Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps….Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25)
We understand this parable much better than we give ourselves for because we understand preparation.
The wise were prepared. The foolish were not prepared.
We might not understand ancient wedding customs, get confused about the phrase virgins and lamps and oils and meeting the bridegroom and marriage feasts, but we understand the basic point.
We know who was prepared for Thanksgiving and who wasn’t. We will know who prepared for Christmas and who shopped at Wal-Mart the morning of.
We can watch our favorite sports team and say, “Pshh….they weren’t ready.”
We can attend meetings, listen to speeches, receive our children’s report cards and mostly know who prepared and who didn’t.
The wise were prepared and the foolish were not prepared. It’s that simple.
But prepared for what exactly?
The word “wise” has an interesting connotation. It’s wisdom especially for future things – hence the emphasis on preparation.
It’s knowing what you know and it’s knowing what you don’t know.
It seems all ten knew the bridegroom was coming, but only five, the wise, were ready if there was a delay.
As Christians, we ought know what we know and we also ought know what we don’t know.
Again, we’re surrounded by this in our world.
Insurance is sold because they know we know bad stuff happens.
People get sick. Houses get damages. Drivers run into things.
But insurance is sold because they know we don’t know certain things:
If it will happen to me.
What will happen to me.
When it will happen to me.
We are wise to so many things in knowing what we know and in knowing what we don’t know.
As we prepare in work,
for tests,
for dinners,
in exercise,
healthy eating,
taking medicine,
going on a trip,
caring for our home, car, and stuff –
we know what could or will happen and we know that we don’t know if/what/when.
So what does the Christian know? A lot!
Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the dead.
When He comes, there’s an open door and feast and joy for some and a shut door for others.
Jesus wants everyone in!
He tells this parable because He wants everyone in!
He died and rose because He wants everyone in!
He gives the world the Christian Church, Holy Communion, Baptism, His Word, pastors, Christians who pray and share and love because Jesus wants everyone in!
And yet, tragically, not everyone will be in.
God be praised the door is still open for those who are not yet prepared.
What, though, does the Christian not know?
When Christ will return or when death will come.
Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
What does the Christian know?
We know we live in the midst of sin and suffering and we will fall asleep. All ten fall asleep because of the hour.
There is so much darkness around us. There is so much suffering surrounding us. So many reject our Lord’s invitation and will.
So many get so sick in body and mind.
There’s death,
chaos,
corruption,
anger,
loneliness.
There’s persecution of Christians. Jesus tells us not the surprised by this.
But we should also know the darkness we have inside of ourselves.
We for the most part know that our anger isn’t good, that lashing out or losing our tempers won’t make things better. And yet it still happens.
Our temper isn’t an intellectual problem as if smart people don’t get angry but dumb do. It’s a spiritual problem. We do foolish things.
We for the most know that being passive aggressive, of pretending to ignore the problem while at the same time holding anger and grudges and bearing resentment, is damaging to all. And yet, that’s a temptation for many.
We know what sin is. That it hurts us and others.
Lust and selfishness and greed and gossip are bad. We ought stop. We ought want to stop. We ought recognize we need to stop.
And yet, even if we recognize that, we still don’t completely stop.
The Christian ought know this and be prepared for suffering and sin outside of them and suffering and sin inside of them.
And the Christians ought know what they don’t know, the specifics of the how, the when, and the what.
And so, preparation is important.
Go to church, receive the body and blood of Christ, receive the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith, listen to the preaching.
Remember your identity of being in Christ every day. He knows you. He baptized you.
He speaks to you.
He feeds you.
He listens to you.
He is with you unto the end of the age.
He is here.
He knows you and you know Him.
You know His voice. You know His grace and forgiveness.
You know His strength and power and promises and commands and wisdom.
You know You will see Him as He is.
No eye has seen that light, No ear the echoed might, Of Your glory; Yet there shall we In Your victory Sing shouts of praise eternally.
His victory will be so sweet. You will not suffer or be sinned against. You will not battle with your own sin or know your own foolishness.
You are here, today, being prepared to see in victory the Very God of God who died and rose for you to prepare a place for you.
Christ is the wisdom of God and yet took on your foolishness.
Christ is One with the Father, yet was forsaken for you. For a brief moment of time, He had the door of God’s love shut on Him and the cry was “I do not know You.”
All so that God might declare to you, “I know you. I forgive you. I love you.” Enter here through Christ who says, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, He will be saved, and will go in and find pasture.”
He is Christ, the Bridegroom, and we are the Church, the Bride. Presented holy, blameless, without spot or wrinkle or foolishness, washed with water and the Word, given His Holy Spirit and faith, hope, and love.
In Christ, we know God and He knows us and helps us be wise, be prepared in knowing what we don’t know.