Rise and Shine!: Matthew 25:1-13 - 23rd Sunday after Pentecost

[Jesus said to the disciples:] ¹“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

DSC_5529 by Jim Sorbie.  Creative commons image on flickr.

One of the best experiences of my seminary years was the privilege to know several international students.

One was a young Sudanese man who came to the United States with his wife and three young children to serve the growing population of Sudanese Lutherans.

He had begun his seminary education in Sudan—until the militias bombed the seminary.  Thankfully, no one was injured or killed because the bombing happened at night.  But that was his reality. 

It’s not like that in America—and yet, last Sunday, a gunman stormed into First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, killing 26 and wounding 20.  Back in June 2015, another gunman killed nine people at Mother Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, after having sat in bible study with them.  And in 2012, six people were slain while worshipping at a Sikh Temple in Wisconsin.

Right now, we are seeing a glimpse of the reality faced by so many people of faith around the world—the same reality the earliest Christians faced: Jesus may cost you your family, your friends, your job, your property, your reputation, and your life.

As these Christians endured such terrible hardships, there was one hope that kept them going: the promise of Christ’s return.  Yet with each passing day, the threats increased—and their hopes gradually faded.  Here we are, nearly 2,000 years later, and we’re still waiting.  This fact looms large over today’s Gospel.

In it, Jesus speaks a parable of ten bridesmaids, waiting to meet the bridegroom.  Five were foolish; five were wise.  The foolish failed to bring oil for their lamps—and when word reached them that the groom’s arrival was imminent, they’re out buying oil from the dealers—and they’re ultimately locked out of the wedding banquet.

I don’t know about you, but this parable makes me extremely anxious.  What is this oil we need to have ready—or else?

Please understand: Jesus isn’t out to exclude anyone.  He wants you to be ready, because he wants you to belong.

Look to the cross, where Jesus says, “This is my body; this is my blood—given for you…”  for the forgiveness of sins and everlasting life.  And that’s not all:

§  “Whatever you do for the least of these who are members of my family you do for me.

§   “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit – and surely, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Therefore, the oil Jesus wants you to have is the faith, hope, and love -- given through a daily communion with Jesus through his Church.  So it’s not really a question of IF Jesus is going to show up.  But if you’re absent from that that communion, there’s no way you will recognize him when he arrives.  If you’re determined to live as a stranger to Jesus, a stranger you will be.  This is why Jesus speaks with such urgency.  This is the foolishness we all need to be aware.

It’s sad to say that there’s a lot of foolishness going on in the Church right now in this country.  Christians have long been fighting each over the authority of Scripture, weekly communion, same-sex marriage, which sides to take on the partisan political debates, or whether should we ditch the pipe organ for a praise band.  Congregations compete instead of cooperating.  People within congregations fight each other for power and control.  To make matters worse, the cultural decline of church participation is adding fuel to the fires of conflict and division. 

In no small way, we’ve let the oil run out and the lamps go dim—because we’ve forgotten who we are and why we’re here.  The mission has become more about us than Christ and the world he loves.  We’re not reaching God’s children who’ve yet to take their place at Christ’s table.  We’re letting other priorities TAKE priority over Christ and his mission; consuming the life he has given to be lived in him. 

How will we be church after Sutherland Springs and Charleston?  Will we be suspicious when strangers come to church?  Will the legitimate need for safety lock the Gospel in and the new generation out?

The Church of Christ in every age has persisted because Jesus shows up and transforms the lives of the people whom he calls his own.  He has made the Body of Christ to stand in faith, hope, and love—despite all efforts made to tear it down.  You can’t stop Christ—and you can’t stop his Church.  It has been and will continue to be the light of God shining in the darkness. 

As we look to the future, the challenge is this: will we become the light of Christ shining in the darkness?

Remember: it’s not a question of IF Jesus is going to come, or even WHEN.  It’s a promise.

So what will that promise mean when you wake up in the morning and plan your day?  What will it mean when the Black Friday commercials tempt you to spend money?  What will it mean next Sunday as we vote on a budget, facing a large deficit?   What will it mean when we face disagreements?  Dangers?  Divisions?

Never forget that Jesus raises the dead—and that as the Body of Christ, we have more power to do good than evil has to destroy. 

The way we will heal and persevere is by coming together and sticking together as the Holy Spirit in faith, hope, and love.  Together, we are the light that shines in the darkness and calls this world to Jesus.  So let us rise, and let us shine.