can doing these deeds in Jesus' name be evil? If it is not the Father's will, wouldn't your prophecy leak the divine plan? It would probably trigger a global panic, a self-fulfilling prophecy and an undreamed-of catastrophe. How can exorcism in Jesus' name, liberating a possessed person, or healing diseases, especially incurable ones evil? However, if the possession or illness come from God's will, wouldn't you be fighting against God? Most miracles deliver people from adversities, but adversities can also be God's blessings to help people achieve their potentials or to break out of their complacency. If we work miracles in Jesus' name, but not in the Father's will, wouldn't we disrupt God's master plan? Therefore, anything not done according to the Father's will, no matter how "good" it might be, it is no more than littering the path to hell with good intentions. It is truly foolish!
From this perspective, the foolish maidens who have not brought oil with them are in fact not following the Father's plan, doing a lot of evil in good intentions, continually spending God's grace in the wrong ways. How can they ever enter the threshold of the kingdom of heaven?
Heavenly Father, reveal Your will. Do not allow us to disrupt Your master plan foolishly. Amen.
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