Pentecost 21: Matthew 25:1-13
November 6, 2011
In all the weddings I have officiated I have never known one where a couple failed to show up at the reception. After the wedding guests are invited to go on to another place for the reception while the couple and their attendants stay behind to finish up pictures and take a joy ride around the neighborhood. When they arrive at the reception the bride and groom are introduced to a standing ovation and the celebrating begins.
Imagine though that you are at a reception where the husband and bride don't show and you don't know why. Maybe they were in an accident or the car broke down. Maybe someone else had an emergency and they had to attend to that. Maybe they were kidnapped. Maybe they just decided to take off on their honeymoon and skip their banquet. Maybe they had a fight and called the whole thing off.
Whatever the reason one thing is for sure and that is as the waiting drags on the guests will become restless and gradually start to leave. Eventually the caterer will pack up and leave too.
It is this kind of situation that the parable of the "wise and foolish bridesmaids" illustrates about what it will be like at the end of time. In those days it was customary for the bridegroom to go to the home of his bride, claim her and then come back to his home for a reception and banquet. The bridesmaids waited with their lamps to lead the couple into the celebration. But you never knew when the groom and bride would show up. You had to be ready and prepared at all times.
In Matthew's gospel this parable was used to help his church be prepared for the return of Jesus. Most believed he would come back fairly soon after he had risen from the dead like a bridegroom was expected to do. But by the time he wrote his gospel some 50 years had passed and they were still waiting. Because of this Matthew's church was struggling to keep oil in the lamp of its faith. Some began to wonder if he wasn't coming back at all and so were tempted to give up their faith as a hoax and turn to other pursuits and interests.
No one really knew why there was a long delay. And so what should believers do? Continue to hope and pray that eventually Jesus will come? Or as time and circumstances run their natural course let the light of Christ and his church gradually fade away?
Today centuries later we too are still waiting for Jesus. And like the bridesmaids in the parable some are foolish. They fall asleep and take the light of Christ and his church for granted. They become consumed with the business of this world. God's expectations are put up on a shelf. It doesn't matter what you say or do. For this reason the light of Christ has grown dim in some churches.
In the United Methodist Church all members make a vow when they join the church. They profess their faith in God, in Christ as their Lord and Savior. And they promise to serve Christ through the church by "faithfully participating in its ministries by their prayers, their presence, their gifts and their service." Recently the General Conference added "witness" to this vow.
Together these 5 practices are minimal expectations of full members in The United Methodist Church. They are not a list of options from which we can pick and choose as we like. It's not an option to pray, but not attend (unless we are unable to do so). Nor to give service time in place of giving our treasure. The expectation is that full members of the United Methodist Church will exercise all of these practices of faith to the best of the ability according to what their resources and circumstances will allow.
In terms of the parable from the gospel of Matthew our prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness represent the oil that keeps the lamp of our faith burning brightly as we wait for the return of our bridegroom, Jesus.
In the bible oil is associated with the presence of God's spirit. In Isaiah 61 the prophet says: "The spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord." When Jesus visits his home town synagogue in the gospel of Luke he quotes from this same verse to sum up the purpose of his own ministry and purpose. Oil is a sign of God's presence displayed in acts of love and mercy.
The wise bridesmaids represent faithful disciples who keep oil in the lamp of their faith and do not give up hope. They give themselves wholeheartedly to keeping the light of Christ shining brightly. They practice their faith. They commune together. They bear the fruits of love. They practice mercy. They give their treasure and entrust fully in God to care for all their needs. When called on to serve they say "yes." They participate in all the ministries of the church with "their prayers, presence, gifts, service and witness." These are the kind of disciples who will be prepared for the return of Jesus no matter how long they have to wait.
Faithful disciples don't take the delay of Jesus as an excuse to take their faith for granted but instead prepare themselves for his return by doing what Jesus taught during his first visit on earth. They engage in living the life of heaven now and reflecting the light of Christ into every darkness. They make the most of the time they have here by being a force for good in anticipation of what will be when Jesus comes again.
Though we are still waiting in the parable the bridegroom does come back. Some were ready. Some were not. Those with oil lit their lamps and went right on in to the great celebration. The others had to go buy oil and when they returned the door was locked. They were left outside.
When Jesus returns where will you be? On the inside? Or the outside? Will the lamp of this church SUMC be bright with the light of Christ? Or will it have grown dim because folks didn't take the responsibilities of their faith very seriously anymore?
Vital churches are dedicated to keeping the light of Christ shining brightly for all to see. They are filled with faithful disciples who are awake and alert, who participate in the ministries of the church as though Jesus was coming back at any time.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says: "let your light shine before others so that they see the good you do and give glory to your Father in heaven."(Mt 5:16) This is a call to rise up to God's expectation to let our light shine so that this church will be a lamp where the light is always on, the flame burns bright and the oil of faith never runs out.