Jesus is coming back to judge the world. This parable is part of a series of teaching about Jesus’ return, and the big question is: will you be ready? Jesus says that if you’re not ready, then you will be punished. So it’s crucially important that we are. This parable tells us a bit more about how we can be ready. Thus the bridegroom here is Jesus. The wedding feast is the end of time, the celebration of God’s presence with us, and the rejection of those who do not know Jesus. We are like these ten young women who wait to welcome the bridegroom.
The Journey: they all set out. That is, at the start, all have a common goal. They all gather in the same place. They bring the same basic equipment (a lamp) and they wait for the bridegroom. They are all human, they sleep. So again, in some ways, these are like those who start to follow Jesus. Many people name the name of Jesus. Perhaps they are baptised, perhaps they are in church regularly. Yet something subtle is missing. Some have planned, and some have not. Some, seemingly, understand that it’s going to be a long night. Some either don’t know, or don’t think about it. That is such a serious mistake that it ends with them being completely rejected from the Kingdom of God. That’s obviously a frightening idea. You might well think, is it me? You might think, what do I have to do to be prepared? Let’s look closer at what that extra oil might mean.
Jesus has been telling us about some of the things that will happen as we wait for him. He has flagged up three different issues. One is that there will be trouble and deception. That is, we will suffer for Christ. People will oppose the Christian message, put pressure on us, and hate us for the sake of Jesus. This is normal. The extra oil means that we are prepared for such an event. Secondly, people will lie about the way of Christ. They will claim to be Christ. They will try to modify the message of the good news and replace it with another message. This has happened throughout history. Often these two things come together. There is a government-sponsored religion. It might replace Jesus with human traditions, like the church, or with another prophet, or with the communist party, or a fascist party. And if you don’t comply, then you will suffer. Jesus says, you have to be ready for this. If you’re not, then you don’t understand what it is like to follow me. Then there is a third challenge. This is the challenge of cares, wealth, and pleasure. Jesus has signalled this at the end of the last chapter. The servant is drinking and indulging himself. He becomes indifferent to his master. Again, this is happening in our age. In search of pleasure and wealth, many have strayed from the way of Christ. Ultimately, their faith goes to sleep, then disappears. To be ready, we have to understand not only the potential for suffering and deception, but also the power of temptation.
How can we ‘get ready’ for the walk of faith?
A key difference between the two groups was in their actions. Yet it lies deeper than that. As we will see, the actions are only the result of knowing the bridegroom. The group who were ready understood that their actions would have consequences. If they bought the oil, of course it would cost them money. But for them it was a priority. They though ahead and considered their actions. Many people love their holidays. They plan, they look online, they book somewhere. They check in online, they pack their bags, they talk about their holidays, they get the suncream ready, they book the hotel. It’s work, but it’s worth it. It’s a source of joy to them. And we understand that without this, we might not be able to go on holiday. The kingdom of heaven is like this.
Many of the decisions we take in life push us towards or away from the kingdom of God. Who do you marry, or have a relationship with? Do you have a relationship with someone that you’re not expecting to marry? What job do you take? Who do you make friends with? What are your priorities in the way you spend your time. None of these things will get us into the kingdom of God. But they all influence those things that Jesus has been talking about. When we are afraid, and hide our faith, it has consequences. People won’t treat us as Christians. We can get used to that and end up denying Christ. We take a job with good money, but we’re too tired to do much else. Although, of course, we will still find time for some other things. Then we stop praying, stop going to church, stop reading the Bible. We don’t see any answers to pray, mostly because we don’t pray. Then we doubt or forget the good news. Our faith fades to a memory. Our actions have consequences. Jesus warns us to live in the real world: be prepared not only to trust me, but to follow me. Because if you trust Jesus, but don’t follow him, you’re not living in the real world.
What actions are faith-builders and which ones weaken our faith?
Have you ever been to a wedding when you didn’t know the bridegroom? Most of us have. Have you ever been to a wedding when you didn’t know either the bride or the bridegroom? That’s rarer. The key issue is that the five young women who are locked out do not, in fact know the bridegroom at all. The five who join the feast are prepared, partly because they know the bridegroom. They know he might come in the night. They know he has his reasons. They know that it isn’t up to them when the bridegroom comes and they have to honour him at this feast. Their actions in fact show a level of contempt for the bridegroom. This is a basic question for everyone who is baptised. It is not only ‘Do you want Jesus as your saviour’ but also ‘Do you submit to Christ as your Lord?’ If he’s not your Lord, he’s not your saviour. So, is he your Lord? Unconditionally, and completely.
The Bridegroom says these troubling words to the young women who are locked out. He says ‘I don’t know you’ That is another way of saying the same thing. If Jesus is your saviour, he is also your Lord. If he is your saviour and your Lord, then you know him and he knows you. Elsewhere Jesus prays ‘This is eternal life, that they know you, the Only true God and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3). Jesus offers us eternal life. He offers us His Holy Spirit. Through the Holy Spirit, we know him. We can be religious, but not trust Jesus. We can start the journey, without making any thought for what it means to walk with Jesus. We can behave as if our actions will have no consequences for our faith. And in the end, we have deceived ourselves. We have ended up with a weak, temporary religion, not a true living faith in Christ. Do you know him?
Prayer:
Lord, help us to be wise. Help us to do the things which grow a healthy, deep faith in Christ.
