I am the light of the world
A bit of background might help us understand this parable.
The marriage custom in Jesus day was as follows: The Groom would prepare a place for his bride. It might be his own house or a place at his father’s house. Then he would go to the father in law's place to get her. There might be a small party at her house, so there was a small delay. Then the Bride and Groom would return to the groom's father’s house for the marriage feast or banquet (which usually lasted for seven days). They had great parties in those days.
The ten young ladies would be somewhere along the route between the bride’s house and the groom’s house. They would wait for the bride and groom to return and they would hope to join the procession and enter with them into the party.
Now on first reading of our parable it appears as though the 5 wise bridesmaids are being rather selfish. I mean how hard can it be to share a little oil? It seems a little harsh to send the others off to the BP service station at midnight to go and see if he’s still open to get a little oil.
So what are we to make of their stingy ways?
My best guess is this.
That what Matthew is really saying is that you can’t borrow another person's relationship with God. Everyone has to work at it and work it out for themselves. We have to cultivate my own spirituality. Nobody can do it for you. Someone can’t believe for you.
Which leads us down the path to some other thoughts. When confronted by the stranger, the person we don’t like or the person who is sparkling, we might think we know how much or how little oil they have. We might think that we know exactly where they are up to with their relationship with God, but the reality is that we have no idea what quality oil, how much they have and where they got it from. No idea at all. Some get their oil from the inspiration of others. Some get their oil from a crushing experience. Some would say that it has just always been there. Our job is not to speculate about everyone else’s oil, our job is to make sure that we have plenty in our own lamp and that our wicks are always trimmed and ready to go., that you are shining ever more brightly. I am the light of the world. You are the light of the world. We are the light of the world.
A few other things about this parable. There’s a lot of waiting… just hanging around.. and that is so true for us. The computer tells me that there are at least 129 references to the word ‘wait’ in the bible; so if we find ourselves getting a little tetchy, a little impatient, then this is nothing new.
Do not despair In the middle of the night, even in the deepest darkness, a cry of joy will wake us. The night cannot last forever; the Bridegroom will return. Do not put your lamps away in a closet but have them on hand and lit, even if the world says that it’s foolish and pointless
So in this parable the night becomes frustrating: things don’t happen as the bridal party had hoped. God doesn’t work according to our schedule and the Bridegroom does not arrive when we want him to, in the way that we want Him to. He comes at his own time, his own schedule, his own itinerary, in his own way.
Now according to the parable, everyone falls asleep: both the wise virgins and the foolish ones. It is as if to say that falling asleep is inevitable, a fact of life. It is not avoiding sleep that differentiates the wise from the foolish. The problem of the foolish virgins is not sleepiness, but something more fundamental. They never took care of the lamp that they were given and there is a not so subtle hint in there about taking care of ourselves. Clergy are just as good as anyone else, in fact we are sometimes better than most, at not taking care of ourselves. You can’t shine brightly if your oil/resources/energy is all used up.
Finally, the parable centres on different symbols: the lamp and the oil. They are common symbols throughout the Bible. The lamp reminds us of Jesus’ invitation to be the light of the world,
Remember this bit
Jesus said “I am the light of the world.” Now what would happen if we claimed that saying for ourselves? What if we could look in the mirror and say with joy.
“I am the light of the world?” Claim that truth for yourself brothers and sisters. Against the dark backdrop of these times please, please know, that you are shining ever more brightly. I am the light of the world. You are the light of the world. We are the light of the world.