Weddings in the ancient near east looked something like this. The groom and his family gathered at their family’s settlement, which was essentially a village of related people. The bride and her family and guests gathered at her household, the groom and his family made their way to the bride’s village to collect the bride. The bride and groom would disappear for a while and when they immerged they were married and the partying would begin.

In this mornings parable ten young women who are guests of the bride are waiting for the groom to arrive. Five of them don’t have enough oil so they rush out to buy some before the groom arrives. The groom arrives while they are still out, so the party starts without them.

Jesus is saying to the people in the parable that the party has started. Jesus is here actually bringing his kingdom into being. The party has begun.

This parable is like another comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says; Lord, Lord will enter the kingdom but only those who do the will of my Father. Everyone who hears my word and acts on it is the wise man who built his house on a rock. Anyone who hears my word and does not act on them will be like the foolish man who built his house on sand.”

The bridesmaids are characterized as wise and foolish as were the two “builders of the houses.” The response here is the same; “I do not know you.” This is from the same Jesus who said; “you will know them by their fruits.”

As Jesus went from place to place throughout his ministry his audience also changes. Today’s parable is addressed; “privately” to his disciples. Jesus is speaking to you and me. So what is Jesus teaching? I do not think he was teaching; “always be prepared.”

Normally when we read the parable, we assume that the five are foolish for not having brought along enough oil. So they went out to look for more oil at midnight. Where were they going to find more oil wandering around in the darkness in the middle of the night? So now they are without oil and they were late.

Their critical error was to leave and go looking out in the wilderness for oil. Wouldn’t they have been better off sticking with the five bridesmaids who had enough oil? Wouldn’t they have been better off trusting the groom not to leave them out because their lamps were no longer lit? After all he was the one who was late, surely their friend would have understood.

But when the five foolish maids made the decision not to trust in the graciousness of the groom and foolishly went to look for more oil in the middle of the night they returned in the black of night with unlit lamps. So the groom looks out and says; it is dark, I can’t see you, I don’t know who you are.

So what do you think? Would things have been different for these five foolish maids if they had stayed within the light of their friends and trusted the groom to be gracious and understanding with them?

Faith is trust that Jesus wants to include us. He doesn’t need our light or oil, but he wants to include you because you are his brother or sister, a child of the same heavenly father. Throughout his ministry Jesus was always criticized for including the wrong people, he ate with sinners and tax collectors. Trust and attachment to Jesus is not just important it is everything.

The foolish bridesmaids were foolish for not trusting that the bridegroom was a person who would seek to include them, even having run out of oil. What about us? Do we have enough trust that Jesus seeks to include us? Especially those who have made mistakes in their lives? Jesus was always criticized for being inclusive of the wrong people. He ate with sinners. Not long before telling this parable, Jesus had been embroiled in controversy with the chief priests and elders of the people, and he told them that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before them (Matt. 21:31). Jesus included people that others excluded. Hear the good news that when we don’t have enough faith Jesus gives us his faith! Time only runs out when we foolishly lack trust in Jesus to be for us?

Often, before one of our fellowship dinners someone will say to me, I didn’t bring anything, may I stay?” Or I am going to be away all week and won’t get back until late Saturday, I can’t bring anything, is that alright?” I think that is the same thing as in our parable. The only important thing is being there. It proves that together we will always have enough even if we each only have a little bit. That is why we have those little celebrations, to prove that we are together and that there is more than enough for everyone.

Back two weeks ago on Reformation the epistle lesson was; “we are not saved by the works of the law but by faith.” We are saved by Jesus Christ’s faith. Our faith is in a groom who lived his life as an expression of grace and forgiveness. Jesus comes to us again and again as the host of our heavenly fellowship dinner. It is our family celebration as God’s children with each of us bearing the mark of Christ’s cross on our foreheads. That is an oil that never runs out, because it comes with a grace and forgiveness that follows us wherever and whenever we are.

Jesus feeds us even if we feel like we have run out of the oil of faith. We are fed and so we receive his faith which is boundless and unlimited. There is no other place to “go and get it.” Stand in the light of Jesus love that persistently shines on everyone, Jesus never runs our, and he is always willing to give, so let the celebration begin.

1. Why do you think the 5 foolish maids went out to buy the oil?

2. Which is worse running out of oil or being late?

3. What are we being taught about wisdom and foolishness in today’s lesson?