Last Sunday of the Church Year

 

Last Sunday of the Church Year – Matthew 25:1-13 – November 19^th and 20^th, 2022

In the Name of Christ Jesus, our Coming Lord +

You aren't wise. Well, thanks a lot Pastor, and you're a blithering idiot too. Well, yes – you, of yourself, are not wise, nor am I, of my own self, wise. Left to our own devices all of us in this room would happily run headlong into every sin and vice that tickles our fancy – we'd play the fool with zeal. Any of us can look at our lives and see plenty of times when and where we've been the fool – and if we are honest and humble we can probably find plenty of places where we were kept from doing something foolish by God – those “there but for the grace of God go I” moments. Of ourselves, we are not wise.

I bring this up today because before we get into our Gospel text we need to remember what it is to be wise in the Scriptures, where wisdom comes from. If we don't, we will drastically misunderstand the parable of the wise and foolish virgins – we'll be tempted to look at ourselves and say, “See how wise I am, how ready I am – unlike those people.” That's not wisdom, that's arrogance, that's damnable pride and folly! No – in the Scriptures what is Wisdom? Wisdom is a gift of the Holy Spirit that He works through the Word. Wisdom isn't an attribute that we possess, it isn't a statement about how sharp we are, the power of our own reason or strength – it's always a gift that comes from the Holy Spirit through the Word of the LORD. The Spirit works in us the fear of the LORD that is the beginning of wisdom. The Spirit is the Spirit of Wisdom, and the Word is what gives us wisdom.

So with that in mind, let us listen to Jesus. The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. As a reminder, the most common depiction of “heaven” - of the life of the world to come – is that of a giant celebration, a feast of victory, a wedding celebration. So Jesus gives us a tale about preparing for heaven, for the new creation. And in this story, you've got 10 virgins who have a spot in the wedding – they'll be part of the procession where the groom comes in like a hero, and they'll be following after him with their lights and they'll be beautiful and it will be all romantic and they'll catch the eye of a guy and this is great. There is nothing that could be better.

And yet, we hear – Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil for their lamps. Every year I try to find a modern analogy to explain just how stupid this would be – so here it goes. Imagine you were going camping, and you were told to bring a flashlight, and you show up and someone's brought a flashlight, but there's absolutely no batteries in it. “Well, you didn't say to bring batteries.” This is utter folly; it is utterly moronic (the literal Greek word for foolish here is moron). It's not getting the point. You are there to provide light, so why would you come utterly unprepared to let your light shine? You've missed the point of the whole party and your place in it.

As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, 'Here is the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him.' Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise answered, 'Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' There's a long delay, and then suddenly, unexpectedly, it is go time. No man knoweth the hour. And this is one of the places where we can mishear this – why can't they share. Sharing is nice. No, doesn't work. Hey Jim, my flashlight doesn't have any batteries – can you pop one out of yours and lend it to me. No, Bob, I can't. What the wise say here is the right answer – if you need oil, you go to the oil vendors. That's the perfectly correct answer – that's where you need to go.

But alas, there is no more time. And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with Him into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But He answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.” They miss it. There are deadlines, there are times when things just have to be done and if they aren't, you miss out. Make an exception for me! No, sorry, it doesn't work that way. This is something we have a hard time understanding in our rich, lazy, spoiled society. We are so used to accommodations being made to cater to us, we're so used to getting extensions on our projects or leniency at work – it's okay if I'm just a few minutes late, right boss – today this hard and fast deadline sounds utterly cruel and unfair. The harsh truth that not everything is about us just seems... cruel. Well, not everything is about you. You are not, in fact, the center of the Universe. That would be Jesus. Colossians 1:16 - For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him. You exist for Jesus, not the other way around.

And if I may carry on here – did you note how pushy and entitled these foolish virgins were. Give us some of your oil – why should you have it, give it to me. Open to us – who cares that we missed your party, you need to open up to us. Be wary of this attitude, this foul spirit at work in our present age where we think we get to pick and choose and customize everything according to our own liking. That's not the way things work with God. That's not the way things work with His Word. That's not the way things work in Jesus' Church – in the Church we are to subm[it] to one another out of reverence for Christ as Paul teaches in Ephesians 5. We don't demand others cater to us, we cater to them, we adjust ourselves to them so as to help and serve them as though we were serving the Lord – that was last week, as ye hath done it unto the least of these My brethren, ye hath done it unto Me. Watch and be wary of how the world is driving you and playing up to your pride and ego in these latter days.

Our Lord continues – Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. Watch, be prepared, because you do not know what tomorrow or next year will bring, or even if there will be a next year. Do not delay, be prepared for our LORD's Coming, because whether it's His second coming or the day of your death, you will meet your LORD, and you don't know precisely when. So, don't act like an entitled fool, presuming upon Jesus and thinking that He answers to your beck and call. Don't push things off like the foolish do. Rather, be wise.

Now Pastor, not to be too picky here, but didn't you start this whole sermon by saying that we are all fools? Yes, I did say that none of us of ourselves were wise. We all say that every time we confess our sins here – we say that we are by nature sinful and unclean, that we constantly sin in thought, word, and deed, and that this is our fault. This isn't about your wisdom. The call here to watch, to be ready, is nothing other than a call to be in the Word of God in the Church where the Holy Spirit works upon you, where He enlightens you with His gifts, where He sanctifies you and prepares you for the life of the world to come. By the Word the Holy Spirit is at work, giving you life and salvation, This is what we learn in 2 Timothy 3 - But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,  that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. Be in the Word, know the story of salvation, know your place in it so that you are prepared to receive it all and delight in it. The wise virgins knew their role in the wedding, they valued their place, and they were prepared. The foolish didn't, and they missed out. Likewise, O Christian, you know the story of the Scriptures – that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. By grace you have been saved through faith, not by works, so that no one may boast. Continue to hear that Word, that Story. Continue to be in the Word where the Holy Spirit makes you wise unto salvation, where He comes and works faith in you and works love through you unto your neighbor. Because there's no other place for salvation – there is no other name than Jesus whereby there is salvation. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – Salvation isn't a choose your own adventure book – it's the story of Jesus. Watch, therefore – watch Jesus, hear His Word – and He will prepare you for His everlasting feast.

Because while you and I might be foolish in and of ourselves, God Almighty isn't. The Father knew what He was doing when He sent Jesus into this world to be your Savior, to be born and die for you, to rise for you. Jesus knew what He was doing when He had you baptized, the Spirit knew what He was doing when He called you by the Gospel. And if the world out there thinks this Church stuff is nuts, oh well - For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. The Spirit of God has come upon you by the Word, and He has given you Christ Jesus, the Light of the World, and thus you are prepared for the everlasting feast in Christ. Rejoice, rejoice believers, and let the light of Christ worked in you by the Spirit appear!