TRANSLATION MATTHEW 25:1

Then the Rule of Heaven will be like ten young women who took their lamps and went out to meet the Bridegroom. Now five of them were scatter-brained and five of them were sensible. The scatter-brained took their lamps but no oil, while the sensible ones brought oil in their flasks along with their lamps.

But with the Bridegroom being delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. In the middle of the night there was a shout,”Look, here is the Bridegroom! Come out to meet him!”

All the young women got up and prepared their lamps. Then the scatter-brained said to the sensible, “Give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out.” The sensible ones answered them, ” No way. There is certainly not enough for us and you. Better that you go to the merchants to buy some for yourselves.”

While they went off to buy it, the Bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him.And the door was locked.

Later the other young women arrived saying, “Master, master, open the door for us!”

But he said, “Amen I tell you, I don’t know you.”

So stay awake! for you do not know the day or the hour.

It’s hard to like this parable, as it uses the traditional distinction between scatter-brained and sensible with such profound disadvantage to the former that those who are not perfectly sensible may feel hard-done by. I can remember my own intense dislike of fellow primary school pupils who always had at least two sharpened pencils in their sensible pencil cases. The very sensible refusal of help to the scatter-brained has raised questions throughout the long history of this parable’s interpretation. For this reason it’s important to remember that it’s not really about lamps; rather, it is a parable/ allegory with the rather vaguely defined “meeting the bridegroom” as its focal point, and the arrival of the Son of Man, as its intended meaning. The story presupposes the eschatological material of chapter 24.

So the virtue being promoted is not that of always being well-prepared, but the special faith-virtue of being ready for the Rule of Heaven and its ruler, the Son of Man. There is an urgency but it is that of faithful discipleship which is needed now and now and always now in the time of the church’s wait for its master, and never tomorrow.

It is its effective representation of this urgency that has given the parable its popularity in the. Christian tradition, and its use as an antidote to the apparent lack of urgency shown by God. “Come on God, you’ve given us Trump already, you feel there’s some new shit he can show? Time to say enough. Time to blow the trumpet and send in the big man….” The parable shoves the question back to us, “You getting mouthy pal, what makes you so sure you’ll be on the inside of the door? Better do something now.”

There’s a startling brutality to the Bridegroom’s “I don’t know you,” which reminds the reader of the fate of the man without a wedding tunic.

How do we think of this? Is there a cut-off point in the love of God?