Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lampsand 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.
Welcome to Getting ready for Sunday, a podcast of first Lutheran Church. Each week I introduced the readings for the upcoming Sunday with some notes and explanation so you can be ready for worship when you arrive. I look at the Old Testament, Psalm epistle and Gospel reading for the upcoming Sunday and offer a few notes and explanation. The Gospel reading for Sunday, November 12, is from Matthew chapter 25, verses one through 13.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 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, 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 King, and those who are ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shot. 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.
This is part of Jesus's parables about the end of the world. He is predicting his return when he comes to raise the living and the dead into eternal life. And He does it through a series of parables in Matthew chapter 25. This parable is about 10 virgins. So the groom is coming to come to the wedding feast. And there are 10 virgins who are supposed to be waiting with lamps ready for him when he gets there. This is all part of the great celebration they're supposed to attend to him and, and join in in the great marriage feast. Jesus uses this image, frequently throughout the Gospels, the groom, is Jesus, the Savior. The wedding feast is the celebration at the end of time when Christ returns and raises us from the dead. And the attendants in this case would be Christians who are there, ready and waiting.
And so he says, some of the virgins some of the attendants will be ready with oil. And some will have no oil. I mean to kind of crazy to think that if you're a an attendant at a wedding, and your job is to have a lamp that is burning, you would show up with no oil. Of course, as a pastor, I had brides show up to the wedding with the dress over their shoulders an hour and a half after it was supposed to start. So who knows what people do at weddings, right? But in this case, being ready when the bridegroom comes is important. Because once you once he's there, you have to be ready. Now, the groom was delayed in this instance, until midnight.
So the wise virgins, they have oil for the lamps. They get them ready. They light it, and they're ready for the celebration. But the foolish virgins, they have no oil. Of course they can't get oil from the wise one because the wise ones need their oil.
And they say something really weird. Go and buy it yourself. Now, this is midnight. And I don't know about where you live. But where I live. There are not many stores open at midnight. And this is America when stores are open late all the time and on weekends and all that stuff. Not at midnight. Can you imagine what the foolish virgins would have to do to go out and find someone who would sell them oil at midnight? In ancient Israel? Yikes. So of course it takes a long time. And when they finally get back, the door is shut.
The groom says I do not know you
and Jesus finishes with Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Now much ink has been spilled about interpreting this this parable
for especially when you're talking about what is the oil for us, like people have talked about the oil being faith. They've talked about the oil that is good works for the poor. That's what John Chrysostom says,
honestly, for me, I really don't see a need to figure out what the oil means. This is simply be ready. And that's what Jesus says. He says, Watch therefore, for you know, neither, you know, neither the day nor the hour.
And that is what Christians are to do is we who have faith in Jesus need to always be watchful for the day that the bridegroom comes for the day that Jesus comes and begins the celebration at the end of the age, as he raises us from the dead and gives life. How are we ready? We're ready by the Word and the sacraments and the faith that that gives us. And so, Christians ought to always be focused on the chief aim of our lives, hearing God's word, receiving the sacraments and serving each other with love.
That's it for today. We'll see you on Sunday. Bye
Transcribed by https://otter.ai