Matthew 23:1-25:46 is known as “the Judgment Discourse.” And really all of it builds together. Unfortunately, by skipping most of chapters 23 and 24, we find ourselves in the middle of a complex parable. Without any narrative context, traditionally this parable is all about preparedness, right? “Keep awake therefore!” Preparedness. That’s the moral lesson in traditional interpretation. Always be prepared. Even though the final words (signifying some level of interpretation) are “Keep awake,” the only distinguishable difference is that the wise had extra oil. All of them fell asleep. All of them were awoken by a shout. It’s just a matter of oil. So be prepared for the end times. Because apparently if you don’t have enough oil, you’ll be locked out of the kingdom forever. Go to Costco, they sell it in bulk.   But from everything that Matthew has been doing, this honestly feels wrong. And I think that’s because it is. This is another setup. Afterall the big parable of Matthew 25 is still coming and if we take the sheep, goats, and king seriously, then this parable should be turned completely on its head.