Most of us know all too well what feels like to not be ready for a test in school. That feeling can be very acute when the test is being handed out, and you know you didn’t study enough.
I can recall at least one time in high school when, for some reason, I did not know there was going to be a test when I showed up for class. There wasn’t much that I could do about it then.
This is similar to the scenario presented in our gospel today in the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five wise virgins were ready when the Bridegroom came, but five foolish ones were not.
These virgins were waiting for the bridegroom, as if to join him for an important feast. The parable appears toward the end of Matthew’s gospel, in the middle of three chapters of Jesus’ teaching about the Last Days. And so it is clear from the context that the virgins represent people who are waiting for the coming of the Lord in final judgment.
The problem for the foolish virgins stems from the fact that they had become lazy and slept while the bridegroom’s arrival was delayed.
And so all the virgins got their lamps ready, but the foolish ones did not have enough oil. In those days, torches needed a lot of olive oil in order to burn—they needed to be replenished about every 15 minutes.
The oil in the story is what represents readiness. Like boy scouts, the wise virgins were “always prepared.” So the moral of the story for today is: always keep a flashlight in the car. OK, that is wise, but we can go a little deeper.
In order to translate this parable into our own context we do need to ask, How does one get prepared for the coming of the Lord? This is an important theme. Throughout the gospels, we here the warning: “Watch!” “Stay awake!” “You will not know the day or the hour.”
At this point I must digress, because many people find it hard to take this warning seriously. Why? Simply because the Lord hasn’t come in the last 2000 years. But actually, this attitude misses the point. First of all, the Lord comes in many ways; the New Testament writers described the cataclysmic events surrounding the destruction of the temple in 70 AD as a judgment day. Many people unexpectedly died or had their lives overturned. Secondly, the Lord does not need to return during our lifetime for us to be included in the judgment. As the writer to the Hebrews reminds us, “It is appointed unto every man once to die, and then the judgment.” So the warning holds true: man knows not his hour.
So Jesus tells us to live knowing that we could face judgment at any moment. This means, don’t stop cultivating your relationship with the Lord. We can summarize what this means in five points: (1) Seek God in prayer, (2) Know the Scriptures, (3) Learn the teaching of the Church. (4) Hope in God’s love, and (5) Live according to his commands.
The virgins with enough oil have done these things. The depth of their oil represents the depth of their hope in the Lord, it represents their deep desire for him, it represents a disposition that has kept them mindful of the Lord in order to be ready for his return.
This is not a disposition that the foolish virgins could replicate in short order. They asked for oil from the wise, but there was not enough to share. This is like standing outside the classroom on the test day and asking your friend to tell you everything she knows. There isn’t time for that—she has to take her own test.
And so the foolish virgins went off to buy their own oil, but it was too late. “Why?” someone might ask. After all, the thief on the cross converted just before death. But the five foolish virgins were different than the thief because they knew about the bridegroom long before. Their effort was like going to take a test without studying, but then trying to scan all the notes just minutes before a test is handed out. If the test meant that little to you all week, then a little last minute effort won’t show the teacher that you care.
And so it will be at the Lord’s return--many people will be unprepared and their hearts will be revealed. They did not seek him when there was time, so it will be too late to be included among his people.
Jesus typically directs his parables at a specific group of people. And so, after hearing a similar parable in the gospel of Luke, Peter asked, “Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for all?” There and elsewhere Jesus makes it clear that this warning is for everyone—and especially those who have some religion. Note that the foolish virgins knew who the bridegroom was and they had some oil. It just wasn’t enough. Similarly, in our Old Testament passage today, Amos is writing to all the people of God when he says that we should fear the coming of the Lord!
But now let us step back for a moment. Those of you who know the Scriptures also know that this is not the only way to think of the Lord’s return. Even from this passage, we see that there were five hopeful virgins.
Furthermore, St. Paul has a different approach in today’s Epistle. When he writes to the Christians in Thessalonica, he relates the Lord’s return as something to look forward to as the beginning of eternity with Jesus and believers who have already died. He finishes by saying, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
And the book of Revelation concludes with St. John praying “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” St. John wants the judgment to take place.
So when should we be worried and when should we be encouraged?
Jesus warns against the tendency towards a sleepy faith—those who don’t seek God with fervor.
But during Paul’s ministry, this was not the problem for most Christians. They often lived under the threat of persecution, so there was little incentive for people to join the church unless they had a living faith.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins was more likely directed toward those who had heard Jesus’ message, but did not fully respond. It would also apply to those who were content to accept religion insofar as it was part of the surrounding culture, but would not move themselves to cultivate their faith and make it their own.
But we have a different scenario today. Christianity is part of our surrounding culture. It is easy to have just enough Jesus to feel initiated, only to later on stop watching for the Lord. One can be very active in a church and have a sleepy faith. At the far end of the spectrum, someone might use religion as a tool for self-expression—even a way to give a sense of spirituality their unbelief.
The Church of the Good Shepherd has a lot in common with the Thessalonian Church that Paul encouraged. Most of us could have chosen to be at a parish that requires much less of us. But we have faced persecution in order to stand for truth in a relativistic world. This context has a way of keeping one awake. Like the wise virgins, our circumstances have caused many of us to sit up and make sure we have enough oil for our lamps.
We continue to face adversity as a parish, but we don’t need to fear. In fact, continued adversity can give us reason to rejoice. Why? Because there is no better way to prepare for the Lord’s coming than to share in his cross.
This is a process similar to what it takes in order to be ready for the best tests in school. To do well on a good test, it is not enough to be familiar with the material—you need to know the material intimately and be able to interact with it. I remember taking classes where the tests were not so thorough, so students would pass around study outlines. You could memorize an outline without reading a book a do well on a test. But then there was Dr. Poythress. He could not be fooled by rote memorization. You couldn’t get above a C on one of his tests unless you read each book thoroughly and could interact with the ideas.
In like manner, being familiar with Jesus or knowing the facts about his life will not be enough on judgment day. You and I need to know the Lord intimately. This happens when we are able to share in the cross.
Like preparing for a Poythress exam, the stand of the last six years, and even the aftermath of the trial can move us to interact with the material, and to know it intimately as we walk in the ways of our Lord.
So what will it be like when the Lord comes? The famous 19th Century Bishop and scholar JC Ryle suggested a scene that looks much like ours today:
Politics, trades, farming, buying selling, pleasure-seeking will be taking up men’s attention just as they do now; rich men will still be faring sumptuously and poor men murmuring and complaining; Churches will still be full of divisions, or wrangling about trifles; theological controversies will be still raging … and the vast majority [of people] … will still be putting off the day of decision. In the midst of all this, the Lord Jesus Himself shall suddenly appear.
The point is that there are always plenty distractions that can take our attention from the Lord—things that will have no consequence in the end. So each of us must ask: what really matters right now?
To help us answer that question, we can take a quick look at our past. The last six years have been trying, but would we have been more prepared to meet the Lord if we appeased heresy and false teaching? I hope that is an easy answer in light of this.
And so what matters most today? Our adversity forces us to make choices and to clarify priorities. Our adversity keeps us watching and awake.
So, as Paul encouraged the Thessalonians, let us be encouraged. The Lord will return, and those of us who carry the cross will have nothing to fear. We will be prepared on the test day, because Jesus walks us through the answers that he has worked out beforehand through his cross. If we accept his instruction now, we will be his forever. As Paul told the Thessalonians, “Comfort each other with these words.” +
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