By the Rev. Dr. Allison deForest
Revised Common Lectionary reflection for the Twenty Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 27, Year A
November 8, 2026
Key verse: “No! There will not be enough for you and for us, you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” – Matthew 25:9
This week’s Gospel text might be understood by many congregational finance committee members as a confirmation of what they have been thinking and saying for years. “God wants us to save for a rainy day.” The parable seems to commend the wise bridesmaids for bringing extra oil and for not sharing it. It also seems to suggest that it is only the wise who make it into God’s kingdom, and the foolish who do not.
Let’s consider the context for this parable. It is part of the Judgment Discourse (Matthew 23-25), which starts with Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. It is Jesus’ final bit of teaching before his passion. We learn that the parable is told to the disciples privately as Jesus is sitting on the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:3). Jesus is warning about what is to come. This parable, and those around it, express God’s judgment against Jerusalem and those in leadership who collude with the powers of Rome and trample God’s people, particularly the poor.
The parable is told as a contrast between a wedding banquet and the kingdom of heaven. Matthew seems to view wedding banquets with a rather critical eye. Like the parable of the wedding feast told in Matthew 22, there is something unpleasant about this one. Traditionally, a bridegroom goes to collect the bride and brings her to his home. When he arrives with his bride, the wedding feast can begin. It is odd that in this parable the bride is never mentioned, only 10 young friends of the bride who welcome the couple.
The tag line for the parable is “keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour,” but the issue in the parable is not that the bridesmaids fall asleep, instead it is that the wise have the foresight to bring extra oil and the foolish do not. A key to understanding the parable might be that the Pharisees and scribes are referred to as fools back in Matthew 23:17. Perhaps the foolish bridesmaids may mirror the scribes and Pharisees who think they are prepared for the coming reign of God but are not. But the fact that half of the bridesmaids are excluded from the feast is troubling. Jesus is going to the cross to die for all of Israel. If this parable is critiquing the scribes and Pharisees, perhaps they can be understood as either the foolish bridesmaids or the ones who set the feast; an exclusive feast that they, as the self-appointed keepers of God’s kingdom, end up being excluded from. With this parable and the ones that precede and follow it, Jesus demonstrates that the true kingdom of heaven welcomes those that the world excludes. Those who are self-righteous and confident that they are doing God’s will are the ones who will find that Jesus claims he never knew them. Those who are truly prepared are those who are generous, willing to share their oil even if it puts them at a disadvantage, and willing to let all into the feast.
This take on the parable is confirmed by both the first reading from Amos 5:18-24 and Paul’s eschatological vision in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Amos points out that the day of the Lord will be both unexpected and dark for those who think they are pleasing God with Temple rituals while oppressing the poor. God’s justice will “roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Paul describes, not a rapture, but a welcome like the one in Matthew’s parable. As Christ comes down from heaven to be with those on earth, the dead in Christ rise to meet him first and then those who are living are gathered up as well. All escort their Lord into the new creation where all will feast with him forever.
Matthew’s parable encourages God’s people to be ready in an unexpected way, Paul’s vision shows that God graciously welcomes those who may not quite be prepared. Our stewardship will best be in imitation of God in Christ, not of those who wish to be gatekeepers for the community of God.
In Worship:
This is a dramatic parable. Biblical storytelling or some other way to act out the parable could create a visceral reaction to the exclusion of the “foolish” bridesmaids. If your congregation is adventurous about trying new hymns and has the All Creation Sings resource, Hymn 1047, What is the World Like could be a good choice for the hymn of the day. It mentions the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids but does so in a way that highlights God’s will for God’s world, rather than focusing on the exclusionary action of the story.
Worship with Youth:
Parables invite dramatic reenactments. Perhaps the presentation of the Gospel could be the narrative of the parable being read while youth act it out or a script could be prepared with lines given to the actors. After the parable is presented, give the young people the chance to discuss it, including how each of the participants felt as the action unfolded. The youth will probably be quite sensitive to the injustice present in the story, particularly to the “foolish” bridesmaids. The alternative that the parable is told against the established Jerusalem leadership can be presented and fleshed out by the group.
Worship with Children:
If the “wise” bridesmaid’s unwillingness to share is at the heart of this parable, then this could be a children’s sermon where some small treat or other item could be given to half the children but not all of them. Then the one giving the sermon could talk about how that felt. The point could be made that people often want to control who gets what based on some idea of their own, but God is not that way. God wants to provide everyone with what they need so that everyone can be happy together, regardless of where they fit. Be sure to end by giving each child the item.
Previously published reflections for Proper 27, Year A:
2020 – Exit, pursued by a loving God
2017 – Wide awake and ready?
2014 – Be prepared: Not just for bridesmaids and scouts
