1. The first story is about 10 virgins that are waiting for the bridegroom. They all had oil lamps for light. Five had enough oil to last through the unexpected delay. The other five begged for oil from the first five when the signs of the bridegroom's arrival were clear. The second five were denied the needed oil from the first five.
The message is that the oil, (Holy Spirit), cannot be gained from another person. It is personally obtained. You cannot have mine and I cannot have yours.
2. The second story is about three individuals that were given talents from the King to use while the King is away. One gets five, one gets two and the third gets one. The first puts his talent to use and gains five more, the second does the same and earns two more. The third hides the talent entrusted to him and has nothing more to show the King upon His return.
It appears that Jesus uses some tell-tale wording in his story about the third individual. He talks about the King's reputation rather than a personal relationship with Him.
The postulation seems to be that a personal relationship with the King drives us to risk putting His resources to work.
3. The third story is about a time when all humanity comes before the King and He separates them into groups. One group is commended for giving food, drink, clothing and visits to the King. Upon their surprised inquiry of when this might have happened, the King replies that whenever they did it for the least of all individuals, they did it as if to the King Himself. The people in this group were extended an invitation into the kingdom of life.
Another group gets the exact opposite report. They withheld food, drink, clothing and visits to the King. They reply in surprise as the first group did, asking when they would ever have been so rude to the King. His reply is that when they withheld from even the least of all people in need, they withheld from Him. These were turned away into eternal punishment.
Those who were the righteous were the ones who naturally gave what they had to those in need. Those who did not give were the ones who turned out to be the unrighteous.
A careful read of these three stories show us that we are expected to be active in our faith. We are to focus on being full of God, (oil), we are expected to put our talents to use so as to mature, (earn more), and it turns out that if we are those that don't help the needy, we are the unrighteous. Like James said in chapter 2, verse 26, "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."
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