Forgiveness When The Bridegroom Screws Up Before The Wedding.
The scripture reading today perplexes even the most erudite scripture scholars- a couple virgins deemed "foolish" don't bring enough lamp oil and a couple bring extra stash. The ones without extra stash use it up when the groom is late and the oil barronnesses tell the others to go buy their own. The ones who were ready with extra stash get to accompany in the bridegroom (deemed Jesus in interpretation) into the "wedding feast" (likened to the Kingdom of Heaven.)
The most striking thing about the scripture is that the Kingdom of Heaven is likened to a wedding feast. Jesus likes weddings apparently. A lot. The first miracle turning water to wine happened in one and he used the occasion to prefigure metaphorically the matter of his redemptive blood shed for the world consumed as often as we drink this wine. Weddings are like the Kingdom of Heaven. A point as obvious to miss as the nose on your head: obviously for his most beloved priests he would not want to deprive them of it for themselves as outsiders or bystanders to bring more of himself or the kingdom to earth. Weddings are like the Kingdom of Heaven.
The next obvious point is that the bridegroom is going to come later than expected- he's on his own time which is not your time and he has a lot going on. Better late than never. The good ones are worth waiting for. Just like the wedding wine at Cana he saves the best for last.
The bad ones you don't care if you ran out of oil.
The perplexing part is why Jesus would shut out someone-a virgin no less, not a heathen- for not having enough oil when he could make oil with a wisp of the wand from the dirt under their feet- somehow they were supposed to get ready themselves and this demonstrated a degree of co-operation he needs to see once they acknowledge its really him. It echoes of "can't you at least stay up with me while I pray" when the disciples dozed off.
If you are wondering why your 'virgin' didn't bring enough oil for you- maybe it's because you aren't the real deal or acting like it so you are unrecognizeable as a bridegroom. Maybe it's because she didn't see enough to tell her that you were the ONE worth waiting for- maybe you screwed up on the way to the Altar and got there too late, maybe, just maybe the shoe doesn't fit as snug as Cinderella's glass slipper because you only look like a Prince. I want my oil back.
The thing about the virgins without enough oil- they had the money to buy it- they just didn't bother going to the store shopping before the wedding at the lamp store. Why? Who wants to be one of 8 brides?
How excited can you get about that prospect? Whatever- you can have him. Or- I don't see enough to make me want to go shopping. If you are the real deal, you got to give me something to work with. Is this just blindness on the part of the Virgin or did the bridegroom just act too imperiously distant for them to see who he was? Who are you really?
In any event, the decidedly male perspective of the "foolish" virgins can be viewed from a female perspective another way...and the lock out of the Kingdom of Heaven only works if you are really Jesus, not an immitation acting like an imperious polygamous jerk.
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