Posted on 11/08/2008 11:47:54 PM PST by Charles Henrickson
“A Foolish, Self-Imposed Oil Shortage” (Matthew 25:1-13)
Some people might say it’s rather stupid to be in need of oil when there is plenty available and you’re just not taking advantage of it. Such a situation could be called, “A Foolish, Self-Imposed Oil Shortage.” And no, I’m not talking about those who refuse to “drill, baby, drill.” But the same sort of idea does apply to today’s Gospel reading, the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five of them were wise and five were foolish, and when the time came that they all needed oil, five of them were caught short by their own foolish, self-imposed oil shortage. Today, though, we’ll find out how to be among the wise ones who have the oil they need.
But first let’s get our bearings in the church year. Today we’re entering the last three Sundays of the church year, and, appropriately enough, the readings all have to do with the end times and the Second Coming of Christ. You see, the church year mirrors the course of history, and so the last things of this age are placed in the last days of the church’s calendar. But whereas we know exactly when the church year will end, we do not know when our Lord Jesus Christ will return. “You know neither the day nor the hour,” Jesus says. So the need for the church, for us, is to be ready for his coming, whenever he may return--whether tonight or tomorrow or next year or a hundred years from now. We don’t know when. We do know that--that he is coming back, coming back to take his bride, the church, home. So we want to be ready whenever he comes. That would be the sensible thing to do. That’s what our reading today is about--being ready, whenever. Jesus urges this upon us, this need for readiness, in the parable that he tells.
The story involves a wedding procession that would accompany a first-century Jewish wedding. The customs were a little different back then, so I guess I need to explain. A man and a woman would first become betrothed, which was more than our being engaged, but not quite our being married. The man and the woman would not yet be living under the same roof. But having become betrothed, the wedding would follow after some amount of time. It could vary. What would happen is, the bridegroom would leave his house, head over to the woman’s parents’ house, where she was living, and bring her back to his place. There would be an evening wedding procession, kind of like a torchlight parade, with the friends of the couple accompanying them back to the man’s house for the big marriage feast.
So, for instance, the girl’s friends would be stationed somewhere near her house, torches at the ready, waiting for the bridegroom to appear, the exact time of which could be something of a surprise. The “lamp” or torch probably was a big stick with a rag wrapped around the top, which would be doused with oil--olive oil, most likely--and then lit. So it was important that you would have not only a lamp or torch, but also oil for the lamp, or else it would not stay lit. Well, that’s the setting for the story that Jesus tells.
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” Like most of Jesus’ parables, he is telling a story to let us know something about the kingdom of heaven. This one will be about how people are ready, or not ready, to meet Christ, the bridegroom, at his return. The people in the story are the ten virgins, “ten,” because that’s a standard number of completeness, and “virgins,” not calling attention to their virginity, but simply to mean, “young women of marriageable age,” presumably virgins, because that used to be considered normal for unmarried young women. We might also translate, “ten maidens.”
“Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.” The term for “wise” could also be translated, “sensible.” How they act will be the only sensible thing to do. They are wise, so they will be ready and prepared for the bridegroom’s coming. The other girls are described as “foolish.” The Greek word used is “morai,” related to our word, “morons.” They were morons, because they were not ready, they were not prepared, for what was coming. They were “stuck on stupid,” we might say. “Foolish” girls, these five.
“For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” The foolish girls had lamps or torches alright, but they didn’t bring anything to keep the torches lit! No oil! That was dumb! The smart girls know you need oil, not just torches, if you’re going to have a torchlight parade.
So these gals, all ten of them, know the bridegroom is coming--they’ve been told. They look like they’re all waiting to meet him, but some are prepared and some are not. This is a picture of the outward, visible church, all of whom should be in a position to greet their returning Lord. But mixed together in the visible church, there are some who are ready and some who aren’t. There are some who are true believers, and some who are only hypocrites--outwardly associated with a visible church, perhaps, but that’s all. They may be church members, but they really are not believing in, trusting in, looking forward to and ready for the Lord Jesus Christ when he returns.
“As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’” Well, the bridegroom takes longer than any of them expect, not early evening, but late evening, even as late as midnight. They all fall asleep, all ten of them, wise and foolish. But in this story, the sleeping is there only to indicate the long delay, not to show any negligence or unpreparedness on the part of the wise virgins. They were wise, after all, and they did come prepared with oil for their lamps. The foolish girls, on the other hand--they would have been foolish even if the groom had come earlier, because they had brought no oil in the first place.
The delay of the bridegroom corresponds to the relative “delay” of the return of Christ. He would not come again within the lifetime of the apostles or of the early church. In fact, we are still waiting for him today. It seems like a delay. But God is working all things out in his own good time. When Christ will return, we do not know. It could be a while yet, but whenever he comes, we want to be ready. Do you have oil for your lamp?
“Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’” The moment they had been waiting for has arrived. Time for the wedding procession! Get your torch lit! Trim off the charred edge, get some oil on there, and light it up! “Oops!” say the foolish girls, “we forgot to bring any oil!” It doesn’t say that these girls were blonde, but they may have been.
“But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you. . . .” Apparently, they did not have any extra . . . virgin . . . olive oil. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) “‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’” The foolish girls are faced with an existential crisis. The other girls have no oil to spare, it’s midnight, and now they have to scramble to find what they need for the wedding--which they could have had, and should have had, earlier on, if only they had not been so foolish.
“And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.” Too late. There will come a time when it is too late. “The door was shut.” Ominous words.
“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’” This is the danger of being foolish, being stupid, being unprepared. It will be too late, and you will be shut out. And you do not want to be shut out of this wedding feast. No, for this will be the great and eternal feast.
“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” There’s the bottom line. Be ready. Be prepared. Don’t think that just because there’s been a delay, the bridegroom is not coming. No, he could come at any moment, so don’t put off being prepared.
So the question obviously comes: How do we get prepared? You need to have oil for your lamps. Just having a lamp is not enough. Merely having some outward association with the church--even sitting in a pew occasionally--is not the same as actually believing in and looking forward to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The good news today is this: 1) It’s not too late, and 2) the oil is free and plentifully available. First, it’s not too late. It ain’t midnight yet. Jesus has not yet returned. This is the time to check and see if you have the oil that you need. Listen: “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” In other words, repent and believe the gospel. Realize that you are a sinner who cannot stand in the day of judgment on your own. You need what only Jesus can give you: forgiveness for all of your sins; righteousness, his perfect righteousness, to stand before God. Trust in Christ your Savior. That’s the only sensible thing to do. Don’t stay stuck on stupid. Now is the time to receive and rely on the free gifts Christ has to give you, received by faith, so that your lamp will be burning brightly at his return.
And so, second, the oil is free and plentifully available. It’s like the invitation in Isaiah 55: “Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk”--or, in this case, oil--“without money and without price.” Christ has bought the oil you need for you, and he gives it to you as a free gift. It’s the righteousness you need, as well as the faith to believe it. That righteousness Christ won for you at great cost, the cost of his holy precious blood shed for you on the cross. That faith the Holy Spirit works in you through the Word, through the means of grace. This Word-engendered and Word-nourished faith is yours in plentiful supply, as plentiful as the Word and Sacrament you receive here week by week. There is no oil shortage. And the price could not be any lower.
Oil for your lamps? You betcha! No foolish, self-imposed oil shortage here! Instead, there is a free and plentiful supply, purchased by Christ your Savior, supplied by the Spirit, through the means of grace distributed here at this filling station called the church. Fill, baby, fill! And you will be ready, wise ones, whenever our Lord returns.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Ping.
Thanks for the post. It was very enlightening.
LOL. Great sermon for these trying times.
1. Rejoice, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear!
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near.
The Bridegroom is arising,
And soon He draweth nigh;
Up, pray and watch and wrestle!
At midnight comes the cry.
2. The watchers on the mountain
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go meet Him as He cometh,
With hallelujahs clear.
The marriage-feast is waiting,
The gates wide open stand;
Up, up, ye heirs of glory;
The Bridegroom is at hand!
3. Ye saints, who here in patience
Your cross and sufferings bore,
Shall live and reign forever,
When sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory
The Lamb ye shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Your diadems of gold!
4. Our Hope and Expectation,
O Jesus, now appear;
Arise, Desire of nations,
O'er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead, O Lord, to see
The day of earth's redemption,
That brings us unto Thee!
The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #72 from _The Lutheran Hymnal_
Text: Matt. 25:6
Author: Laurentius Laurenti, 1700, cento
Translated by: Sarah Findlater, 1854, alt.
Titled: “Ermuntert euch, ihr Frommen”
Composer: Melchior Teschner, 1613
Tune: “Valet will ich dir geben”
I'm partial to pairing this text with the Lancashire tune ("Lead on, O King Eternal")
The other two hymns based on this text are "The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us" (LSB 514) and "Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" (LSB 516), and we sang both of those, as well.
"The King of Chorales"!
I love Lucien Deiss's description of the Bach chorale prelude based on that tune:
Three musical levels are superimposed to tell us the message. On the lowest level (earth) the bass, for seventy two measures, presents the heavy march of history. On the highest level, that is in heaven, the angel violinists weave a dancing garland of joy for the wedding procession. In the middle, between heaven and earth, humanity advances, singing its chorale, treading on the events of history while listening to the song of the angels. Each step brings us closer to Christ, who comes to meet us and lead us into the peace of the final chord.
The Bridegroom Soon Will Call Us" (LSB 514)
"Rejoice, Rejoice Believers" (LSB 515)
"Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying" (LSB 516)
Nicely done as usual, my brother. May god richly bless your ministry and your flock.
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