In my past this parable is traditionally presented and framed as Jesus warning us to expect the unexpected. Years ago, when I taught Sunday School, my class read this. They asked why the wise bridesmaids did not share their oil with the foolish ones. Sharing, after all, is a Christian virtue. They also asked about the wedding celebration, which, in most of the Bible, encourages openly inviting all to the celebration. Here, however, the bridegroom shuts the door and excludes the foolish bridesmaids from the festivity. The students asked why. I didn't have answers to either question.
Obviously I am not alone. Probably answering questions like these were why Pastor Emillie struggled with this Gospel text. On its face it has many of the usual elements of other parables yet this is unusual.
Pastor Emillie recognized the odd nature of this Gospel and introduced something else into the worship. The lectionary's suggested First Reading was Amos 5:18-24. Instead, at Creator today, the reading was the Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16. A beautiful choice to introduce this parable. It draws attention away from ending admonishment to focus on the different levels of wisdom these bridesmaids possess.
The Amos reading emphasizes a dangerous side of God:
Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear; or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall, and was bitten by a snake. Is not the day of the Lord darkness, not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?
This passage seems to shut a door on desiring the day of the Lord which emphasizes the bridegroom's warning in the parable. Below is the Solomon passage which teaches about wisdom:
Wisdom is radiant and unfading, and she is easily discerned by those who love her and is found by those who seek her. She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her. One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty, for she will be found sitting at the gate.
So the service presented a choice. Is the parable simply a warning to be prepared? Avoid the bridegroom's or God's dismissal by following the Scouts motto "Be prepared". Really? The bridesmaids all slept. Half took extra oil. Fine. The oil was needed due to the bridegroom arriving hours late. And there was no bride to let the wedding guests and attendants in. Also a "wise" bridesmaid could have suggested that only one lamp needed to remain lit while they waited. The others could then have been quickly lit and trimmed when the bridegroom actually arrived. No one appears to be particularly prepared for what transpired.
At worship the "Be prepared" moral didn't much excite the congregation (Pastor Emillie found this out when asking for our reaction to this Gospel reading at the start of the sermon). Obviously worshipers felt close scrutiny was not needed. Nor does it function at first, or even on repeated readings, as a Jesus parable normally does. Most parables about the kingdom will turn on what the days of heaven come down to earth may look like. Sometimes that reign appears upside down to us. The Good News may be disguised or confusing. Pastor Emillie even offered a prayer for those gathered, asking God to take over our minds and hearts to help us discover the Good News in this Gospel.
That prayer was answered. Sunday's worship provided fertile ground for discovery. On one level our reactions definitely reveal parts of ourselves we would rather remain hidden.
Contemplating the bridesmaid's oil it can be seen as a metaphor for an internal wisdom and prayer time devoted to seeking truth . Those with no devotion to these internal qualities will have little of this oil. They must go to others. the "marketplace" and to the dealers for validation. This is particularly resonant at this time in the world The five wise
bridesmaids cannot give their oil because this comes from within. Their trust in God is the lamp that shines.
Next Pastor Emillie asked "In what world do we talk about a bridegroom and not the bride when the discussion is about a wedding?" As the events unfold the wedding sounds more and more like it would be a drag to attend. The guests must be tired after their long wait. The wedding is finally happening at the wrong time. Half of the bridesmaids are not there as attendants in the ceremony nor can they celebrate together with all their friends. The bridegroom is in an unhappy mood, the bride has not made an appearance and the closed door not only keeps the foolish bridesmaids out, it keeps the others in. The "foolish" bridesmaids may ultimately be the ones with a better chance to celebrate somewhere else than those who went in with the bridegroom. Jesus may be portraying the wedding no one wants to attend to help clear our minds as to what the kingdom of heaven actually is, Maybe the invitation to that wedding has yet to arrive and where the waiting is worth it.
Pastor Emillie observed parables often have multiple meanings. Discovering a few of them today was fun.
No comments:
Post a Comment