馬太福音25:1-13的論述顯示出，天國好像五個愚昧和五個謹慎的使女，準備迎接新郎的到來。許多聖經學者主張，謹慎的意思是提早準備，並警醒等待新郎的到來。而本文透過結構符號學的經文分析指出，謹慎的意思是他者性的。也就是，謹慎的使女是以迎接新郎的使命為要，深怕她們會無法達成任務。因此，她們事先預備足夠的油，甚至必須拒絕愚昧的使女的要求，與她們分享油。相反的，五個愚昧的使女太自信，認為她們可以輕易完成使命。她們不只沒有預備足夠的油，還自我為中心，過度自信。當有人說新郎到了，她們還認為可以以自己的方式迎見新郎。當門關上的時候，她們甚至要求主為她們開門。這不是單純的缺乏準備，而是過度自我中心與自信，因此與謹慎的使女有天壤之別。

The discourse of Matthew 25:1-13 describes the kingdom of heaven using the story of how five foolish and five prudent maidens prepare to meet the bridegroom. While many biblical scholars argue that prudence requires preparing early and being alert for the arrival of the bridegroom, this essay, through a structural (semiotic) exegesis, argues that being prudent is being other-oriented. That is, the prudent maidens are mission-centered to meet the bridegroom, as if they may fail the mission. Hence, they prepare more oil in advance and even have to refuse the request of the foolish maidens to share oil with them. In contrast, the foolish maidens are overly confident that they can fulfill the mission. Not only do they not prepare more oil, they are also self-centered and overconfident. When told about the bridegroom's arrival, they think that they can meet the bridegroom in their own ways. And when the door is shut on them, they even demand the lord to open it for them. It is not simply the lack of preparation, but more fundamentally, the self-centeredness and overconfidence that undergird such behavior that distinguish the foolish maidens from the prudent maidens.