what is a bridesmaid to do?

Another parable, another wedding banquet.

as I mentioned last week, the paperwork for the wedding was done, and at a later time the groom would go and get the bride from her family residence and bring him back to his family; and there was a party.

The bridesmaids would be friends of the bride, unmarried, so possibly a bit younger than the bride. The bridesmaids would be waiting for the bride and groom to join the party. But in this story, the groom comes on his own. The implication is that Christ is returning for his bride, the church.  

There are a few stories in the gospels about ‘the end times’, and how we need to be ready when Jesus returns to earth.

This parable can be understood as being about the end times, Jesus return is delayed, and we need to be ready and not lose faith.

I have some concerns about this understanding of the parable – for one, what does it tell us about the Kingdom of heaven? be ready or get locked out?

What about the girls with oil not sharing with this without oil?

Is Jesus really running that late!

Jesus the good shepherd who left 99 to find the one lost sheep locks out half the Bridesmaids and refuses to answer the door?

But,

What if

- it isn't about oil, but about being there

-  it is about being, and waiting, in the darkness , for Jesus is the light,

- instead of searching for our own solutions, we wait for Jesus?

- it is about having our own spiritual life, so we are ready to serve when needed.

 

Here is a  story from a colleague:

A few years ago, to help out another pastor who had to be out of town that day, I officiated at a wedding at a very nice hotel. The hotel scheduled a wedding in the same room every two hours.

The bride and groom were concerned because the bride’s family had a history of somebody or another being late for everything—always running behind. And, sure enough, the wedding rehearsal ran way behind because people were late.

..

But the bride and groom had a plan for the wedding day. They asked everybody to show up an hour early. And it worked.

Until the Father of the Bride (Yes the Father of the Bride) . . . went home to get something that somebody in the wedding party had forgotten.

He ran into bad traffic—and wasn’t back when the wedding was supposed to start. The hotel’s wedding coordinator insisted that the wedding had to start on time so that we would be out of the room in time for the next wedding.

When I joked that I’d never been to a wedding that started on time (I said it with a smile, but I think it was true), the wedding coordinator looked at me and said VERY seriously, “then you’ve never been to a wedding HERE.”

We managed to stall a little longer, but at about quarter after the wedding coordinator insisted the wedding start. And, with the Father of the Bride stuck in traffic, the Bride’s uncle walked her up the aisle.

The problem wasn’t that some member of the bridal party left something at home, because the wedding went on without it. The problem was that the Father of the Bride left, and didn’t get to walk his daughter up the aisle.

The Bridesmaid’s problem wasn’t that they ran out of oil. The problem was that they LEFT.

[from Jay Egenes – narrative lectionary Facebook group]

…..

The bridesmaids left to find oil; but the role of the bridesmaid was to be there to welcome and celebrate with the bride and groom.  

The bridesmaids forgot their purpose, forgot WHO they were waiting for, distracted by the discussion about oil and lamps.

What is our role, what is our purpose as people of God?

What distracts us from our purpose?

……………………

 

 

I am thinking about how these parables flip common wisdom on its head. We can spend our time in being prepared for every eventuality, making sure we get paid the correct amount, etc; yet the kingdom is not like that. The kingdom is strange and so different to our reality .

I read something yesterday on this parable about sitting in the darkness.

I wonder if sometimes instead of trying to find our own light, we need to sit in the (dim) light that others provide while we wait for healing/ daybreak and Jesus to be light in our lives.

 

All the parables we have heard so far during Lent, encourage us to rethink our basic values.

While we are told that we should get away with whatever we can; the kingdom value is offering forgiveness in response to our own forgiveness.

While we are told that different people are worth different amounts, a CEO gets many times the wages of a cleaner, and some people have too much work and some not enough; but in the kingdom everyone has work and everyone receives enough to live.

While we are told that we should make sure we have friends in the right places, and that revenge is sweet; the kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of peace, where all are valued.

A kingdom of grace and generosity and peace. a kingdom built on relationship.

let us pray:

 

Prayer of the Day

You do not want us

to be ignorant of your

dreams and hopes for us,

God of holiness,

so you speak to us in parables,

so we might pay careful attention

to your words;

you tell us stories about

our grandparents in the faith,

so we might become mentors

to our grandchildren, and theirs.

Filling us with the holy oil

of generosity and grace,

you make us ready to welcome

Jesus Christ into our lives,

and to open our hearts

to those who are in need.

 

On this day, we choose to serve you,

God in Community, Holy in One,

….

 

— written by Thom Shuman, Lectionary Liturgies website