Matthew 25:1-13
Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.
“Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
“Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
“But the wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’
“While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’
“But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
BACKGROUNDER
The story Jesus tells has one message: “stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour”. The crucial point: that the kingdom of heaven is coming. The disciples are keen to have everything plotted and planned so that they can know when the kingdom is coming. But Jesus is having none of it.
The story Jesus tells is based on the difference between wise and foolish. The foolish virgins are the ones who are awaiting the bridegroom, but who are not prepared, because they don’t have enough oil for their lamps. The wise virgins have the oil.
Notice that all of them fall asleep. Late into the night, the bridegroom has been the delayed, and all of the virgins, “became drowsy and fell asleep”. Despite being asleep, the wise were ready for the bridegroom.
Jesus is telling us that he is the bridegroom, he is the king. And when Jesus comes, the celebration will be the best ever: it will be eternal. We all want to be there. So how do we prepare? What is the oil that we need? What is the wisdom we need?
First, we need to accept our limitations, because we just can’t know when the kingdom will arrive. This means giving up control of the future. The temptation to interpret world events as if we could determine their eternal significance. Then we might want to assign countries and leaders Biblical titles in the drama at the end of the world.
Second, we need to be prepared despite the uncertainty. Today is the day we need to live as if Jesus could arrive, to love others, to be faithful, to carry our cross. Giving glory to God should motivate everything we do, above anything we might want.
Third, above all, we need to trust God. We need to put aside our anxieties and fears because we have a loving Father, with a divine plan for our salvation. Let’s live in joyful anticipation for Jesus is indeed coming!