Pentecost 22, 2014
"Wake up and Keep watch"
Matthew 25:1-13
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Have you ever been part of planning a wedding? How long does it take to plan? How much time do you need to prepare? For many weddings you start months in advance...some even years in advance. Suffice to say you don’t wait to the last minute. Can you imagine an engaged couple on their wedding day if there was no preparation—securing the pastor, sending out invitations, planning the food, purchasing the clothing, or getting the marriage license? What would happen if the day came and no one was ready? Chaos! At worst...there would be no wedding.
The parable in our Gospel text uses the setting of a wedding that signified the coming of 2nd coming of Christ at the end of the age. The results are much like the first coming of our Lord. For hundreds of years the prophets of old heralded the coming of the Savior. People waited...and waited...and waited. Many lost faith that there was a coming Messiah. Many lost hope that God would send them a savior. The people became complacent...forgetful of God's promises, forgetful of their faith, forgetful of sharing God's Word. Many rejected God, others went through the motions, and a few remained faithful.
Our parable speaks about 10 virgins that await the coming of the groom; the coming of Christ. Some are prepared and some are not. Listen closely: "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:1-13)
How horrible a result for half the virgins. It doesn't seem fair. Really it seems like a harsh punishment. After all the five foolish virgins were at the right location...they were waiting for the groom to come...it wasn't their fault that he was running late. The truth is that their looks are deceiving.
One of the Pastors at St. Paul Oak Lawn used to have a cartoon on the door to his office. It showed some people working in an office with papers stacked everywhere. One man was running into the office yelling "Jesus is coming, everyone look busy!"
This is truly the attitude of the five foolish virgins. They thought it was enough that they showed up for the groom. But they were not properly prepared. They didn't bother bringing extra oil...oil that they would have needed even if the groom wasn't late. They were giving the bare minimum. They were going through the motions. But they felt entitled to the feast. These virgins weren't just virgins...they were the bridesmaids. They were chosen to be part of the festivities. They were given a high honor of escorting the groom to the brides home...and the couple to the banquet feast. They would have known what to expect. They should have known that it was likely the groom wouldn't come when they thought He should.
Are we foolish? Or are we wise? Are we prepared for the coming of Christ? Or are we sleeping, going through the motions, and simply trying to look busy? The end of the Church year, which we are now in, focuses on our Lord's return and judgment day. Each and every year this theme returns. But do we care?
The danger is that we become complacent and just go through the motions. The danger is that we reflect those that lost faith in the Old Testament and the virgins who are called foolish. The danger is that we get tired of hearing about Judgment Day...without it ever coming. It's old news. It's not happening. It's not going to happen anytime soon...so why do we fuss about it; why do we care?
Scripture is clear. "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13) "Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:44) "For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3) "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed." (2 Peter 3:10) "Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!" (Revelation 16:15)
It is precisely because we do not know when our Lord will return that we should keep watch; that we should be prepared for His coming. This is more than a life or death situation...this is an eternal life in heaven or eternal damnation issue. The consequences of not being prepared, of being complacent, of not having faith are unimaginably horrendous: eternal damnation in hell.
So how do we get prepared? What do we need to do? What steps should be taken? My brothers and sisters in Christ you have been given the gift of faith. You have been given the gifts needed to be prepared. You are prepared by being in God's Word and being about God's Word. You are prepared by hearing God's Word spoken and proclaimed. You are prepared by receiving the very Word made flesh...Jesus Christ our Lord...in with and under the bread and wine. You are prepared by being in this place. You are prepared by sharing God's Word; sharing the love of Christ.
We do not know when our Lord will return. May it be our prayer that God would grant us the wisdom of being wise virgins waiting for the groom that we may rejoice at the herald that Christ is nigh and welcome our Savior who comes to gather HIs people for the marriage feast that has no end. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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