Pentecost 23 – 12 November 2017 – Year A

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

The text for this meditation is written in the 25^th Chapter of the Gospel according to St Matthew: Verse 1 – 13:
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ 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.’ ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹² But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ ¹³ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

During these last few Sundays of the church year, the Gospel readings call our attention to Jesus teachings about the last days.  As Jesus teaches these last things His public preaching ministry is also coming to its last days.  He has finished a day of teaching in the Temple and He and the disciples are now camped out on the Mount of Olives looking over the valley toward Jerusalem.  In a few days, the authorities will arrest Him and then He will suffer and die on the cross. 

Jesus taught His disciples many things during His teaching ministry – things about the Kingdom of heaven – things about His suffering, death, and resurrection – things about the future.  Then, as He approached the cross, He taught about the final Day of Judgment.

As often happened during His ministry, the disciples didn’t understand this teaching at first.  It was not until after the resurrection that they really began to understand.  Although they did not always understand, Jesus continued to teach them.  He knew that the day would come when the Holy Spirit would make the teaching clear.  Then they would remember what He said.

The teaching about the Last Day in today’s parable may be summed up in the words, “Expect the unexpected.”  Jesus Himself explained this when He said, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”  Watch – be ready – be like a boy scout and be prepared.  Why, because the last day will be a surprise for everyone.

Jesus used the setting of a wedding celebration to make His point.  Even today, we can point to marriage as metaphor for the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church.  In the first century Middle East, marriage traditions were an even clearer metaphor for that relationship.

The key difference for today’s parable is that couples in the first century Middle East did not live together immediately after the wedding.  There was a period of betrothal.  The bride would return to her parents’ home after the wedding and wait for the groom to provide a place for them to live.  Once the groom had a home for his bride, he would go to her parents’ home in grand procession with his family and friends and they would then escort the bride, her family, and friends to the couple’s new home.

The ten virgins in today’s parable were waiting for just such a procession.  They were to escort the bride and the groom to their new home with a procession of light.  Each of the virgins would light the way with her lamp and accompany the bride and groom as they entered the city, processed to their new home and celebrated the beginning of their new life together.

Of course, back in the days when Jesus told this parable, there were no mobile phones, no texting, no e-mail – there was no way to let anyone know anything about the bridegroom’s progress.  You knew he had left to get his bride and you knew he would return sometime in the next few days, but exact schedules were impossible.  No one knew the travel conditions.  No one knew how long it would take the bride to gather her family and friends together.  The groom might escort the bride into the village this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow sometime, or maybe even the next day.  You just didn’t know when the groom would show up with his new bride until you saw them coming.

This image of the groom going away to prepare a place for the bride and then returning to take her home exactly matches the words of Jesus Christ to His disciple in the upper room.  ^{[John 14:2]} In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

Just as the virgins had no idea when the bridegroom might return, so we also have no idea when we might leave this world.  Are we to leave this world when Jesus returns?  He might come before I finish this sermon or he might come thousands of years from now.  Jesus Himself said,  ^{[Matthew 24:36]} “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.” 

On the other hand, if the Lord lingers on, we will leave this world through the gate of physical death.  Again, we have no idea if we will live through the day or go on living through the century.  Again Jesus said, ^{[Matthew 6:27]} “Which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”  

So, whether we leave this world when the Lord returns or whether we leave through the gates of physical death, it is very likely to be a surprise – an event that has little or no warning – an event that can be a disaster if we are not ready.

However what does it mean to be ready?  The parable symbolises readiness with oil.  The prudent virgins had containers of oil with them and were ready to light the way for the happy couple.  The foolish virgins had lamps, but no oil.  They were not ready.  When the watchman on the wall announced the appearance of the bridal party, the foolish virgins had to leave and get oil.  By the time they returned, they missed out.

The parable in today’s Gospel focuses on the return of the bridegroom for His bride, the Church.  In order to understand what it means to be ready, we must ask a question.  How is it that the Holy Christian Church became betrothed to the Son of God?

Tradition called for a groom to pay a bride price for his future wife.  The price would be things of commercial value – livestock, crops, currency, and so forth.  With the bride-price, the groom made the bride his own.

Jesus Christ paid a much greater bride-price for the Holy Christian Church.  The Holy Spirit inspired Peter to tell us, ^{[1 Peter 1:18-19]} “You were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.”  These words teach us that Jesus paid the bride price for the church not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and His innocent suffering and death.  With His suffering and death on the cross, Jesus makes us His own.  It was at the cross that Jesus created the Holy Christian Church and made her into His holy bride.  All those who are members of the Holy Christian Church are ready for His return.

We become members of the Holy Christian Church when the Holy Spirit works through the Word of God to create faith in us.  We remain in the Holy Christian Church as the Holy Spirit maintains our faith through that same Word.  That Word of God comes to us as we read and hear it.  It also comes to us as we receive it with the waters of Holy Baptism and with the bread and wine of the Lord’s Table.  With these Means of Grace the Holy Spirit maintains our readiness for our Last Day on this earth.  With these Means of Grace, we will be ready even though our Last Day is a surprise.

The five foolish virgins in today’s parable represent all those who are not ready because they have neglected the Means of Grace.  They have rejected the Word of God and so starved their faith.  The foolish virgins heard the most terrible words that their Lord could utter, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”  From these words we learn that those who have starved their faith to death will experience an eternity with no sense of God’s presence.  They will finally acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, but it will be too late.  The door will be shut and no one will open it. They will suffer an eternity without the joy of God’s presence.

On the other hand, the five prudent virgins represent all those who cherish the Means of Grace.  They abide in the word.  Their faith is well nourished.  The Holy Spirit will work through Word and Sacrament to nourish and maintain their faith in Jesus Christ and His work.  In today’s parable, the prudent entered the wedding feast.  These are the ones who are ready.  They will rise from the dead to experience the eternal joy of God’s presence.

They will rise from the dead because they will be following the one who opened the door with His own resurrection.  Today, that door is still open, but the day is coming when it will close.  Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ loves us more than we could ever comprehend, so he loving counsels us ‘Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour’.  Amen.

The love and peace of our Great Triune God that is beyond all human understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen