Pastor's sermon was from Matthew 25 today, and in passing I found I had another note about oil squeezed into the margin on that page:
[the five foolish virgins] weren't locked out of the feast because they had no oil, they were locked out because they weren't there when the bridegroom arrived
If they had stayed, they would have been obviously foolish to the wedding party: waving sputtering, smoking lamps that were burning out. They would've had to own their error...but I do not believe having a lit lamp was a prerequisite to go into the banquet. Being present was.
By running off at midnight to buy oil, (and who sells oil at midnight? No 7-11 in those days....) they were trying to cover up the fact that they were foolish. Hide the mistake. Avoid being seen to be obviously unprepared. So they left.
And they didn't make it back in time to greet the bridegroom.
It wasn't their foolish lack of preparation that kept them from the feast; it was their pride. They weighed the risk of looking foolish against the risk of missing the party and they chose the risk of missing the party.
And that shows how truly foolish they were.
Once again, preparation must be made while nothing's happening...while the bridegroom tarries. Once he shows up, there is no time for more preparation: ya gotta go with what you got.
And even if it shows how foolish I've been, it's still better than missing him when he comes.
Don't miss the party...
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