Matthew 25:1-13: a reflection

1“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. 11Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ 12But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ 13Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

Jesus tells of ten young women waiting to meet a bridegroom, each with a lamp. Five are wise and bring extra oil; five are foolish and bring none. The bridegroom is delayed, and all fall asleep. When the cry comes at midnight that he is arriving, the foolish find their lamps going out and beg oil from the wise, but the wise cannot spare it. While the foolish rush off to buy oil, the bridegroom comes, the ready go in with him, and the door is shut. When the others return, it is too late.

Notice what separated the wise from the foolish: readiness that could not be borrowed at the last moment. The wise had prepared, bringing oil in reserve; the foolish had not, and when the moment came, they could not borrow the readiness they lacked, nor obtain it in time. There are some things we must have ready ourselves, that cannot be acquired from others at the last minute; readiness for the Lord's coming is one of them. When the door was shut, it was shut.

That parable is a call to be ready now. The Lord is coming, though the time is delayed and unknown; and there is a readiness for his coming that we must have ourselves, a genuine, prepared faith, that cannot be borrowed or acquired at the last moment. It is easy to presume there will always be time, to put off getting ready; but the door will one day be shut, and then it will be too late. Do not presume on the delay. Be ready now for the Lord's coming, with a genuine, prepared faith of your own, not a borrowed or last-minute one. Watch, for you do not know the day or the hour; and see that you have the oil of a real, ready faith, before the cry comes and the door is shut.

Lord Jesus, you told of ten young women awaiting the bridegroom, five wise with oil in reserve and five foolish with none, who could not borrow readiness at the last moment; when the bridegroom came, the ready went in, and the door was shut. Let that parable call me to be ready now. You are coming, though the time is delayed and unknown; and there is a readiness for your coming that I must have myself, a genuine, prepared faith, that cannot be borrowed or acquired at the last moment. It is easy for me to presume there will always be time, to put off getting ready; but the door will one day be shut, and then it will be too late. Keep me from presuming on the delay. Help me be ready now for your coming, with a genuine, prepared faith of my own, not a borrowed or last-minute one. Help me watch, for I do not know the day or the hour, and see that I have the oil of a real, ready faith, before the cry comes and the door is shut.