The Bridegroom Didn't Open The Door

  “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Harsh words from a loving Jesus.  

The bridegroom won’t answer the door to their call to open it.

Once again the lectionary puts in this difficult parable for us to grapple with.   

It is a parable that grabs at my heart.  

How could Jesus be so harsh to those who call out  “Lord, lord, open to us.”

 

There is a load full of assumptions that pull on this hard to hear parable.  So let me try to explain my simple theology here.

First: 

   The lamps are the ten bridesmaids,

     The oil, faith and spiritual reserve,

       The wise/foolish, the mixed nature of believers. 

The world is filled with wise and foolish people.

                                                                    That is just the truth.

Point of reference:  They all fell asleep and so did their lamps.

So, I want to suggest is that the story of the ten bridesmaids is dealing with the problem of assumptions.  

It is not, in my opinion, about an attempt to scare nor judge our human frailty.  

 To 'assume’ presents a complicated challenge to the human condition.

The foolish made a huge assumption. They assumed the future without taking the responsibility of preparing for other possibilities.

                                                                    

 The bridegroom was “delayed.” 

God doesn’t always fit into our timing.  Or our plans.

BIG jump:

              The word that could be helpful here is: procrastination.

How many of us are not well versed in procrastination?  The temptation to wait to do something we know we have to get done.

As a high school student I was famous for putting off what I didn’t want to do “right now.”  It has taken me a life time to resist that habit.

I am thinking that Jesus’ refusal, to open the door, is a not-so-gentle reminder of how important it is for us to not to assume nor procrastinate.  When it comes to our faith in his love.

Now, before I go on, what is on your mind?

I leave you with this complicated parable until tomorrow.

‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” ⁷Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” ⁹But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” ¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” ¹²But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matt. 25)