Fools rush in

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Today’s gospel of the wise and foolish virgins or bridesmaids (Matthew 25: 1-13) marks the feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Carmelite, philosopher, and victim of Auschwitz. It is easy to see why. Nevertheless, the wise and the foolish virgins are not so clearly distinguished as in the parable. Jesus makes it easy for us by labelling some of them wise and some of them foolish, but what if He had not? What if we had to distinguish the wisdom and the foolishness for ourselves?

If we did not know the end of the parable – if we had to write it ourselves – who would enter the banquet? Some might imagine, for example, that the foolish virgins (in Jesus’ eyes) were in fact the wise ones and that the wise ones (in Jesus’ eyes) were nothing less than foolish. How is that? In an Olympian spirit, let’s call them Team F (the foolish ones) and Team W (the wise ones) and see how they fare.

First, Team F brought no oil with them. Well, of course not. Jesus had bid them consider the lilies of the field who neither sow nor reap. Why take additional oil, they might have said, when Jesus has told us not to store things up like the rich fool in Luke chapter 12?

Moreover, is Team W, who take extra oil, really thinking about the bridegroom? They are plotting and planning the material ‘what ifs’ of life, unlike Team F who only have eyes for the bridegroom. Team W seem like the Marthas of this life, whereas Team F seem like the Marys.

Lastly, Team F expect the necessities from the hands of others, as Jesus bids the 72 disciples whom He sends out on mission in Luke chapter 10; surely if a worker deserves his wages, so too does a bridesmaid. Team W in contrast disobey Jesus’ command during the Sermon on the Mount that if someone asks for your shirt (or your oil), give them your cloak as well…

Does Jesus have this all wrong then? Does He confuse the wise and the foolish virgins? Why does Jesus praise Team W who depend on themselves, who calculate, and who refuse to share? Why is it Team W who enter the wedding celebrations while Team F - who did not store things up, refused to plot, and only begged for what they needed - were excluded?

The answer perhaps lies in the fact that all the bridesmaids were there for the mission. It is not that Team W were being calculating and selfish. Team W are the team that had their eyes fixed on the purpose of their role; not simply on themselves. They understood they were part of a bigger scheme; that their service was not just about their own perfection but about how they disposed all things for the service of the bridegroom. 

Team F in contrast could not see beyond the achievement of being named as bridesmaids. They had made it, so to speak, and they became complacent. All their superficial obedience to Jesus’ commands was out of context. When Team W calculated about the oil, it was not due to personal anxiety; it was the wisdom of stewardship applied to their role. If their lights went out, it was not that they had to sit in darkness; it was rather that the bridegroom’s entry and feasting would be threatened with darkness. The same applied to their refusal to share their oil. It was not theirs to share but the bridegroom's.

Team F knew what they had to do up to a point, but Team W knew what they were for. And because they knew what they were for, they were not focused on themselves but on the carrying out of their mission. Not all those who say, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus’ conclusion to this parable is, nevertheless, a warning. Stay awake! He admonishes all. The success of Team W is not really to their credit; like Team F they fell asleep on the job. Nobody can afford to be complacent, not the wisest among us.