Matthew 25: 1-13

If we knew the day and the hour, things would be different. A man had a checkup and then went in to see his doctor to get the results. The doctor said he had bad news and worse news for him. Which did he want to hear first? The man said he wanted to hear the bad news first. The doctor said he had just 24 hours to live. The man jumped out of his seat, totally flabbergasted and distraught. “I can’t possibly get my affairs in order that quickly. I can’t believe this, it is incredible! What could be worse news than this?” The doctor said, “I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you yesterday.”

If we knew the day and the hour, things would be different. An anonymous author shared the following: The world is full of people who want to live forever but don’t know how to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon.  When Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State in the 70s, he was quoted to have said, “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” Finally, a little girl was once fascinated by her mother’s egg timer, a small hourglass with sand in it. Her mother explained that it took the sand exactly three minutes to empty, then you just turn it over and it does the same thing all over again. That afternoon the little girl brought a friend into the kitchen. “See?” she said. “You run it through like this, then you just turn it upside down and you get your three minutes back.” If we knew the day and the hour, things would be different.

In our story, there are ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom. Five are wise and five are foolish. Five are prepared and five are not. It is not the coming of the bridegroom that makes some wise and some foolish; it merely reveals who is and who isn’t. The thing is to be alert and prepared when the bridegroom comes.

Marriages in biblical times were generally contracted at a young age and arranged by the parents or at least arranged with their consent. The central ritual of the marriage ceremony itself was the symbolic bringing of the bride into the groom’s house followed by great rejoicing.  This parable illustrates the bridal party, perhaps including the bride, waiting for the bridegroom. When he arrives, they all enter his house. With that, the couple is recognized as married, and the party commences. A closed door signifies an exclusion of those who were not prepared, not ready.

There are two points I want to reference in this parable. First, the bridegroom was delayed. In this portion of Matthew’s account of the life of Jesus as he was in Jerusalem to encounter betrayal, arrest, passion and crucifixion, he prophetically declared in story form it will be surmised his second coming will be delayed. Matthew 24: 45-51, the Parable of the Unfaithful Slave, portrays a wicked slave that beats his fellow slaves because he perceives the master as being delayed in his return. In our story, the bridegroom is delayed. Finally, in Matthew 25: 14-30, the Parable of the Talents, “after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. (verse 19)”  We’ve lived over 2,000 years as a church under expectations that Jesus’ return was eminent. The skeptic, the wicked and the foolish all believe their master is either uncontrollably setback or deliberately procrastinating. In all three illustrations, the delay is not everlasting. I would say today the Lord’s appearing in our lives, in our circumstances, is what is eminent. For this, are we prepared?

I found an anonymous quote: Time is like a snowflake – it disappears when we are trying to decide what to do with it.  Both the slaves and the bridal party were called to be prepared for the master’s or bridegroom’s certain return. What does it mean to be prepared for our Master’s appearing in our lives? WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE PREPARED FOR THE MASTER’S RETURN/APPEARING? I’m going to propose to you the symbolic language of our parable in Matthew will aid us in understanding what it means to be prepared. I want to reference the lamps and the oil from our story. Regarding the lamps, I’m reminded of Psalm 119:105 – “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Paul wrote to Timothy, “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3: 16)” In preparing for our encounters with those lost or hurting, or those who manipulate or connive, scripture is our best tool. We learn from doctrine or testimony, all inspired by God, found in scripture, how best to address our own short comings and how to bring light and bear witness in a dark world. Scripture will always be our lamp and light. And the apostle John wrote in chapter one of the gospel of John, “the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us.” The most pronounced illustration, manifestation of Logos, of Word, is Jesus Christ himself.

The oil that was meant to accompany the lamp is symbolic for several things in scripture. Today, I’ll point out just one. Oil was poured onto kings and priests when they began to serve in their offices. The oil symbolized an anointing from God for service. A New Testament interpretation of the symbolism of oil is the presence of Holy Spirit. Now, I’ll take a leap in blending these symbols together. The parable from Jesus this morning tells us it is best to be prepared for the return of Christ, or the appearing of Christ in our lives, and not to catch us unaware and ill-prepared. I propose the preparation to be our confidence in God found in scripture (YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET. . . ) coupled with the saturation of the wick of the lamp with oil, the presence of Holy Spirit. (LAMP AND OIL, REVELATION FROM THE WORD AND THE HOLY SPIRIT) (Extemporaneously in sermon: planning? Crisis? Service?) Simply setting a fire in the lamp without the oil is like lighting a match. The light lasts but for a moment. Oil permits the flame to burn as long as the oil is present saturating the wick. You and I need Holy Spirit to enliven and enrich our understanding and empowerment to live out the scriptures. We don’t miss our Lord’s appearing in our lives when Word and Spirit are not neglected, not ignored.

A simple example of the word and Spirit, lamp and oil, lived out in a circumstance in scripture is found in the gospel of Luke. In the fourth chapter, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit after his baptism in the Jordan, was led by the Spirit in the desert, fasted for forty days and was tempted by the devil.  All three temptations were confronted and defeated by Jesus’ stance on the word of God – “It is written . . . It is written . . . It says . . . ” After the devil left him, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Holy Spirit. He showed himself prepared to do the will of God and reveal his Kingdom in word and deed. That’s would he sought to teach his disciples to do. That’s what we are taught to do through Word and Spirit, lamp and oil.

Five bridesmaids were wise, and five were foolish. Five had their lamps and their oil. Five did not have any oil and showed themselves to be unprepared. To be prepared for his return/HIS APPEARING IN OUR LIVES, you and I have a lamp and plenty of oil. You and I have inspiration from the Lord found in scripture saturated by the oil, enlivened by the Holy Spirit. Without the oil, the lamp’s purpose in darkness is limited. Without the Holy Spirit, words of scripture inspire devotion, but the flame goes out with the slightest breeze, the slightest disturbance or challenge. Five were wise, and five were foolish. If we knew the day and the hour, things would be different. The coming of Christ appears to be delayed. The appearing of the Lord in our lives can happen any time. Are you ready for that?

(Preached at St Mark United Methodist Church in Anniston, AL, 11-12-23)