The Door was Shut

Matthew 25:10 – “But while they went to buy it [the oil], the groom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.”

There’s a finality implied by that final phrase “the door was shut.” There’s a saying that when God shuts a door, he opens a window. I’m pretty sure that s not the case here. We shut doors to keep people out or in. In this parable, those who are not ready cannot enter. This seems harsh – brutally final. But think about it. Would you take a test you were not prepared for? Would you give a speech without rehearsing and preparation? Sometimes, we know what is expected of us, but we choose not to follow through. We were not ready. Just as the foolish bridesmaids were not ready. They were not prepared for the groom to come as late as he did. 

Matthew, using Jesus’ voice, is telling his readers to be ready, or the door will be shut. What does Matthew think readiness entails? Well, he spent chapters 5 – 7 on one sermon of Jesus, the sermon on the mount, and that is what being ready looks like. We’ve seen Jesus’ advice to the rich, young ruler: sell all you have, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow him. Later in this chapter, we will see another way to be ready. The point is that just as the foolish bridesmaids had no excuse for not being ready, neither do we. If we’re not ready, the door will be shut to us.

But, what exactly does that mean in the context of Jesus as the groom and us as the bridesmaids? What door? The door to the marriage banquet, a common metaphor for heaven, for God’s presence. However, there is no literal door. I think rather than being shut completely out, our lack of preparation will make it harder or impossible for us to participate in the joyous festivities. Until we can accept responsibility for the behavior that led to our being unprepared. I don’t believe in the concept of an eternal hell, because God loved the whole world – not just those who acknowledge her through Jesus Christ. There is no fiery furnace awaiting us after we die. More than that, I cannot say exactly how we will feel cut off, or how we can make it right – only that I believe we will have the opportunity.

The thing about readiness, is that none of us will be perfectly ready. That’s impossible, simply because we are human and imperfect. No matter how much we let go of the world’s concerns and live for Christ, there will always be more we could do or could have done. I read a passage today about Johan von Hulst. He was head of the teacher’s training college in Amsterdam that served as the staging area for taking children to the concentration camps. He and his staff are credited with saving 600+ children from death in the camps. Yet, he mourns for those he could not save; he couldn't keep the door open for all the children. We should all feel that way to some degree, because there is always more to do. As the Talmud states, “We are not obligated to complete the work, neither are we free to desist from it.” 

God doesn’t require perfection; she only wants us to love our neighbors. How better to love our neighbors than keeping the open by working for a world where everyone has dignity, resources, joy, love, security, and companionship with others, even though we won’t see its completion?

B