Eyes Off the Prize

"And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came..."


I grew up believing that this parable was a warning to be prepared in life. Reading it again today, I no longer agree with that interpretation.  Granted, the young women who are called “wise” did bring more lamp oil than those called “foolish.” But this alone is not what makes them wise. And the so-called foolish girls are not essentially unprepared.

What they have done is brought enough oil to last until the bridegroom is expected to make his appearance.  But—and here’s the catch—he is late. They must wait for his arrival, and because he is so delayed, everyone falls asleep—including those who have brought the extra oil. But still, it is not the oil running out that is the main issue. What happens next is crucial.

All the maids are told to arise and meet the bridegroom—they have waited all night, and he is now here. The moment has arrived. And what do half of these young women do when they learn that the time is now? They make the astonishing choice to run out and buy more oil.

One could argue that the more fortunate ones are cruel not to share what they have. But that is not the point. The bridegroom is here, now, and half of them go away, so they miss the very thing for which they have waited so long.

I think about London buses when I read this. Those little electronic arrival boards inside the bus stop, telling you when the next one will arrive. Or where such boards are lacking, one may send a text to the number on the sign and get an instant message with the same information. I used to take this as gospel word, trusting that if it said the #25 was coming in 8 minutes, then it would surely be here in 8 minutes. After awhile, I discovered how unreliable this can actually be. Sometimes, I would walk away from the stop, either to keep warm somewhere nearby or transact some quick business, believing I had plenty of time, only to watch an unexpected bus shoot past me, much to my dismay. I tested it by waiting for a bus that wasn’t supposed to arrive for about 15 or 20 minutes, only to discover that one would often come, unannounced, in around 5 minutes or less. It wasn’t foolproof, but in many cases it seemed the key was simply to stay at the stop, because the wait might not actually be as long as expected.

The reason I’m going into this detailed discussion of buses is that I think it reflects the central message of our parable tonight—that is, to watch and keep alert, for the very thing we seek may soon be before our eyes.

The foolish move was not running out of oil, but rather running away at the very moment when they had everything to gain by staying.  By fixating on that which was not essential, they missed the whole show.  Watch and be mindful, for you could very well end up missing your life in the process.

And don’t we see this all the time? How easy it is to miss what is right in front of us because we are focused on the peripheral, the nonessential—the distractions of life. And meanwhile flowers are opening, children are smiling, new friends are waiting to be met, opportunities are literally falling at our feet while we’re looking the other way. Or even walking or running the other way.

These virgins were foolish because they came to see the bridegroom and then refused to meet him. They missed the point. We risk doing the same when we ignore what God is handing to us on a platter. When we turn away from the presence of the one who is—and has always been in our midst, a breath and a prayer away. We risk sleepwalking through our whole lives, when all he wants for us is to have life abundant.

With one foot in the old church year and the other stepping into the new, we have yet another opportunity to stop, wake up, and notice who is here before our eyes. And who is here is the very one who promises that indeed, I am with you always, to the end of the age.