In today’s Gospel, the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids (which used to be called the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins), we have another story whose theme is wakefulness, preparedness. It follows the Parable of the Faithful or the Unfaithful Slave, and is followed by the Parable of the Talents, and the Last Judgment. The parables are meant as preparations for the story of the Last Judgment; one way or another, we are being reminded of the choices before us, and their possible consequences.
“The kingdom of heaven will be like this,” says Jesus, and he then unfolds his tale. In this case, the kingdom is a place of possibility, where choices are before the actors in the story. The kingdom in this story is not so much a destination, a final condition, as it is a condition in the process of being created, by the choices of the bridesmaids. The wise bridesmaids create an opportunity for the Lord, the kingdom, to appear, by their readiness, their preparedness. The foolish bridesmaids in effect get in the bridegroom’s way, by their lack of attention, lack of readiness. The bridegroom, the Lord, can’t appear where he can’t be seen. The kingdom, in this story at least, is less about the Lord’s initiative, and more about the initiative, the readiness, of the wise bridesmaids. They are at least precursors of the kingdom; their presence is necessary to make it actual. The bridegroom is waiting for their welcome; he is not going to force his way into their presence.
“When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.” The natural, obvious meaning of this story is easy to follow. Through long hours of darkness, lamps must be filled, an oil supply must be ready to hand, wicks must be trimmed, and at least one lamp must be kept burning, or embers of a fire, so that lamps can be lit when needed. This is a picture of the world before electric light, not that long ago. Nighttime darkness was total, relieved only by the moon and stars, and by lamps, candles, and fires, where possible. Our experience of darkness is softened by the instant availability of electric light, at the flip of a switch. We don’t usually experience a stark contrast between day and night, light and dark, as likely the ancients did.
What is it about the lamps in this story? The wise bridesmaids won’t part with any of their oil. The foolish bridesmaids apparently make it to the wedding banquet with refilled lamps eventually, but the lamps seem not to be burning brightly enough to allow the bridegroom to recognize the foolish bridesmaids, and so they are left out. What is going on here?
I don’t want to sound too fanciful here, but there is a symbolic way of thinking about this story that is perhaps interesting. It is not accidental that there are ten bridesmaids, five wise and five foolish. The five can be understood as the five senses, and the lamps can be understood as the state of readiness of the senses to the reality around them. The burning lamps are the lights of a mind fully awake, aware of spiritual reality and ready for its appearance at any time, even in the darkest times, called ‘midnight’ in the parable. The bridegroom, the Lord, can appear at any time; even the five foolish bridesmaids, a mind and senses unprepared and not fully awake, belatedly recognize reality and attempt to respond to it. I’m reluctant to believe that the bridegroom’s inability to recognize the foolish bridesmaids is total and permanent. A mind can grow, develop, reach the readiness necessary to choose to enter the kingdom. But the apparent rejection by the bridegroom is a reminder of the nature of our choices, that they have consequences, now and in eternity. May we keep awake therefore, for we know neither the day nor the hour, when the bridegroom will arrive. Amen. (11.XI.17 Adv.)
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