What is this Story About?

What is this Story About?

Good Morning Friends,

When there was a storm on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples wanted Jesus to stay awake, so He helped them. But when Jesus prayed in Gethsemane, the Apostles found it impossible to stay awake. Here Jesus realized that no one could do it for him. So too in our life, there comes a time when it is too late for anybody to really help us. There comes a time when no one else can help us with our own spiritual development. Today’s parable from Matthew is about this topic but has always perplexed me. On one level it seems designed to encourage us to be prepared and ready but to also not make a foolish mistake. That is ok but there is an uneasy and disturbing challenge and a warning about how to live life embedded in it. We need to be ready now. We need to patiently wait. We need to stay awake! We need our sleep! We are forced to face the tension of opposites. We are to expect Jesus now but be prepared for him not to come for a very long time. So friends for you, What is this Story About?

Scripture: ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 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, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.”But 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.” And 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. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Matthew 25:1-13 (NRSV)

From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.

Luke 12:48 (NRSV)

Message: Today’s Gospel parable of the ten bridesmaids brings a strong ethical and theological message home that is meant to bother us. The Kingdom has a door that can and does close and it is pointless to speculate when. The foolish virgins in the Gospel reading looked, dressed and marched like bridesmaids. They were charming on the outside but dim and dull on the inside. They are not the bride. If Jesus is the bridegroom the church is the bride. But what of the wise virgins? In Jewish culture one of the acts of entertainment at weddings was to have ten virgins perform a dance around the bride and groom. It is a gender counterbalance to the requirement that there be ten men to witness the wedding. Their story reminds us that we should wait patiently, wait expectantly and wait faithfully, but we should choose wisely. Jesus’ second coming should never bring us thoughts of panic, doom or discouragement but it should help to motivate us to stay awake in the reality that a delayed decision to act could result in the tragedy we face when we know about Christ but not know Christ. Here we cannot overlook our responsibility. A relationship with God cannot be borrowed. Stay alert as if the Lord will come tomorrow, but prepare as if he will not come in your lifetime. When it comes to the most important of tasks, of actively living in faithfulness to God, we cannot just call ourselves Christians, we need to deliver the goods. We need to have the right equipment. When it comes to Kingdom work we need to be ready for both a wedding and a war. We need to be prepared and we need to let our light shine to the glory of God. So what are you going to do while you wait for Jesus to return?

Pray we wait patiently, expectantly and faithfully. Pray we are spiritually prepared. Pray we are spiritually disciplined in our daily habits. Pray we discover the strength and blessings of Christian disciplines. Pray we have no delusions of adequacy. Pray we face our natural instincts. Pray we realize that it is possible to look like a Christian and not be one. Pray our faith changes the way we live. Pray that we not get caught up in world’s routines and forget that things are not always going to continue as they are. Pray it is not too late. Pray we realize that sin is deceitful. Pray we are wise and not foolish. Pray we keep our lamps lit with the light of Christ in our very souls. Pray our character is clothed in Christ. Pray we have the courage, concentration and vigilance to stay awake. Pray we are worthy of our calling. Pray we realize that we can neither loan nor borrow preparations for the coming of the Kingdom. Pray we make a commitment for the long haul. Pray we realize that we cannot order others to resolve the problems created by our own inadequacies.

Blessings,

John Lawson