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Reflections on Matthew 25:1-13
by Faith Marsalli November 10, 2002

"God's kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn't show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.

"In the middle of the night someone yelled out, 'He's here! The bridegroom's here' go out and greet him!' "The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, 'Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.'
They answered, 'There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.'
They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.

"Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying 'Master, we're here. Let us in.'
He answered, 'Do I know you? I don't think I know you.'
So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive." Matthew 25: 1-13

November 10, 2002 As we read this passage, we naturally assume this is a parable solely about the Christian's belief in the Second Coming of Christ. I'm afraid there are some people who think Christians are hanging onto a pie in the sky after you die religion that has no correlation with the real world. So I'd like to suggest we reflect on this parable in a just a slightly different light this morning.

How might this parable give insight into a belief we also hold as Christians? That Christ is present here and now. Christ's kingdom is among us today…Not just some day in the far off distant future. I believe many of us set out on the spiritual journey ill prepared. We don't realize how hard it will be to trust God for the long haul when things aren't going particularly well in our lives. No body told us about the waiting part, the times when God seems distant. And when God isn't there for us in the way we think we need, we might be tempted to give up and throw in the towel.

The Matthew parable challenges us, "Stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive." The story says that ten virgins took their lamps with them to meet the bridegroom. The wise have enough oil for the wedding to start whenever the groom arrives; the foolish only have enough oil for their timetable. Five were prepared for the bridegroom to be delayed, but five were not. What might this tell us about the needed preparation for our faith journey?

"In her essay, 'An Expedition to the Pole,' Annie Dillard describes the provision carried along by nineteenth-century explorers in their search for the North Pole: 'Each sailing vessel carried an auxiliary steam engine and a twelve-day supply of coal for the entire projected two or three years' voyage. Instead of additional coal…each ship made room for a 1,200-volume library, a hand-organ playing fifty tunes, china place settings for officers and men, cut-glass wine goblets, and sterling silver flatware…The expedition carried no special clothing for the Arctic, only the uniforms of Her Majesty's Navy." Years later, Inuit Eskimos came across their frozen remains dressed in their finery and surrounded by a just a few of their possessions. How could they have been so naïve?

It's essential that we be adequately prepared for the journey at hand. One of the primary things we need to have on our spiritual journey, is an awareness that God may not show up when we expect him to. Are we prepared with the oil of patience to keep waiting, to keep hoping, and to trust that God will indeed come? Are we willing to lay aside the illusion that we have any control over when and how God will show up in our lives?

I went on a personal retreat earlier this week. I brought my bible, some of my favorite books, my journal, a candle and my running clothes. I tried to bring everything I would need to have a great mystical experience. But to tell you the truth, I felt kind of anxious. I thought, "Gee, I've got 30 hours for God to zap me with something. Am I going to be disappointed if nothing happens?" As I began to let go of my expectations of what should happen, I began to relax and feel peaceful. I realized the only thing I needed was to be open to receive the presence of God into that experience. All I needed was the oil of patience to wait for God to arrive on God's schedule, and not within my own fabricated time frame.

In my relationship with Christ, there have been times of great feasting and celebration. Times when God has felt very near and real to me. There have also been times of great pain and struggle when I've had to wait a long time for relief or comfort or insight. But because I have experienced the incredible love of God in times past, I know I just need to keep patiently trusting in a God who will show up in God's way and in God's time. You see, you endure with patience because you have confidence in the One you are waiting for.

Where do you find yourself this morning? Are you in a place of celebration? God has shown up for you and helped make some sense of your present circumstances. You sense God's love and feel peace about your future. Or maybe, you are in that desolate place of waiting. You're tired and discouraged. God is not showing up for you in the way you'd hoped. The oil of patience is running low and you're not sure you want to keep waiting for a God who doesn't appear to be coming. Be honest about where you are and tell God about it.

Faith Marsalli, November 10, 2002