During November our Bible texts are filed with images of the communion of Saints, judgments, and a second coming of Christ. In the O.T., the prophet Amos says: " the day of the Lord will be one of gloom and darkness and calls justice to roll down like water.
St. Paul urges us to encourage one another with the promise coming of the Lord. In the Gospel text from St. Matthew, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids, that is based on the Palestinian custom that the bridegroom fetch his bride from her parents home.
Then the Kingdom of heaven will be like this, 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 took their lamps, but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out. Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him! Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.
No they replied, " There may not be enough for both of us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.
But, While they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.
, The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding. And the door was shut.
Later the others also came. "Sir! Sir!" they said. ' Open the door for us! '
But he replied, I tell you the truth, I don't know you. " Therefore keep watch, because you don't know the day or hour.
Each time we recite the "Apostles Creed," we say He will come again to judge. He will come and he will judge. There are two distinct events in that phrase;One way to look at the relationship of chapter 24 and see his coming and final judgement in chapter 25. First Jesus gives us signs to look for, so we can be ready for his return. Then he separates the wise virgins from the foolish virgins, the faithful servants from the unfaithful servant, the sheep from the goats.
John the Baptist had previously called Jesus the bridegroom and referred to himself as the best man
John (3:27-30).
This image was built upon language of the Old Testament prophets found in Isaiah ( 54:5; 62 :1).
Small clay lamps were generally better suited for use indoors. Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house upon a rock. The rains fell, the flood came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on a rock. and everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rains came, winds blew and beat against the house- and it fell- and great was its fall. In both places, if we take the wise to be believers and the foolish to be unbelievers, we miss the point. Jesus is preaching to his church. He is warning the foolish to "wise up." It is a variation on the parable of the sower, in which Jesus warns us about the dangers of the devil, persecution and covetousness.
The picture that comes to mind when we hear that they took their lamps with them is probably quite accurate. Small clay lamps were generally better suited for use indoors. In an outdoor procession, the "Lamps" would have been more like torches. A long pole with oil drenched rags would cast a lot of light, but the oil had to be replenished about every 15 minutes. When the wise virgins trimmed their lamps, they cut off the charred ends of the burning lamps.
The failure of the foolish virgins to bring an extra supply of oil implies that they did not expect to have to wait so long for the bridegroom (Jesus ) to appear. Without taking anything away from his earlier emphasis on the urgency of being ready for the last day, Jesus now shows us the other side of the coin.
Conversion must be coupled with faithful perseverance.
Coming to faith will do no good if you do not stand firm to the end. Or in the imagery of an earlier parable: it is not good enough to accept the invitation to the wedding feast; you must also wear wedding clothes, and put on Christ. In understanding the parable of the foolish virgins, we look at what Jesus is trying to tell us? What is the oil? Is it the "Holy Spirt? " "Is it faith?" Is it a life of "Good works?"
Various commentators have defended each possibility. On the one hand, it is problematic to say that faith or the Holy Spirit can be bought and sold.. If the oil is a life of good works, there is a connection with the judgement pronounced in Matthew 25; " Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me. 'Then he will say to them on his left hand. You are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devils and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked, and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me. Then they will answer, ' Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry, thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of you? Then he will answer them: " Truly I Tell you, just as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me". And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
The Old Testament practice of anointing kings, priests, and prophets with olive oil certainly suggests a connection between oil and the Holy Spirit is masterfully summarized by Martin Luther: His call to faith by the gospel, gathers us into His Holy Church, enlightens us with his spiritual gifts, and sanctifies us for a life of good works, and keeps us in the true faith until our end. Do not all of these things together make us "wise" as opposed to "foolish?" The foolish virgins returned to late. Their double "Sir! Sir!" is laden with much emotion we noted in Jesus lament, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... They illustrate Jesus warning at the close of the "Sermon on the Mount:" Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter into the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the work of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, " Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?"
Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. away from me, you evildoers!
When it was to late, the other virgins came. They attempted to gain entrance to the wedding feast, without success! With solemn emphasis they are told: I know you not. Their terror, repentance and despair have come to late; they have neglected their opportunity; they have forfeited their happiness. The Lord adds a solemn warning once more, urging constant, ceaseless watchfulness, since the day and the hour of His coming is hidden from the knowledge of men. To Summarize; The Bridegroom is Jesus Christ, (John 3), the feast is the blessedness of heaven prepared for all true followers. The foolish virgins are such as have indeed received faith, but have kept only the outward semblance, hoping to find acceptance on the past merits. the wise virgins are such as are careful about providing and keeping fuel for their faith, in order that their lamps may not be extinguished at a critical time.
The oil is the grace and salvation of God offered and given in the word, by the work of the Holy Spirit. the Bridegroom is delaying his coming (2Peter 3,9).
But he will surely make his appearance for the last great judgement at a time when he is least expected. At that time everyone will stand or fall with his own faith, and those lacking in its power must accept their fate which they have brought upon themselves. exclusion from the bridal feast of the Lamb.
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