By Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
“At that time 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 took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in 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 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 banquet. And the door was shut. “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Matthew 25:1-,13 NIV
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They attacked blitzkrieg style from air, water and land. Shooting indiscriminately to the crowd gathered for a music concert event. Later the attackers went door to door in nearby kibbutz settlements killing and kidnapping everyone on their way along Israel’s southern border. A series of coordinated attacks, conducted by the Palestinian Islamist militant group Hamas, from the Gaza Strip onto bordering areas in Israel, commenced on Saturday 7 October 2023, a Sabbath day and date of several Jewish holidays. Israel was not prepared.
In retaliation Israel conducted massive bombings in Gaza resulting in the death of thousands of men, women, and children. The war is ongoing. Despite the fact that Israel operates a vast military and advanced intelligence apparatus they were not prepared of the attacks. If they were ready the ongoing war in the Holy Land could have been prevented.
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The parable story in this Sunday’s Gospel that Jesus told his earliest followers about wise and foolish virgins — is a story about vigilance and values, a story of surprise and response and the judgment of consequences. The story comes from another place, another culture, and another time. It is about a wedding in which the bridegroom and his friends went to fetch the bride from her home. There were ten bridesmaids who set out to wait and meet the bridegroom. It was evening and they took little lamps with them containing oil. Five of them took some extra oil. At about midnight they were told that the bridegroom was coming. They prepared their lamps and put fresh oil in and lit them again. But the five girls who had not brought extra oil with them could not refill their lamps. As they went out to buy oil the bridegroom arrived and the five girls whose lamps were alight went with the bridegroom inside the wedding banquet and the gate was shut. Those who went to buy oil came and found they were locked out. They knocked and the bridegroom opened but he did not know who they were, and told them to go away.
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According to Tom Perry, ‘waiting is the hardest part’ and I’m sure we have had our share of this experience. Regardless of the specifics, waiting carries with it a host of difficult feelings such as uncertainty, anxiety, worry, and impatience. Waiting for possible good news or bad news can feel draining and exhausting, as we sit in the space of not knowing. Of course, the Israelis know of the importance of military security and vigilance. The fearful possibility of military surprise drives them obsessional concern of security and intelligence gathering and of keeping more sophisticated and deadly weapons systems as surely as it shapes the distorted and simplistic immorality of hit them before they hit us-of destroy them before they destroy us. Yet on that fateful day they were found wanting.
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Waiting and patience. Patience is not simply the ability to wait – it’s how we behave while we’re waiting.
The Gospel story is about how we view the invitation extended to us all to take our place in the kingdom of God. We have only ourselves to blame if we fail to arrive or unprepared when the time comes. Being ready beforehand is what matters most and a last minute hurry to get ourselves into spiritual shape is not to be recommended. If we are to have an eternity of joy we shall have to prepare for it wholeheartedly. Admittance to the banquet of eternal life cannot simply be taken for granted. Christ teaches this parable as a warning because the day of the Lord will come with startling suddenness like a thief in the night.
The Gospel brings home the importance of being ready and prepared while we wait, by loving God and our neighbor. We are not to take the chance of going through life relying on the minimum of holiness. When the call comes, what will count are the qualities of character we have developed, not the riches we possess or the fortune we have gathered. Staying awake must be the axis around which our whole being and life rotate.
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The parable knows only one distinction between the wise and the foolish virgins. It characterizes five as wise because they bring extra oil, and it renders five as foolish for failing to do so. Otherwise, all the virgins act the same. They arrive on time. They wait. They tire and fall asleep. Awakened, they all trim their lamps. But when the bridegroom arrives, the foolish virgins find their oil going out. The five wise virgins, claiming they have only enough oil for themselves, will not share. So the foolish five go out for more oil, finding the door shut upon their return. They miss out. Preparation marks the only distinction.
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We don’t like waiting, but God promises us blessings even as we wait. We hear in Lamentations 3:25, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.” God says in Isaiah 40:31, “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Waiting is not doing nothing, and having to wait for the Lord doesn’t mean the Lord is doing nothing. We can wait, trusting that God is always doing something. God is not helping another customer while we languish in line. God is at always at work, doing “far more than we can ask or imagine,” according to Ephesians 3:20. We can be ready, like wise bridesmaids with our one job of bringing the light, or we can be fools, untrusting, unaware, unprepared to do our part.
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Waiting doesn’t mean inactivity. Having oil at the ready, being prepared, comes from doing what we’re told to do, being obedient to God, being formed by God’s power at work in us. So, how do we keep this oil on hand? By some practices and disciplines that are the same for all of us—prayer, reading the Scriptures, sharing fellowship and worship with other Christians, caring for people and the planet.
And yes, it can run out. It does if we don’t refill and refuel. There is such a thing as too little, too late. We don’t like it, but there it is. But here is the good news: we’re still here. We’re still here, hearing this parable. It is not too late. And remember, it’s a party Jesus wants to take us to. He’s preparing a great feast for us. Whether it’s the great banquet feast of heaven, or the smaller celebrations of spending time with our Lord all along the journey there, we don’t want to miss it. And more good news: Jesus is not just the thrower of the party. He’s not just the bridegroom. He’s the oil dealer too, ready to fill your flask. Just ask.
Let us pray.
O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.**
