24th Sunday after Pentecost – November 8, 2026

Matthew 25:1-13

To understand our parable this morning…we need to look at the three distinct stages of a first-century Jewish wedding:

First…the betrothal: In Jesus’ day…a wedding began with a legal contract called a ketubah.

The groom’s father would pay a bride price to the bride’s family.
Once the contract was signed and sealed with a shared cup of wine…the couple was legally married…
But they did not yet live together or consummate the marriage.

Then…the preparation period: After the betrothal…the groom returned to his father’s house for approximately one year.

During this time…he would build an addition onto the family home…a bridal chamber…to house his new family.
Meanwhile…the bride remained in her home…wearing a veil in public to show she was spoken for…and preparing her wedding garments.
Crucially…the exact date of the groom’s return was unknown.
Only the groom’s father could decide when the living quarters were finally ready for the bride.

Finally…the procession and feast: When the father gave the word…the groom would set out…often at night…to fetch his bride.

He was accompanied by friends and musicians…and their arrival was announced by a shout or the blast of a shofar or ram’s horn.
The bridesmaids…or attendants…were responsible for waiting with oil-fed lamps…
Often torches made of rags wrapped around a stick…to light the path.
They would join the groom’s procession as it wound through the village…eventually leading the bride back to the groom’s home.
Once the party arrived and entered the house…the doors were shut…and a feast began that could last seven days.

The most curious details in this parable is the delay.

As the bridegroom was delayed…all of them became drowsy and slept.
The text never explains why the groom was late or the festivities delayed.
Whatever the reason…the bridegroom does not arrive when everyone expects him to arrive…and this delay changes everything.
(He probably played 36 holes of golf with his groomsmen instead of 18…with too much wine after).

At first the bridesmaids are alert…they are ready.

But as the hours pass…fatigue sets in.
Eventually every one of them nods off.
This detail is important…Jesus does not criticize them for sleeping…all ten fall asleep…even the wise ones.
The problem in the story is not weariness.
The situation becomes a crisis when the delay lasts longer than expected.

When midnight finally arrives…the entire story turns on a single detail: oil.

Five of them were foolish…and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps…they took no oil with them…but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
At first…the difference between the two groups seems minor.
All ten bridesmaids have lamps.
All ten are waiting…all ten appear ready…but only five brought extra oil.

And this becomes critical when the cry rings out at midnight:

In a world accustomed to 24-hour convenience stores…we tend to assume that we can usually fix problems at the last minute.

Running low on gas? There’s a station just down the road. Need groceries? The store is open late.
Almost anything can be replenished with a quick stop.
But in this parable…the moment arrives when there is no time left to refill the tank.

The foolish women ask the wise ones for oil…but those dear souls firmly refuse.

No! there will not be enough for you and for us…you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.
Certain forms of readiness cannot be transferred from one person to another.
A relationship with God cannot be outsourced.
Faith cannot be stockpiled by someone else on our behalf.
At some point each person must decide what it means to keep their own lamp burning.

Jesus is asking us…in this parable…to think about what it means to cultivate a faith that can endure the long night.

Spiritual practices like prayer…worship…service and study are not merely religious habits.
They are ways of replenishing the oil that keeps the lamp of faith burning.
They prepare us for the long waiting that discipleship often requires.

The parable ends with a sobering image.

While the foolish bridesmaids are away searching for oil…the bridegroom arrives.
Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet…and the door was shut.
Later…the others return from their quick trip to 7-Eleven and knock on the door.
Lord…lord, open to us.
But the groom isn’t having it: Truly I tell you…I do not know you.
The story closes with Jesus’ warning:
Keep awake therefore…for you know neither the day nor the hour.

OK then…there are some kinds of oil that you just cannot borrow from anyone else.

You can borrow someone else’s homework but you cannot borrow the hours that the other student put in for the research…and the studying.
You cannot borrow someone else’s peace of mind.
Or their passion for God.
Or someone else’s good marriage.
Or someone else’s friendship.
It doesn’t work.
You must discover it for yourself.

We must figure out what fills us up spiritually and make sure that we have some to carry with us every single minute of the day.

Because that is how often we will need it.
Because here’s the thing…we do run out…time will run out.
The hour gets late…and one gets sleepy…
And we all doze and put it off and say:
One of these days I am going to quit working so hard and I will begin to live with a better sense of healthy boundaries.
One of these days I am going to start painting again like I used to do in high school…I always loved it.
We all doze…we all put it off…
And then the shout comes up… He’s coming!
It’s time! And one of these days is over…it’s today…and we never did bring our flask of oil…
And that’s the hardest thing about this parable…
That the time will come…when we must draw upon the oil we have right there…with us…in the flask.

And it is not going to come from our bank account or stock portfolio…

It is going to come from where we see God…Jesus said:

That’s where we get filled up…

kindness…generosity…self-control…goodness and faithfulness.

We do not fill up our lamp because we are afraid we will get locked out of the kingdom of heaven…

We do not stockpile oil because we get to turn everybody else away…no.
We fill up our flask…and we take it with us…because today we might meet the bridegroom.
And that is more joy than any of us can have…
We fill our flask out of joy…
We fill it so that we are ready to meet Jesus…
And that is the price of oil…
The desire to meet Jesus…when he comes…
And he is coming…soon.