St Matthew 25:1-13/Isaiah 65:17-25/1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?” (Mt 24:3). And our Lord proceeded to instruct them, telling them parable upon parable. He is speaking to His disciples, not the crowds; that is, He is catechizing His Church. This parable is not for the masses. This parable, and its warning, are for you, His Church.
As it was in the days of Noah. As it was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As a thief in the night, or labor pains upon a pregnant woman. So it shall be at the close of the age. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the Bridegroom. Outwardly there is no difference between these maidens. All are invited. All appear to be ready. All are adorned with festive garments and accessories. All carry lamps.
So too in the communion of the one, holy, Christian Church. Outwardly there appear to be no differences. All profess faith in Christ Jesus. All await the coming of the Bridegroom to take His Bride to the wedding feast. All behave as Christians, imagining themselves to be ready for the Bridegroom and fit to enter the marriage hall. All even fall asleep. And all arise at the cry. All will be waiting. All appear to be Christians. All have lamps and dress the same, that is, all are baptized and profess themselves Christians.
But there is a difference among these ten that becomes apparent only later. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wisdom of the wise is seen in their preparedness. They bring along oil. The foolish do not carry oil with them. The wise considered the possibility that the Bridegroom would be delayed. The foolish did not. The wise took seriously their obligation to wait and greet the Coming One. The foolish behaved frivolously and so were left unprepared.
Again, all became drowsy and slept. But the cry came at midnight. The wise rose and trimmed their wicks. The lamps of the foolish, however, had run dry. They attempted to glean from their companions. It would not work. Neither could they any longer acquire for themselves. And when the Bridegroom came the wise virgins went into the marriage feast. The foolish were left out, the door having been shut. Harsher words are not spoken in the Gospels than our Lord to these foolish maidens, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. This is rejection at its worst. This is eternal damnation.
Now a parable is an analogy. Pushed too far, all analogies break down. It is easy to chase after threads and themes and soon put the emPHAsis on the wrong syLABble. What are the lamps? What is the oil? How can we have filled flasks? What is “sleep”? Why wouldn’t the wise share? What are the dealers?
There are many intriguing foot trails to take and on which we’d soon loose our path. Christ guides our way with the solemn warning: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Our Lord would have His disciples be on the alert. To watch and pray. Be ready for the coming of the Bridegroom. He describes these maidens as ‘wise’ or ‘foolish’ from the outset.
Our Lord does not mince words. To be called a ‘fool’ is to be an unbeliever. The foolish man built his house on the sand. The fool says in his heart there is no God. Are you so foolish, writes St Paul, that having begun by the Spirit, you are now being perfected by the flesh (Gal 3:3)? Or, Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph 5:17). Some were fools, writes the Psalmist, through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction (Ps 107:17).
Outwardly the foolish virgins appeared to be Christians, but in their foolishness they were not prepared; they did not carry oil with them. They are hypocrites. These are they who first heard the Word with joy, but when faced with carrying the cross, when faced with pleasing God rather than men, when faced with the trials of this life, the allurements of the world, and the temptations of the flesh, they fell away. They relied on past actions, past piety, and false security of dead faith.
Thus did they neglected the provision of their lamps. They did not wish to burden themselves with the cumbersome flasks. The foolish virgins did not consider that the Bridegroom may be delayed. They expected his arrival imminently.
Of such sins repentance is needed. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Heed the call, “Wake, awake, for night is flying!” For you are not in darkness, dear Christians. For you are all children of light, children of the day. Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For Christ has made you wise unto salvation through faith in Him. His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.
The wisdom of God is indeed the folly of the Cross and the preaching of Christ crucified. For God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Thus you are not given to boast of your membership, or your church attendance, or even your faith. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
For you have already died in Him who died for you. You are clothed with the wedding garment of Holy Baptism. You have the invitation of His Word. In these do you watch and pray. By them are you alert and ready. Even so, you have already died with Christ. Thus your death is but a sleep.
And in what do you hope when you awake? Surely not your works or labors, nor those of others. Neither can you live off the faith of others. No one can believe for you. At the last it shall be too late.
Therefore get you to the dealers while it is still day before night comes. For the dealers of the oil of Christ are His ministers, His pastors, who freely give His grace and peace, His mercy and forgiveness, His Body and Blood for your life and salvation; lest the door be shut and you be left out on the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom.
Your boast, your hope, your oil for this Day is this selfsame grace and mercy of Christ. For the mercy that drove Christ to the cross is the same mercy that keeps you in the one, true faith unto life everlasting. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Or elsewhere it is written, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
In the Name + of JESUS. Amen.
As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?” (Mt 24:3). And our Lord proceeded to instruct them, telling them parable upon parable. He is speaking to His disciples, not the crowds; that is, He is catechizing His Church. This parable is not for the masses. This parable, and its warning, are for you, His Church.
As it was in the days of Noah. As it was at the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. As a thief in the night, or labor pains upon a pregnant woman. So it shall be at the close of the age. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the Bridegroom. Outwardly there is no difference between these maidens. All are invited. All appear to be ready. All are adorned with festive garments and accessories. All carry lamps.
So too in the communion of the one, holy, Christian Church. Outwardly there appear to be no differences. All profess faith in Christ Jesus. All await the coming of the Bridegroom to take His Bride to the wedding feast. All behave as Christians, imagining themselves to be ready for the Bridegroom and fit to enter the marriage hall. All even fall asleep. And all arise at the cry. All will be waiting. All appear to be Christians. All have lamps and dress the same, that is, all are baptized and profess themselves Christians.
But there is a difference among these ten that becomes apparent only later. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wisdom of the wise is seen in their preparedness. They bring along oil. The foolish do not carry oil with them. The wise considered the possibility that the Bridegroom would be delayed. The foolish did not. The wise took seriously their obligation to wait and greet the Coming One. The foolish behaved frivolously and so were left unprepared.
Again, all became drowsy and slept. But the cry came at midnight. The wise rose and trimmed their wicks. The lamps of the foolish, however, had run dry. They attempted to glean from their companions. It would not work. Neither could they any longer acquire for themselves. And when the Bridegroom came the wise virgins went into the marriage feast. The foolish were left out, the door having been shut. Harsher words are not spoken in the Gospels than our Lord to these foolish maidens, Truly, I say to you, I do not know you. This is rejection at its worst. This is eternal damnation.
Now a parable is an analogy. Pushed too far, all analogies break down. It is easy to chase after threads and themes and soon put the emPHAsis on the wrong syLABble. What are the lamps? What is the oil? How can we have filled flasks? What is “sleep”? Why wouldn’t the wise share? What are the dealers?
There are many intriguing foot trails to take and on which we’d soon loose our path. Christ guides our way with the solemn warning: Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Our Lord would have His disciples be on the alert. To watch and pray. Be ready for the coming of the Bridegroom. He describes these maidens as ‘wise’ or ‘foolish’ from the outset.
Our Lord does not mince words. To be called a ‘fool’ is to be an unbeliever. The foolish man built his house on the sand. The fool says in his heart there is no God. Are you so foolish, writes St Paul, that having begun by the Spirit, you are now being perfected by the flesh (Gal 3:3)? Or, Do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is (Eph 5:17). Some were fools, writes the Psalmist, through their sinful ways, and because of their iniquities suffered affliction (Ps 107:17).
Outwardly the foolish virgins appeared to be Christians, but in their foolishness they were not prepared; they did not carry oil with them. They are hypocrites. These are they who first heard the Word with joy, but when faced with carrying the cross, when faced with pleasing God rather than men, when faced with the trials of this life, the allurements of the world, and the temptations of the flesh, they fell away. They relied on past actions, past piety, and false security of dead faith.
Thus did they neglected the provision of their lamps. They did not wish to burden themselves with the cumbersome flasks. The foolish virgins did not consider that the Bridegroom may be delayed. They expected his arrival imminently.
Of such sins repentance is needed. For the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Heed the call, “Wake, awake, for night is flying!” For you are not in darkness, dear Christians. For you are all children of light, children of the day. Since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For Christ has made you wise unto salvation through faith in Him. His Word is a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.
The wisdom of God is indeed the folly of the Cross and the preaching of Christ crucified. For God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Thus you are not given to boast of your membership, or your church attendance, or even your faith. Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.
For you have already died in Him who died for you. You are clothed with the wedding garment of Holy Baptism. You have the invitation of His Word. In these do you watch and pray. By them are you alert and ready. Even so, you have already died with Christ. Thus your death is but a sleep.
And in what do you hope when you awake? Surely not your works or labors, nor those of others. Neither can you live off the faith of others. No one can believe for you. At the last it shall be too late.
Therefore get you to the dealers while it is still day before night comes. For the dealers of the oil of Christ are His ministers, His pastors, who freely give His grace and peace, His mercy and forgiveness, His Body and Blood for your life and salvation; lest the door be shut and you be left out on the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom.
Your boast, your hope, your oil for this Day is this selfsame grace and mercy of Christ. For the mercy that drove Christ to the cross is the same mercy that keeps you in the one, true faith unto life everlasting. Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. Or elsewhere it is written, Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
In the Name of the Father and + of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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