Matthew 25:1-13 Not Ready

Matthew 25:1-13 (Evangelical Heritage Version)

“At that time 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. 3When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; 4but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps. 5While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, ‘No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10But while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ 12But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’ 13Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

Not Ready

I.

Dour expressions mingled with impatience. They stood behind the chest-high counter at a roadside fast-food-style restaurant in England. We looked at the menu filled with items we only partially understood. What to order?

My mother broke the uneasy silence with her selection. “Don’t ‘ave it,” came the impatient reply. Why it was on the menu if they didn’t have it? Flustered, my mother made another selection. “Not ready,” came the immediate reply. “Not ready”? It’s lunchtime. Shouldn’t you be ready when the lunchtime crowd starts to come in?

The wedding feasts of Jesus’ time often started at night, and often noone knew exactly when it would begin. The evening might have started with the bachelor party, and then the groom would go to get his bride.

There the bridesmaids were in Jesus’ parable—all ten of them. To any who would pass the group, they would have all looked to be ready for the wedding feast. They were there; they were waiting; they had lamps, all set for the evening’s festivities.

They couldn’t set their alarms on a watch or a phone to wake them up a short time before the event; even if those things existed, with no set time, they wouldn’t have had any data to put in their devices. So, they just sat down to wait.

“While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep” (Matthew 25:5, EHV). Anticipation of an exiting time can only keep a person awake for so long. Eventually, all ten dozed off. It seems only natural, doesn’t it? And Jesus, in his parable, makes no accusation related to their nap.

“At midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps” (Matthew 25:6-7, EHV). The moment they had all been waiting for had finally come! All were excited. A wedding feast was such a joyous occasion. There wasn’t an endless list of entertainment possibilities, so such a feast was a big deal.

“The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, ‘No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves’” (Matthew 25:8-9, EHV). It must have been a devastating moment. Fully half of the bridesmaids suddenly realized they were not nearly as prepared as they had thought they were. The oil in their lamps was going to run out. But if the half that were fully prepared shared, they would also have come up short. There was no option but for the less-than-prepared to go and get resupplied.

II.

“At that time 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” (Matthew 25:1-2, EHV). Clearly, Jesus’ parable is about being prepared for the kingdom of heaven, being prepared to meet him, our heavenly Bridegroom. Half the attendants were wise, half were foolish.

Was he talking about five believers and five unbelievers? Perhaps one might think so at first. But remember, all the attendants looked prepared. All ten were waiting; all ten had the same attitude and the same anticipation for the bridegroom’s coming. All ten, then, represent believers.

Here we are—a bunch of believers gathered to hear a worship service, either in person or on a podcast or livestream. No matter how you are worshiping today, you are presumably one who is waiting for the heavenly Bridegroom. Just like the ten virgins in the parable, none of us know when Jesus will come. Just like the ten, his coming is something exciting. We look forward to it with great anticipation.

“While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep” (Matthew 25:5, EHV). Dozers. All ten were dozers. Perhaps as you listen to the pastor drone on week after week you get a little bit drowsy, too. Dozing off during a sermon is not what Jesus is talking about.

The church has been waiting for the Lord Jesus for 2,000 years. Jesus’ point is that none of us Christians are really all that good at waiting. Sometimes we get distracted; there are so many other things going on that we take our eyes off the real joy we look forward to. Sometimes we get impatient; we want what we want and when we want it and lots of it, so when Jesus doesn’t come when we want him—or when we think he ought to— we lose interest.

If every Christian dozes off from time to time, what is the difference between a wise and a foolish dozer?

Sure, Jesus is important. Faith is a good thing. There is value in being a Christian. Maybe the foolish would acknowledge all these things right along with the wise, but they think they have more time. It’s not really all that urgent to them. If there’s just a little bit of the oil of faith in the bottom of the lamp, that’ll be enough to keep it burning until just before it’s time to die, or time for Jesus to come; I’ll make adjustments to my oil of faith then.

“But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’” (Matthew 25:6, EHV). All of a sudden, there is no time. The oil at the bottom of the lamp is all the foolish have. There is no container there to top things off.

I think for sure I must be the proverbial blue in the face by now, or sounding like the proverbial broken record. If you are going to be the dozing virgin—and by now you should realize that we all are from time to time—then its important to bring provisions. That means having your Bible is not to be an afterthought. It means that every time you wake up from one of those dozing sessions, its time to dive back into it and top off your oil of faith.

“But while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut” (Matthew 25:10, EHV). Keep your container-Bible near your lamp of faith at all times. When the Lord Jesus comes for you and you wake up from your doze, you fill your lamp and go inside to the wedding banquet.

“Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ 12But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you’” (Matthew 25:11-12, EHV). Devastating! The dozers who thought they had more time did not. They didn’t think they needed to bother with the container-Bible to refresh their faith, and in reality, they lost their faith. They were rejected from the wedding banquet.

III.

“Not ready.” That’s never a phrase the heavenly Bridegroom gives to you. From the very first time he gave the promise, God’s plan of salvation was as sure and certain as if Christ had already said from the cross: “It is finished!”

God made his plans because he knew all people, even those who believe in the Lord Jesus, would be dozers. He knew human beings were so flawed that there was no chance we could accomplish any part of the salvation plan on our own.

It was necessary for Jesus to substitute his own perfection for the dozing lack of perfection each of us has displayed. Soon we will be preparing to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We don’t prepare with decorations and feasts and gifts, we prepare by hearing again the miracle of God becoming fully human to take the burden of keeping the law perfectly and carrying our debt-load of sin to the cross for us.

Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins so that he could give us the wedding clothes of salvation. There is no way in to the wedding banquet except through the door of Jesus.

IV.

“Not ready. Don’t ‘ave it.” So said the churlish woman behind the counter somewhere in England. Some menu items couldn’t be bought because they just didn’t have them; some they had, but the dishes were still being prepared and weren’t ready to be sold.

Some things on the menu were available and ready, so we ordered. “Open or wrapped?” came the next impatient question. None of us standing there had any idea. It turns out this was the equivalent of: “Is that for here, or to go?”

Wrapped and ready to go might be the best answer for us in our lives of faith. No matter how hard you try to stay awake while you wait for the Lord Jesus to return, sometimes you’ll get drowsy. Keep that container of oil close by you. Whenever you stretch and stir back into wakefulness, refill your lamp of faith. No matter when he comes, even at midnight, be ready. Amen.