The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins by William Blake ca. 1799β1800
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Rev. Richard Kolaskey
November 8, 2026
Sermon - Pentecost 24
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Beloved in the Lord, with the leaves mostly down and the daylight hours having grown noticeably shorter, with the colder weather just beginning to settle in, actually this morning it seems, and another calendar year quickly drawing to its conclusion, we are each reminded of how time marches on.
The seasons turn their annual cycle. We watched the new life of spring mature into summer. Summer has since slipped into autumn and is now leading us ever closer toward another seemingly lifeless winter. And as this happens, as we grow older, we realize this yearly cycle doesn't really take all that long, and yet time drags on.
The course of nature reminds us of our own mortality. Where once we were young and brimming with vitality and life, many of us are now all of a sudden much older than we were. What we once enjoyed as play now can cause us much pain and discomfort as it has become a labor for us.
The church year also reminds us that the old things are passing away and being made new. We are now in the waning weeks of the church's calendar, and the attuned listener, the attuned hearer to God's Word, will have noticed the weekly readings have turned our attention toward the end times. The eschaton, as it's called, referring to the last days in which we now live, and most especially the great last day.
The day Christ will come again at the end of the ages. For us who believe and trust in Jesus in holy faith, it's the time the church looks forward to, not with anxiety, fear, and dread, but with joyful expectation, anticipating the fulfillment of the things we hope for by faith. It's the time when seasons will cease to cycle and annually rehearse the salvation story of new birth and life, aging, decay, and death, and then life restored again in resurrection. It's the time when time itself will pass away into the timelessness of eternity.
It's the last day.
This morning, our Lord Jesus teaches, "The kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who went to meet the bridegroom." From our gospel, we can glean that this particular festivity took place at night. There would be need for light, light from lamps or torches carried by ten virgins. The bridegroom would come, and there would be a joyful procession into the wedding hall where the marriage feast would take place.
The challenging thing though is these fair, these fair maidens don't know exactly when the bridegroom will come. And as Jesus tells the story, the bridegroom is unexpectedly delayed.
There were ten virgins who were to participate in this celebration. Five in our parable were wise. They were wise according to the Gospel because they took flasks with extra oil with them. They were prepared. The other five were foolish. They were foolish because while they took their lamps, they took no extra oil with them.
They had only the oil that was already in their lamps. They expected the bridegroom to come sooner than later. And while the bridegroom was delayed, all ten of the young girls became drowsy and fell asleep. And while they slept, the oil in their lamps slowly burned away. Then suddenly came the cry, "Here is the bridegroom. Come out to meet him."
Then all the virgins were roused from their sleep, and they quickly made ready their lamps. Those who were prepared were ready. They simply trimmed their lamps and refilled them with the oil in their flasks. They were well-prepared for the bridegroom's arrival. But those unprepared ones, well, they were thrown into a frazzle.
They suddenly realized the foolishness of their unpreparedness. They pleaded with the wise virgins to give them some of their oil. But what good would that be? Having ten torch-bearing virgins processing without enough oil for any of their lamps? Without oil, their lamps would not stay lit. So because of their unpreparedness, those foolish virgins had no choice but to go and buy more oil.
And while they were gone, though, the bridegroom finally came. And the five prepared virgins with their trimmed and lit lamps processed their way joyfully to the marriage feast. And then Jesus said those, those daunting, dark, and ominous words: "And the door was shut."
The door was shut. These words carry with them a sense of utter finality. The time of being prepared is over. The procession is finished. Now is the time for the marriage feast. The door is shut.
Beloved in Christ, when the end comes, there will be people who are well prepared for our Lord's return. And sadly, there will be people who are foolishly unprepared.
One group knows who they are, poor, miserable sinners in need of the Savior and his forgiveness. They place their hope and trust in the coming bridegroom. They look for him to come sooner than later, but they're ready for whenever he comes.
Many in the other group see no need to place their hope in anything or anyone other than themselves. They are totally self-reliant. "Who needs God?" they might ask. Or, "Who puts their trust in a God who died on a cross?" Or perhaps they put their hope and trust in their good thoughts and words and deeds, or their life's accomplishments, or their own reason and strength. They might think they're prepared for anything.
But in reality, they are foolishly unprepared to meet that great and final day.
We Christians have been waiting for the Lord Jesus' return for years. Indeed, years have rolled into decades, and decades into centuries.
In today's epistle, St. Paul wrote to the church in Thessalonica, and from his words, we can glean that even Paul, even Paul was anticipating that at least some of the people he was writing to might still be alive when the Lord Jesus returned.
Yet our bridegroom, Jesus, is delayed.
And while we wait, the world laughs us to scorn for our seemingly foolish faith.
Faith in the one we confess was born of the blessed Virgin Mary, one who took upon himself our sins and suffered our death. One who died naked on a shameful cross.
At moments, we might even wonder and doubt.
Are the Scriptures true? Has the Lord God forgotten about us? How long, O Lord? How long?
Why? Why does Jesus delay his coming?
Instead of being attentive to the faith into which we are baptized, we might allow ourselves to become disheartened, less vigilant in our keeping watch. We might be tempted to lose hope in the promises of God, to doubt his word.
We who have been baptized and already wakened unto newness of life in Christ Jesus might even be tempted to turn our backs or be lulled back into the slumber of our old sinful ways and fallen flesh.
But today, beloved, Jesus calls us again to repentance and faithfulness. He rouses us from ourβHe rouses us to watchfulness. He says, "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour."
Today's gospel demonstrates readiness. Such readiness is not something that can be achieved at the last minute, just in the nick of time. As God's people, we have been called to be prepared by practicing and rehearsing for the day of our Lord's coming, so we might be well ready for that day instead of unprepared.
For us, each night as we lie down in our beds is a rehearsal of how we will one day lie down in our graves. And each day is a rising to new life as we rise to live out our lives in Christ Jesus, commending ourselves each day into his good and gracious care and protection.
We in Christ have been given to be prepared by relying on God's unchanging word and also that word connected to earthly means in His sacraments. To hold fast. To hold fast to His promises given us at holy baptism, to trust and believe his word of holy absolution where Christ speaks through his ministers, "I forgive you all your sins."
And to have faith in the Lord's words spoken to you at his supper, "This is my body. This is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins." In his word and in these sacraments, we should hear them. We should hear joyfully the cry. He is here. The bridegroom is here, and he is here for you, for your good and benefit, for your forgiveness and for your salvation.
Yes, beloved, in his word and sacrament, Jesus our bridegroom draws near to you, forgiving you your sins, and preparing you for his ultimate unexpected and joyful arrival. And faithfully relying on his word and sacraments, we are well prepared to go out to meet him and to greet him with shouts of praise and acclamation, our lamps trimmed and our oil well-stocked.
Yet as we await that final call, we continue to live out our lives as Jesus has called us to do so. "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden. I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy, my burden is light, and you will find rest for your souls."
Jesus calls us to the life of daily repentance and faith. The life of repentance where we continuously turn away from our sins of thought, word, and deed, and daily return to the Lord our God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. And he promises to forgive us all our sins.
We are called to live out the life of faith, for we believe and hold fast, trusting all that Jesus has done to accomplish for us, for our salvation by His innocent suffering and death, His rising again on the third day, and His ascension back to the Father.
And we believe He will, will truly come again, just as He promised, to take us unto Himself.
Today, Jesus reminds us that we know neither the day nor the hour of His return. We do not know when that final cry will go out. Neither do we know the day nor the hour when He might summon us individually from this vale of tears. Therefore, Jesus says, "Be ready. Be ready. Watch, therefore. Be wise as one who lives your life in the readiness of the Lord."
There is no need for any anxiety. There is no need to fear the day of His coming. As one who is numbered among God's people who are prepared for His coming, you can take your rest and sleep secure. You don't have to worry as the silly young maidens did in today's Gospel, waking in a panic only to find it is too late to do anything about their foolish unpreparedness.
The Lord, the Lord has provided for you to be prepared for His coming. You have his word and his sacraments. Hold fast to those. For with them, when our bridegroom finally comes, you who are faithful and well-prepared will join that happy processional throng, singing the joyful praises of our God with all the faithful members of God's people from all of time and space.
Together, we will make our joyful and light-filled way into the marriage feast, the marriage feast of the Lamb in his kingdom that has no end. And so the Church continuously prays, "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly, come soon."
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Amen.