Friday, 21^st week in ordinary time – Memorial of St Augustine – 28^th of August 2026 – Matthew 25:1-13

You might look at Matthew’s Gospel in chapters 24 and 25 and think Jesus is just repeating Himself for the sake of it, but hold on a minute! Why on earth does the parable of the faithful and unfaithful servants trail right into the story of the wise and foolish bridesmaids? Because Jesus is grabbing us by the collar to drive home one absolute, non-negotiable truth: you’ve got to be ready for the Lord’s second coming! These two parables form part of a series of four Matthean parables that illustrate the Parousia and the final judgment.

Matthew, like the Old Testament prophets, employs nuptial imagery to describe the relationship between God and His people (remember the book of Hosea). Clearly the ten bridesmaids are representatives of the disciples whose love grows dim because of the delay of the Parousia (the second coming of Jesus).

The parable which is more of an allegory, employs a number of images that Matthew’s community would have been most familiar with. The Nuptial imagery was further heightened by the banquet imagery, symbolic of messianic banquet at the end times when the blessed would share a meal with the Messiah. Then there was the imagery of the ‘bridegroom,’ symbolic of Jesus Himself.

Wedding festivities lasted several days in the time of Jesus. The bride and groom would make a long journey home. This journey was not long because of the length that needed to be traversed, but because the bride and groom would feel obliged to respond to several invitations to stop and celebrate their joyous occasion with friends and family.

This parable is a bit of a tricky one for we don’t know if the groom is headed to the bride’s home or is accompanying his bride to his home. There is no mention of the bride at all simply because that’s not the focus of the parable.

By the time the late first century rolled around, the disciples were tired! They were weary of waiting on a promise that felt like it was stuck in traffic. The Parousia didn’t feel imminent anymore, it felt like a distant memory. We know what happens when a promise is delayed? Complacency creeps into your calling! The danger of a delayed return is that it tempts us to substitute current complacency for constant readiness. That’s why Matthew put this parable in ink! It wasn’t a gentle suggestion; it was a loud, holy alarm clock. God was warning them: if you allow a tardy attitude to make you sleep on your assignment, the consequence of being caught napping is going to hit heavy!”

The parable has only one point to make, lest we lose the plot; and that is to be ready. There are many aspects of this parable that might cause us to get distracted and ask irrelevant questions. For example, we may ask why did the wise virgins not share some oil? Why were they selfish? Does this parable condone selfishness? We could also ask why the wise virgins were not reprimanded for falling asleep before the bridegroom arrived. Should not their behaviour be reflected in all manners of life? And what was so ‘wise’ in the suggestion of the wise virgins to go out and purchase oil at midnight (even though it is surprisingly available- verse 10).

The parable has just one point to make and the rest of the details are irrelevant. The question that should hit home, is not so much about being vigilant, (remember all ten virgins felt drowsy and slept) but about being ready for the Lord’s coming.

There are a few take aways

1. The foolish virgins looked exactly like the wise ones outwardly. They had lamps, matching clothes, and the same initial goal. External religious habits mean nothing without the internal fuel of genuine faith. They had the same external look, but not the same internal fuel; never mistake religious choreography for spiritual readiness. The enemy doesn’t mind if you look the part, as long as you lack the power.

2. It is easy to live on yesterday’s faith or assume there will always be time to get right with God. You cannot navigate tomorrow’s darkness using yesterday’s light. True readiness is an active, ongoing present-tense state, not a rushed reaction to a crisis. Ultimately, faith is a daily subscription, not a lifetime pass, requiring us to stay replenished before the midnight hour strikes.

3. Your “lamp” is your outward ministry, work, and public life. Your “oil” is your private devotional life. If you spend more energy keeping the flame visible than gathering oil in secret, your light will eventually go out. If your public performance outpaces your private devotion, burnout is inevitable. You must remember that the strength of your shine depends entirely on the depth of your storehouse.

Today, we celebrate the memorial of St Augustine. The defining battle of St. Augustine’s early life was his intense procrastination. In his Confessions, he famously admitted praying, “Lord, give me chastity and continence, but not yet.” Like the foolish virgins, Augustine did not deny his need for the “oil” of God’s grace; he simply assumed the midnight hour was far away and that he could purchase his supply later. He wanted the security of the lamp without the immediate sacrifice of carrying the oil.

Augustine spent years trying to live off the “oil” of his holy mother, St. Monica. Monica possessed an abundant reservoir of faith, weeping and praying for her son’s salvation for over three decades. Yet, despite her incredible holiness, Augustine remained spiritually empty and morally compromised. When the midnight hour of his personal crisis struck in the Milanese Garden, Monica’s faith could not save him. He had to hear the voice commanding him to “Take up and read” for himself. The wise virgins could not share their oil, and Monica could not transfer her righteousness to her son.

Continue Reading