Distracted by Details [Proper 27A]
The Rev. Jeremiah Williamson Matthew 25:1-13 Distracted by Details This cannot be it. This cannot be the moral of the story. It cannot be, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” It cannot be that because everybody fell asleep – all ten bridesmaids featured in Jesus' parable – both the wise and the foolish – fell asleep. And half of them joined the party anyway. So that cannot be it. And so this parable falls into the category of so many of the parables in this Gospel, the Gospel according to Matthew: confusing parables that are further confused by the punchline. It's not that the moral punchline is wrong or unhelpful. There are other instances in the New Testament, even in this very Gospel, urging the Church to stay awake, to pay attention. It's just that this parable is not one of those. This is a challenging Gospel – and it is matched with a challenging reading from th...