It must have disturbed them. "You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." (Matthew 24.2) Jesus was talking about the Temple. THE Temple. The one Herod commissioned and had been working on for decades. A symbol not only of praise to Israel's God but to the charity of Rome. A foundation on which Israel could again re-establish its Temple practices and gain footing for what some in the first-century hoped would be God's reassertion of Israel over against the nations with their false gods. And Jesus says that it will be destroyed. This? Impossible. And so the disciples, in Matthew 24, ask a question about the "sign of your coming and the end of the age." Clearly they ask more than they can possibly understand, and Jesus knows this. Matthew fills the next two chapters with pointers toward a future reality that no one beyond the Son of Man could truly comprehend. The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids is one of these "pointers." But before moving to the parable, let's consider things from the perspective of Matthew's hearers.
The end of the first century looms near. The good news about Jesus the Messiah has spread throughout the known world. Many synagogues have rejected Jesus of Nazareth as Messiah and cast off those who believe. Roman leaders and leaders of other kingdoms have heard mixed stories about "Christians." Some of the stories have been good, but some have raised suspicions. The emerging church in this somewhat hostile culture has suffered waves of local and general persecutions. As Matthew pulls together his gospel, he reminds his readers of the promise of the "end of the age" and the Lord's return. They know that Jesus' claim about the Temple has come to pass. Herod's Temple in all of its glory was leveled in 70CE. They understand from their experience how quickly situations can change, and Matthew reminds them to cling to the hope of the return of Jesus and the redemption of all things that will favor those who endure in faith.
In light of these two perspectives, the parable is instructive, providing a hope for the disciples that will become more clear in due time, and an encouraging reminder for the hearers of Matthew's gospel. The story is very straightforward, the bridesmaids await the groom so that they may usher him into the marriage banquet per the wedding custom. But the groom is late and they have no idea when he will come. Finally he shows up. Five of the bridesmaids brought extra oil for their lamp, possibly anticipating that the groom's time of arrival was uncertain. The other five have run short. Ushering the groom to the wedding banquet by lamp light is so significant that the oil may run out on the journey, so the oil cannot be shared. The five must go to the marketplace (at midnight?) and buy more oil. When they return, of course, the procession is over. The five bridesmaids and the groom arrived at the wedding banquet hours ago. Now, the five remaining bridesmaids asked to be let in. Given other parables that extol the surprising grace and mercy of their lead characters, we anticipate the groom to say, "Come on in, the party is still going on." But that is not what is said, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." And the door is closed.
As readers we are taken aback at the groom's callousness. "I do not know you"? But these other five were bridesmaids as well. He had to have known them. What changed? The urgency and occasion of the parable changed. Whereas other parables point to a time of divine ingathering, this one directs the reader to the "end of the age." The time for ingathering is over, and final judgment has come. The kingdom of heaven, then, is open, wide open, for a time and then, it is closed. Those who are ready and waiting, anticipating the return of Jesus, are welcomed in to the wedding banquet of Christ and the Redeemed. Those who are unprepared for the arrival of the groom are left out.
This is a difficult word for our times. We prefer the parable of the vineyard owner and others like it to this one. But Jesus and Matthew remind those who wait even unto today to "keep awake." The second coming of Jesus the Messiah remains a substantial part of the gospel proclamation. The promise remains as promise. Are we living as an expectant community of faith, serving the Lord while scanning the horizon for the Lord's return? Has our expectation of the Lord's return been too immediate and we are out of oil for the journey? Or, do we have the resources of faith and the outworking of that faith in to endure until He comes?
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