Musings: Matthew 25:1-13-The parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids

Every November, I find myself surprised by the sudden change in tone of our lectionary readings, the sudden focus on judgement and end times. This year is no different. Matthew’s parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids feels more to me like an Advent text with its concluding verse: “Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Those words from Jesus seem to me a bit out of place in a story that doesn’t really concern wakefulness. In the parable, all ten bridesmaids fall asleep when the bridegroom is delayed. Only some unnamed watchman remains awake and watchful and sounds the alarm when he sees the bridegroom coming. The parable focuses more on the wisdom of those bridesmaids who prepared for the possibility of delay and were thus ready to receive the bridegroom.

The readings paired with this parable offer two directions for focus. The alternative reading from Wisdom of Solomon (6:12-16) keeps our attention on wisdom that is “radiant and unfading” and “easily discerned by those who love her.” Personified in feminine form, Wisdom is often associated in our Trinitarian understanding of God with the Holy Spirit. She is the one who guides us in the way of truth, who “will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

Wisdom has also been associated with the second person of the Trinity as the one who was with God in creation— “the Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of long ago.” (Proverbs 8:22; cp Colossians 1:15). Jesus becomes the embodiment of Wisdom who points to God and leads to abundant life. When he says, “I am the way and the truth and the life,” Jesus assumes the role of Wisdom.

Wisdom is a gift given by God to those who seek her. From this we can infer that those wise bridesmaids sought to please the bridegroom, and thereby they knew to prepare. Their desire to fulfill their obligation led them into the wedding banquet; whereas those foolish bridesmaids perhaps thought only of themselves and gave only half-hearted obedience to their responsibilities.

On the other hand, Amos (5:18-24) draws our attention to the theme that will dominate the remainder of the year: the Day of the Lord. Hearing the words of woe pronounced in this prophecy, we may find ourselves hearing the parable in an apocalyptic light. Our focus becomes the expected return of the Messiah with its judgement on the nations. Then, the admonishment to “keep awake” becomes even more important.

Perhaps it is important to note here that those ten bridesmaids each believed that the bridegroom was coming. Had they not believed, they would not have brought their lamps and might not have attended at all. This is not a parable about believing, it is about acting.

When I read the parable alongside Amos, I begin to see the parable as a critique of those who, expecting the bridegroom, continue to act as though nothing will change. They have been invited to a party! but they go without joy. Amos speaks to those who have ample resources to sustain the needy, to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked; who instead satisfy only the minimal obligations of religious rituals. The Day of the Lord does not require any change in their lives except to expect more riches and more power. The only sacrifice they imagine is the insignificant sacrifice they make in the Temple, one that is not truly a sacrifice but a necessary fee to stay in God’s good graces.

“Woe to you,” says Amos, for this attitude does nothing to recognize what life looks like in that Day. The celebrations of festivals to the Lord without considering the needs of our neighbors is no celebration at all in God’s eyes. Rather they are an offense. True worship of God, and thus true wakefulness, is attention to righteousness and justice: that is, to work for the well-being of all creation. Wisdom turns our eyes outward from our desires for comfort and safety to the risky work of caring for the rejected, ignored, and trampled ones.

So, in the end, whether we pair the parable with Wisdom or with Amos, we come to the same conclusion: God desires a world where all can live in right relationship with each other and with God. This is proper worship; this is our preparation for the coming of the bridegroom. Keep awake, therefore.