In the Name of the Father, and of the +
Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Wisdom requires effort. The wisdom of the five virgins
consists of both knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into action.
We’ve all heard the platitude, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t
make it drink.” The Book of Proverbs begins with a similar exhortation, “The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and
instruction;”[1]
that is, the receiving of knowledge and wisdom includes effort, the willingness
to bring wisdom into your heart, knowledge into your soul, and produce change.
“Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that
good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[2]
This is the wisdom of the virgins. They do not have secret
knowledge that is unavailable to the foolish virgins. The foolish virgins have
simply despised wisdom and instruction. The foolish virgins believe there is
nothing they must ever do to enter the wedding feast. They know who the
Bridegroom is and that is enough. The rest of their lives is spent in
sloth—being lazy because nothing is expected of them.
The wise virgins have received the knowledge and wisdom of
the Bridegroom and put it into practice. They have allowed this knowledge and
wisdom to transform their hearts such that they are now new creations. They
believe that when the Bridegroom says is true and they act accordingly.
Before you begin to think that you, or the wise virgins, are
brought into the wedding hall by the Bridegroom because of your actions,
merits, thoughts, or worthiness, stop. That is the thinking of the foolish
virgins. They want to know the lowest common denominator. They want to know the
easiest way to salvation. If that means a certain type of works, fine. If that
means knowing a certain formula, fine. The foolish virgins want to know the
lifehack that will guarantee success; the shortest route between where they are
and where they want to be.
Such foolishness can even parade as gaining knowledge. This is the pursuit of facts without any idea of how such knowledge affects the world, your neighbor, or your heart. In our world, this is the proliferation of trivia. Social media, especially forms with video, are constantly moving toward shorter and shorter clips. Things like Youtube and Tiktok want you to believe that it is important for you to know a little about a lot of things; and when they say “things,” they mean everything from current geopolitics to the origin of a viral dance. The question we ought to be asking of such platforms is, “Does this knowledge help me or my neighbor? Does it affect the world that actually exists or only the world created by this knowledge itself?”
The wisdom of the wise virgins is quite simple. The
Bridegroom has said that He is coming. From these words, the wise virgins
believe the Bridegroom is coming, though they don’t know when. They then draw
the conclusion that if these words are true, then it would be important to
bring extra oil. If the Bridegroom is delayed, we might run out of oil.
Therefore, we should bring extra. When the foolish virgins ask for their oil,
the wise virgins again exercise their wisdom. “No, lest there should not
be enough for us and you.”[3]
They are not being rude, mean, or withholding. They are exercising wisdom. If
there is only so much additional oil, and the Bridegroom is near but still
delayed, we could all run out of oil. Therefore, we need the extra oil for
ourselves.
The thought, and action, of bringing additional oil is not
what saves the wise virgins. The Word of the Bridegroom saves them. The extra
oil is only a consequence, a working out of that promise. Thus, the wisdom of
the virgins originates in the Word of the Bridegroom that then transforms their
minds such that their actions would prove the truth of that Word.
What then of you? What consequence does this parable have
for you? In one sense, it is a call to wisdom. All ten virgins are Christians
in the earthly sense. They are all members of the Church on earth. They are all
probably baptized. Yet some are called foolish and some wise. All have received
the same promise of Christ: He is returning to gather His people into the
eternal wedding feast. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. These
virgins stand, somewhat mysteriously, as both the attendants to the Bride and
the Bride herself, since the Church, the Bride, is the saints God gathered to
hear His Word and receive His sacraments.
The foolish believe that since they have received Baptism,
since they have been present when the Word of God was read aloud, they are then
entitled to receive a seat at the banquet hall. Nothing more is required. They
have despised wisdom and instruction.
A name recorded on the membership list of a congregation is
not a “get out of hell free” card; nor are a clerical collar, vestments, a
position on a church board, or a family name on the founding documents. Holy
Baptism is not a “get out of hell free” card. Holy Baptism bestows the very
faith which also receives this most holy sacrament. It is a beautiful gift of
God, a true miracle every time it occurs. Yet wisdom is required even of the
Baptized. “Those who believe and are Baptized shall be saved. Those who do not
believe shall be condemned.”[4]
The faith given in Holy Baptism must be nurtured and fed by the Word of God. This Word must be received throughout the life of the Christian, not just heard. When it is received, it will enter the heart of the Christian and transform his mind. It will renew his soul such that he desires to act in accord with the Word of God. His actions will then prove the truth and beauty of the death of Jesus, which has saved the Christian from his sins and bought him a seat at the eternal wedding feast.
This transformation involves wisdom. Wisdom requires effort.
God clearly states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is
old he will not depart from it.”[5]
God does not state when it is appropriate for a child to have her first cell
phone. God does not state whether children should ever have a cell phone. The
wise Christian must put in the effort to receive God’s Word, let it transform
her mind, and then draw the appropriate consequences therefrom. The Bridegroom
did not tell the virgins how long to wait. He did not tell them how long oil
lasts in a lamp. He told them He was coming. Wisdom said they should bring some
extra oil.
Another consequence of this parable for you is to console
your heart. All ten virgins fell asleep. All ten lamps went out. Why do the
virgins have lamps in the first place? They are waiting at night. There are no
streetlamps. It is dark. It is so dark, should the Bridegroom arrive, He would
not see their faces. If He does not see their faces, He cannot know who they
are and will not bring them into the wedding hall.
And yet all ten virgins become drowsy, fall asleep, and let
their lights go out. Clearly, all ten virgins fall into sin. All Christians
sin. All Christians sin daily and much. Your lamp goes out every time you sin.
Temptation besets all Christians and when you give in to those temptations, you
are ignoring the Light of Christ, that which God Himself has placed within you.
You are turning your back on your Redeemer, choosing that which is easy and
provides immediate pleasure. But the pleasure of sin is fleeting. It causes you
pain in the long run. Sin leads to more sin. More sin leads to greater sin and
soon, you are not even able to kindle the small light of a lamp anymore.
Consolation comes
first from the idea that there is no temptation, no sin, that you experience
that is not common to man. You are not the first man to cheat on his wife. You
are not the first woman to reject the authority of your husband. You are not
the first child to talk back to your parents or outright disobey them. This
consolation only goes so far. It provides you with comradery, but it does not
remove the sin plaguing your soul.
This comes when the coming of the Bridegroom is proclaimed.
The virgins are forewarned of His imminent arrival. The cry goes out, “Behold,
the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”[6]
The virgins are roused from their sleep in time to light their lamps. The
Bridegroom could have arrived in silence. He could have snuck past the sleeping
virgins and left all ten in the outer darkness. He did not. This cry is the
proclamation of God’s Word. It is the public reading of God’s Word in the
services of the Church. It is contained in the printing dies which have made
the bible available to you in every imaginable medium. The cry is sounded by
those sent by the Bridegroom to raise awareness.
Me, speaking to you right now, is the cry heard in the
middle of the night. Jesus Christ has promised to return, and He has promised
to return at a time unknown by man. He will return suddenly but not without
warning. You are hearing the warning right now. Such a warning is not strictly
to inform you of danger, but to call you to vigilance. The Word you have heard
proclaimed, the promise of the return of the Savior in judgement is true. The
Body and Blood of Christ, given and shed for your forgiveness is a sign of His
coming. The very clouds of the sky are a sign of His coming for He will return
on a cloud, just as He ascended into heaven.
This is a cry of consolation because our Lord does not want
you to be unawares. It is the opportunity to repent. It is the opportunity to
light your lamp that the Lord of all will see your face as He enters the
wedding hall. This is a cry of consolation because Jesus Christ loves His
Church such that He would never sneak past her while she sleeps. He would never
leave her in the outer darkness. It is only the foolish, those who refuse to
receive the Word of God who will be left in the darkness.
Thus, the cry is the absolution of your sins, for having
fallen asleep at the watch. It is the absolution for having put your word above
His. It is also the call to wisdom. The call to take the Word which has been
given to you and let it transform your mind. As your mind is transformed, then
take the Word of God and put it into your members, that you would not be caught
unawares, or worse, running around town looking for oil when the Bridegroom
returns.
In + Jesus’
name. Amen.
