Matthew 25: 1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins:
“Is Your Lamp Ready?”
When Christ returns for the church, you need to be prepared!
This is Summer time: the wedding season. Tuxedoes and bridal gowns, multi-tiered confections and carefully crafted schedules are the norm – showers and parties, rehearsals and dinner, ceremony, and reception.
Those who are able to make the festivities, share in the Joy that is felt! BUT sometimes…SOMETIMES… an UNFORTUNATE sense of celebration comes at the EXPENSE OF those who FAILED TO SHOW UP… the ones who were sent invitations RELUCTANTLY … You know, THE LAST MINUTE MAILINGS to the people we would rather have LEFT OUT ALTOGETHER…
In this season of weddings, where men and women prepare for lifelong commitments, it is both timely and appropriate for us to look at Jesus’ use of this wedding banquet parable to teach about the eternal Kingdom of God - a spiritual kingdom where EVERYONE IS INVITED, but some will not be prepared to get in.
Jesus, the Master Teacher, used this common understood example from Jewish culture to elucidate, make clear, and explain the sad condition that some people will find themselves in when the Kingdom of God is established at the “End of the Ages.”
At some time in the future, Christ is going to return for the universal church, like a Jewish bridegroom, and those who have faithfully prepared – who believed and lived the Gospel of Jesus Christ - will be able to celebrate. On the other hand, the unprepared – the ones who put all their trust in money, in people, in world philosophies, and the “Gospel of Do My Own Thing” - will be left out of the celebration. Inside the celebration, the joyful noise of triumph will be heard for eternity, while those unfortunate souls who failed to prepare for the return of Christ will be left out to cry everlasting tears, gnash their teeth in regret-filled anger, and burn in the soul-searing flames assigned to those who have rejected the Lord of Hosts!
This cosmic wedding imagery that Jesus used was effective, since marriage customs were well-known in the Jewish tradition and not taken lightly: after the one-year betrothal period, when the bridegroom would go off and prepare a space for he and the bride to live, the bridegroom, along with his entourage, would return unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, to claim his bride. Both the bride and her virginal attendants were expected to be ready to receive the groom at any time; the virgins, our modern day bridesmaids, were expected to host the banquet as well, even though they did not know the exact day or hour of the bridegroom’s return. What an awesome responsibility! With so much at stake shaky, or foolish, bridesmaids just would not do! No, the bridesmaids, or virgins, had to be wise, prepared and on watch!
Jesus clearly spells out the difference between the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins, raising a question that every single person will have to answer for them self: When the bridegroom returns for the church, Will my lamp be ready with enough oil?
The parable shows us that, like the foolish virgins, you can think that you are prepared…but not be prepared. As a Christian, You can accept the invitation to be a part of the wedding party, assume responsibility for the bridal preparation, and even agree to host the celebration banquet when the groom returns. But through carelessness, through poor planning, or sheer foolishness, you can get right down to the moment of the celebration and lose out!
In case you missed it, this wedding banquet is a metaphor for the church. Like a wedding invitation, the invitation to accept Christ has been extended through the Gospel, and received by those who call themselves Christian. The church, the figurative bride of Christ, is being prepared by the committed so that when Christ the Groom shows up at the End of the Age, the celebration can “sho’ nuff” begin!
Unfortunately, like the unprepared virgins and some of the Pharisees within Jesus’ audience, somebody will be foolish and miss their chance to get in! Somebody’s light is going to be shaky! And as the King James Version says, somebody’s light is even going to go out before the appointed time!
What I love about Jesus’ teaching is how even the minutest details contain important lessons for us!
The oil was the very element that kept the fire going; it was the sustaining force that allowed the fire to burn over an extended amount of time. The text says that “they all fell asleep.” They were expecting him…but he did not arrive at the convenient time, when they were up, and assembled in anticipation…like we are this morning. He was a long time coming….zzzz…..
Have you ever fallen asleep waiting for someone? Maybe it was a Friday night, and you had on your club clothes... already had your pre-club drink, and feeling kind of mellow…your girls, or your boys said they would be there “in a few”… and before you knew it…ZZZZ…
“Keep watch! The bridegroom is coming!”
Neither the day nor the hour are known, church, and good preparation means having a large supply of spiritual oil – that which sustains us over the long period of anticipation. In the ups and downs, long days and seemingly endless hours, there has to be something that sustains us and keeps our spiritual lights lit.
What is it that sustains believers’ lights, through the trials and tribulations of life? Where DOES our oil come from?
Well, it doesn’t come from Shell… at $4.00 a gallon! And it doesn’t come from the horoscopes - whether you’re a June Gemini, July Cancer or August Leo or Virgo! It doesn’t even come from your wives’ or husbands’ wonderful massages! Although that’s nice! No, the oil that sustains believers is the Word of God… “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my pathway!”
This parable lets us know that we need an overflowing, abundant, and excessive supply of the Word of God – our sustaining oil - to make it through the waiting period of this Christian Journey and into the Celebration Banquet at the appointed time.
Are you using the right sustaining oil? Don’t forsake the Word of God and get caught out there with the wrong sustaining oil…
I agree, friends are good, but they make poor sustaining oil… because they can like you one day, and shun you the next!
Of course, your job is necessary, but don’t mistake it for sustaining oil…one minute you can be in your cubicle, on the assembly line, or in the break room…and just like that, they’ll give you twenty minutes to exit the building! Jobs will not sustain you!
Even parents, as wonderful as they can be…don’t qualify as sustaining oil… one day God is going to call Mama and Daddy HOME… and you are going to have to wrap yourself in God’s Everlasting Arms just to preserve your sanity!
In this life, you need the oil that sustains for the long haul…the oil that keeps your light burning bright…in sadness and joy…in frustration and exultation… the sustaining Word of God!
Don’t misjudge your oil! Like the foolish virgins, don’t believe that what you have in your jar is enough…the groom may take longer than you anticipate and what you’re burning will not be enough!
Some of the Pharisees thought that they were prepared. They obeyed the Torah, abided by the letter of the law, and strictly observed the Sabbath requirements, but when the Lambs Book of Life is read at the Great Banquet Gathering, some of their names won’t be on the list! Will you be like the Pharisees, and left out?
Will your time in preparation have been so wrapped up in rules, regulations, and constitutions that you miss the opportunity for the celebration? Rather than rejoicing over God’s mercy and goodness, will you have spent more time criticizing the children of God and undermining the ministry of Jesus Christ?
Perhaps, like some of the unprepared Pharisees you will be diagnosed with SLS - “Shaky Lamp Syndrome!”
The light in your heart will be too dim…the wrong oil… or not enough oil…
You will have filled your jar with superficial displays of religion, and neglected the spiritual truths found within the heart-flame fanning verses of the Gospel…
Perhaps, you will have confused membership for worship…
“SHAKY LAMP SYNDROME!” Too much ME-sus, and not enough JESUS!
When the bridegroom returns will you be counted unprepared and foolish?
The foolish virgins of the parable had good intentions – they accepted the invitation to participate in the wedding party and did everything that they believed was required. The problem that messed them up was that they mistimed the bridegroom’s arrival, and misjudged how much oil they needed!
They thought he was coming early, and they found their oil supply short when it was time for them to fulfill their celebratory obligation! Church, how can folks enjoy the celebration when they cannot see? It’s our responsibility to bring the light! The light has to burn for quite a while, because the ETERNAL celebration is going to be off the hook!
Those virgins who took the job seriously realized that this moment was a cause for true celebration: the one who had made a commitment was coming back to get the one who had been waiting for him!
This was not going to be some brief, peck on the cheek welcome home! Naw! The virgins with the oil brought enough oil to ensure they would not run out of oil during the wait or the celebration banquet!
How full is your jar this morning? Did you bring your celebration jar in this morning or did you bring a half dry, almost burnt out wick? What does your spiritual lamp say about you this morning? Are you wise and prepared?
According to the text, to be prepared means that you are ready when the bridegroom shows up! When the call goes out, regardless of the time, your lamp is FULL!
The arrival is not going to catch you off guard! These virgins took their assignment seriously! They were not going to embarrass the bride by not being ready! As long as the groom had been expected, what would these girls have looked like scrambling at the end trying to scrounge up some oil? No these girls jumped up, trimmed their lamps…got the wicks together…and filled the oil reservoir with enough oil so that they could light the way for the bridegroom and his entourage!
“The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet!” Because they were ready, they joined the festivities! They had bright shining faces, full of joy because they had fulfilled their obligation! They had a spirit of peace because they had sufficiently prepared for the groom’s arrival, and they were not scrambling from door to door, embarrassed, frustrated, and unsure! They went in!
And they were able to celebrate a job well done! The tables were set! The songs of Zion were sung! And they were able to see the face of the bridegroom!
The one who had finally arrived and had kept His word!
The one who had fulfilled his duty and returned for his faithful bride!
The one who had legitimized their wait!
The one who reassured them they had not waited for some unreliable, untrustworthy, shame-faced phony!
Church, the bridegroom is coming! Are you lighting the way, or are you IN THE WAY?
Does your life SHINE with the Joy of Salvation?
Is the PEACE OF GOD radiating in your life?
Has Jesus Holy Presence put a SONG IN YOUR HEART?
When the bridegroom returns will you be counted unprepared and foolish or prepared and wise?
Because they were unwilling to share their oil, some might be ready to label the five wise virgins “selfish,” but I have these girls back this morning!
These wise girls had done what they were supposed to do!
They counted the cost of what it would be like to be unprepared and left out of the celebration, and they were not willing to risk being excluded! Clearly, they were not distracted from their task! The bride had entrusted them with the awesome responsibility of hosting the most life changing event that the bride would ever experience! No, they realized that this celebration business was serious and, even if the groom took a long time, they wanted to be ready!
Unwise person, I’m sorry! If you were too busy talking about nonsense to prepare appropriately…that is on you!
Unprepared person, I apologize…but I’ve been entrusted with a mighty task…ushering in the bridegroom!
Text message buddy…the wedding banquet is approaching…
Get your oil together!
“This little light of mine…I’M going to let it shine!”
You can’t use MY oil to shine YOUR light!
No, here he comes! I can’t risk getting left out of the celebration!
MY light is trimmed and MY oil is for ME!
If you had asked me to help you prepare earlier, before the arrival was announced, maybe I could have done something…given you a few coins, or pointed you in the direction of the oil store…
BUT MY CHANCE TO GET IN IS TOO IMPORTANT TO COMPROMISE…
Can’t you see these foolish girls scrambling, running around trying to get their oil together? Somewhere between eagerness, anxiousness, frustration and panic, can’t you hear them say,
“I thought I was ready! I thought I was ready!”
Trying to rush in with their jacked up, half-done lamps!
“Open the door for us! Open the door for us!”
“I tell you the truth. I don’t know you.”
Is this the response that YOU want to risk hearing?
If the bridegroom showed up today, would you be ready to go in and begin the celebration? What would your lamp look like? Have you prepared wisely, so that you can be a part of the celebration? Or is your life missing the Word of God, the oil that you need to sustain you now and get you into the Eternal Celebration?
Would you and your empty lamp be left out? This day, this morning, this hour, are YOU prepared and wise or unprepared and foolish? Is your lamp ready?
PAUSE
You, know one of the curiosities of the Jewish wedding tradition is the accountability of the bridegroom to his father. Even if the bridegroom was ready, the space that he had prepared for he and the bride had to pass the final approval of the father! The bridegroom could NOT return FOR THE BRIDE until the FATHER said so!
The Good News this morning is that the bridegroom Jesus is tarrying until God the Father gives his approval! There’s still time for you to get your oil business straight… There’s still time to prepare… and that is Good News! You do not have to be caught out there in a foolish condition! There is still time for you to be wise, by getting prepared! THAT’S GOOD NEWS FOR SOMEONE TODAY!
Rest assured, Christ the Groom is coming and he is holding everyone accountable for the celebration, not just these fictional virgins. Jesus died for all, AND his blood was a universal invitation, marked with a do-or-die RSVP! Respond to Salvation VERSUS Perdition….HELL!
When Christ returns there are going to be two groups: Those inside celebrating, and those outside mourning!
Those celebrating will be dancing and shouting, waving their lights in the triumphant coronation of the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords!
But those on the outside…
They will be wailing and moaning, with their raggedy, half-lit, mostly empty spiritual lamps… and they will be ushered away into the lake of fire, reserved for those who EITHER FAILED TO ACCEPT the Lord’s universal invitation or FAILED TO SUSTAIN THEMSELVES WITH THE WORD OF GOD!
So what will you do this morning: are you going to get your lamp straight right now…or risk another day, another hour operating with a shaky lamp? Jesus was very specific: “Therefore, keep watch because you do not know the day or the hour.”
How much longer are you going to relax in the dark, knowing that in your heart of hearts YOU DO NOT HAVE THE OIL THAT YOU NEED?
- Now is the time to get your lamp together… because when the FATHER SAYS IT IS TIME, THE BRIDEGROOM IS COMING BACK…
- Now is not the time to be “bumming” oil… I love you, but you cannot have mine!
- God knows I need all I have for me! You have to get YOUR OWN!
- The first step in preparation is to accept the invitation that Jesus extended to everyone. If you haven’t accepted that invitation, you don’t even have a LAMP…much less any oil!
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- What will you do? Come and give your life to Christ…so you can be ready when the bridegroom returns!
(Move away and continue the INVITATION while CELEBRATING THE WHOLE HOUSE OF RSVP’S)
