Waiting

Here is my sermon from 11/6. I'm still a week behind in getting these things posted. I'll try to catch up this weekend.

Weddings are a big deal. Many of you know that. They bring out big emotions. Joy, sorrow, anger. It’s one of those moments where emotions are on edge and the least little thing can tip the scale. Which makes weddings prime real estate for disaster.

For a long time one of my favorite TV shows was America’s Funniest Home Videos. It always seemed like they had more wedding videos than any other event. It was always fun to see a groom pass out, a veil catch on fire, some one’s pants fall down, kids doing or saying inappropriate things, dancing mishaps at the reception. All fun to watch. Unless you’re the bride or the groom or the family.

Weddings are a big deal these days. They can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Flowers, dresses, tuxedos, food, music, dancing, bridesmaids, groomsmen, families. That doesn’t even account for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Between the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, wedding ceremony, and reception it’s a two day celebration of marriage.

Imagine all of that doubled or tripled. Weddings were a big deal in Jesus’ time as well. Perhaps even a bigger deal than they are now. Just think of how many times we read about weddings in the New Testament. Jesus’ first miracle in John’s gospel takes place at a wedding in Cana. Jesus tells numerous parables about wedding banquets. Over and over the relationship between Jesus and the church is compared to that of a Bride & bridegroom.

Our reading this morning includes one of the parables Jesus tells about a wedding or preparations for a wedding anyway.

Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

25‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaidstook 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 bridesmaidscame 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.

Weddings in 1^st century Judea were a big deal. Let me give a quick snapshot of what a wedding of this time would look like: First, all of the guests would arrive at the home of the bride’s family. The party would start there. The bride’s family would entertain them while they waited for the groom. As the groom approached, the bride, wedding party, and all of the guests would go out to meet him and his travelling party. Then the entire group would return to the groom’s home. Once they were there, the ceremony would take place. That was followed by a banquet that lasted several days. Typically, at least a week.

They were big events with which Jesus’ audience would be familiar. He tells them the story of a group of 10 bridesmaids who go out to wait so they can greet the groom. Some translators translate those waiting as bridesmaids, some as virgins. And it’s not necessarily important to the story which is more correct. But that leads some commentators to think that these are women awaiting the return of the groom and the wedding party from the home of the bride. Or they could be a part of the wedding party; the group waiting at the bride’s home for the groom to come and lead them to the ceremony. Regardless of whether they are with the bride or the groom, they are waiting and go out to meet the groom. When he arrives, then the ceremony and the banquet can begin.

But the groom is delayed for some reason. So they wait. And I imagine that wasn’t popular news. I’m not sure anyone really likes waiting. According to the all-knowing Google the average person spends about 60 minutes a day waiting. An average of an hour every day waiting for food, waiting for an elevator, waiting in line, waiting at red lights. That’s 15 days per year, waiting. The average life span in the US is 78 years. 15 days per year calculates out to 3 ¼ years of waiting for the average lifetime. No wonder we don’t like it. But the wedding party is forced to wait. And as they are waiting, all of them fall asleep.

But it’s not the sleeping that poses a problem. All of the bridesmaids fall asleep, and all of them are awakened when the groom finally approaches. At midnight, someone shouts, “He’s here!” And now the problem arises.

When the bridesmaids left the house, they expected the groom to show up quickly. Otherwise they would’ve stayed home. But it was time for him to return, I’m sure when he left he told them when he would return. So when the time came that he should be arriving, they went out to meet him.

But there was a delay and it causes a problem for 5 of them. 5 of them weren’t ready to wait. They expected to go out with their lamps lit, meet the groom and start the party.

But after they wake up, they realize, they have no more oil for their lamps. The other 5 were prepared. They brought extra. They refill their lamps and are ready to go. The others are left searching. They ask their fellow bridesmaids for some oil, but they tell them to go buy some. So, at midnight, the bridesmaids are off to try to find a merchant who will sell them some oil for their lamps. Finally they find the oil and return. They go to the banquet, but it’s too late. They cannot get in.

I’ve always thought this parable seems a little harsh. The only thing that differentiates the wise from the foolish bridesmaids is a few flasks of oil. Other than that they all do the exact same things. They all go to wait. They all fall asleep. The only difference is that 5 of them didn’t bring extra oil. They brought enough for the wait they thought they would have, but not for the extended wait. And because of that, they are locked out of the banquet.

So, it all comes down to oil. Who was prepared and who was not.

Jesus starts his parable with some familiar words “The kingdom of heaven is like…” They are words Jesus uses often in his parables. In this case, Jesus uses them to tell his disciples to be prepared. To make sure they keep their lamps filled with oil.

Not literally, of course. But what does it mean? What is Jesus telling his disciples? What is Jesus telling us about what it means to be a part of the Kingdom of heaven? So, I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is; what is the true difference between the wise & foolish bridesmaids?

It is important to note the words of those called foolish. When they return with their lamps filled with oil, they arrive at the feast and say, “Lord, Lord.” But they weren’t ready. They had not done the work necessary to be ready for the groom’s arrival. Those words echo the teachings of Jesus from the sermon on the mount. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus tells the crowds, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” The foolish come saying Lord, Lord, but are not let in. Just as Jesus said, only those who have done God’s will, those who are prepared will be let in.

And that is the message we can take away from this parable. There is the first level of that message: Be prepared. We don’t know when Jesus’ return will be. The early Christians expected Jesus to return in their own lifetime, so this story would have a special meaning to them. The delay in the groom’s arrival would seem fresh and relevant to them. Matthew, through Jesus’ words, tells them, “Don’t worry, He’s coming. Be prepared.” From this we get the sense of urgency. And it is a necessary sense of urgency, because we don’t know the hour. In the parable, the Groom arrives at midnight, when he is least expected.

But, we also can’t just sit back and wait for Jesus’ return. We are called to action. We are called to prepare. We’ve got to fill our lamps and get our flasks filled. Jesus told the crowds gathered for the Sermon on the Mount “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” That’s our oil. We can’t sit back and wait for heaven. Our work is here and now.

This gets into a little bit of a sticky area. As Christians, we believe we are saved by our faith, not by doing good deeds. So how does that belief jive with the story Jesus tells? How can we be saved by our faith, but then not allowed in without “doing the will of the Father”?

That comes down to what true faith is. We are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ as the only means for our salvation. But true faith is evident in doing God’s will. We are saved by faith, not works, but our faith is evident in our works. A true faith is an active faith.