26A Pentecost                                       Matt. 25:1-13                                       Nov. 9, 2008
According to our parable for the day there were ten bridesmaids whose sole responsibility was to stay awake in anticipation of the forthcoming bridegroom.
We are told right off the bat that of the ten, five were foolish and five were wise.
That ought to tell us something and maybe something about where this parable is going.
The wise had not only brought their lamps but they also brought some extra oil to help light their lamps should they run low. This was not the case with the foolish bridesmaids- they failed to think that far ahead. We are also told that since it was getting late, all ten of the bridesmaids fell asleep and who can blame them. But then there was the announcement that the bridegroom was coming—never mind the fact that it nearly midnight. And it was at that point that the so-called foolish bridesmaids were faced with lamps that were fluttering due to a lack of oil.
As you might imagine they were struck with a case of the panics—the bridegroom was coming and they were sitting in the dark unable to fulfill their responsibility of lighting the way.
Naturally they turned to their sister bridesmaids and pleaded for some spare oil to which they were met with rejection.
I have to admit I am a bit surprised by the stinginess of these so-called wise bridesmaids.
What ever happened to all that talk about sharing and generosity?
As a result of all this the five foolish maidens head off looking for a an oil dealer willing to help them in the middle of the night—maybe this is were they get the label “foolish”—thinking that they might find an all night oil dealership.
As for the remaining five wise bridesmaids, they join the wedding party and make their way to the wedding banquet with the door closing behind them.
And in the end the foolish five end up banging on the door of the feast only to get turned away and hearing those ominous words, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.”
And then Jesus brings this odd parable to a close with the harsh admonishing: “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

So what are we to make of all this?
I have noticed is that there is a tendency of many to assume that this parable is yet another end of times allegory—matching up each character and event with a real life person or event.
In other words, the assumption is Jesus is the bridegroom and the ten bridesmaids are people in the church, the oil for the lamp is faith and the bridegrooms arrival is the second coming of Christ at the end of history when there will be that ultimate sorting out process known as the last judgment. If that were the case it would be nice and neat and simple.
But it has also been my observation that any thing that simple is really not that simple.
And sometimes you have to look a little deeper or peel back a couple layers to get to the heart of the matter.

So let’s start by talking about with this parable in NOT about.
First of all it is not about the end of times in so far as predictions are concerned.
Despite the cottage industry that has arisen around making predictions about everything from the end times, to the coming of the anti-Christ and who will be left behind—the truth is such speculation and calculation is wrong and misguided. Even Jesus makes it perfectly clear that not even he knows when such an event will take place—therefore it strikes me as a safe bet that none of us mere mortals is going to figure it out.

Secondly, this parable is not about Jesus trying to create starry-eyed disciples who do nothing more than scan the horizon for clues as to history’s end, but rather he is trying to create focused disciples who keep their eyes on the chief things of the gospel. He’s not training short-distance sprinters who will presumably dash for history’s finish line but long distance marathon runners who are poised to stay faithful over the long haul.

And thirdly, I really don’t believe this parable is ultimately about being prepared. For as much as I strive to live by my old Boy Scout motto of “Be prepared” I really don’t believe that is going to cut it primarily because despite all my efforts I will never be fully prepared.
Like all the bridesmaids and like the disciples at the Garden of Gethsemane—I too will fall asleep, as will you. We all do.
We all drop the ball.
We all forget our lines at crucial moments in life’s drama.
Therefore our ultimate salvation is not going be determined by whether we are fully awake or fully prepared.
The sad truth is there is no divine caffeine injected energy drink or triple espresso that will prevent us from drifting off and missing the parade or procession.
And for as much as I might like to spout off witty things like—“There is no such thing as bad weather—only poor planning” the truth is life has a way of throwing things at us that catch us off guard and unprepared.
+ The sudden death of a loved one,
+ The long awaited news that the prognosis is not good,
+ Or the words, “I want a divorce”, “I have to lay you off” + or, the police officer at your door who has that look on his face that can only mean one thing.
Try as we might, there are simply some things we can never be prepared for and we are going to come up short.
So, then what is the point of this odd parable?

Well, I want to suggest that despite what I just said about being prepared, the parable does in fact speak to being prepared, but not in the way we might think.
I believe this parable is in part about what we are being prepared for.
Let me explain by going back to the wedding feast in the parable.

Back in the days when this parable was originally told weddings--were big a deal.
Not say they are not a big deal today—many wedding today are over the top and down right obscene when you think about the money being spent—but that’s another conversation.

In Jesus day, life was hard and it was harder if you were a woman.
Life consisted primarily of caring for children, doing domestic chores, preparing meals, and waiting on the men of the family hand and foot.
There was little time for socialization and personal fulfillment.
As a result many women looked forward to the little things in daily life like going to the village well to catch up on community and family news.
And they really looked forward to the big things like the birth of a child, a bar mitzvah, weddings and even funerals.
And in the case of a wedding it meant a weeklong celebration with feasting, dancing, and lots and lots of celebrating.
For the wedding couple it truly was the best time of their life as they were the center of attention, they were the king and queen for the week—the ultimate homecoming royalties.
And for a young woman, to be asked to be a bridesmaid was almost as good as being a bride because all the eligible young men for the community and surrounding area would also be present, and who knows…today a bridesmaid—tomorrow a bride!

In the days of Jesus a wedding was truly something to look forward to, something to prepare for and something you certainly did not want to miss.
And here lies the point I want to make—what we are preparing in the future for makes a difference in how we live today. 
The truth is we are all waiting for something.
When we were young we could hardly contain our selves when we had to wait for Christmas Eve to finally arrive when we could open the presents under the tree.
As we got older we found new things to wait for in anticipation—the first day of school—the last day of school—the drivers license—the prom dance—that first job and more importantly, that first paycheck.
In time we find ourselves waiting to find someone to share our lives with, our first house, the birth of a child or a grandchild.
And even in the twilight years we look forward in some cases for that final breath on this side of heaven.

I believe this parable teaches us that how we wait—makes all the difference in the world.
How we wait determines how well we can celebrate the joy of it all.

It has been my experience that when I am waiting for something I am looking forward to I am on pins and needles, I am excited and I am filled with an anticipated joy.
And that joys shapes and influences my life in ways I might not other wise experience.
In the midst of that joy I am more gracious, forgiving and generous as well as more compassionate.
When joy is the foundation everything is looking up.

Having said that—the opposite is also true.
If I am anticipating something dreadful, something miserable—it too shapes and influences my life. 
In light of today’s parable there are some who are quick to put all the emphasis on the harsh judgment and the threat of being left behind and locked out.
In other words the focus is fear—
fear of not being prepared enough—
the fear of not having enough oil—
the fear that cause us to lose sight of the forest because of the trees—
the fear that prevents us from living life to the fullest because—heaven forbid—something might happen—and that “something” is always bad—even the good stuff is bad from this point of view.
When fear is the foundation of our lives we can only see the grim side of life.
When fear is at our core we become people who refuse to allow Christ’s joy to invade and transform our lives, people who simply are not prepared for the grace and compassion that Christ is offering to all who are awake enough to accept it.
And the result is lives clinging and clutching and controlling, lives determined to put up walls and keep others out, lives that seem more like a nightmare than restful nights sleep.

Today’s parable is a lesson in being prepared for joy.
It focuses the quality of the unreserved, willing, hopeful anticipation Jesus wanted his in his disciples, and now in us.
Today’s parable reminds us that Jesus wants each and everyone of us to join the banquet feast, to join the celebration and to get caught up in the joy that only he can offer.
At the same time we know that Jesus weeps every time one of us gets so caught up in other things that draws our attention away from his invitation.
Today’s parable invites us to focus less on the end but rather the joy of the resurrection and new life that can only happen at the end of time.
Today’s parable invites us to look toward the long haul and Jesus reminds us to make life more than a waiting game without living fully and faithfully.
And today’s parable reminds us once again that neither our works, our worry or our worship saves us—but rather—we are saved solely by the merciful grace of God—the gracious God who knows full well that we will fall asleep, that we will fail to be fully prepared.
And for that reason—we are able to live lives shaped by joy, lives preparing to celebrate in God’s kingdom with all God’s children.
As we live in Christ, we are given opportunities each morning to celebrate with excitement—
Opportunities to serve our neighbor near and far—
And opportunities to forgive, share and witness to the glory of God until that last day when we gather with Christ and God’s justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.
Amen

 

Pastor Stephen P. Blenkush
Zion Lutheran Church
Milaca, MN

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