Last
Sunday
Mt
25:1-13
11/17/24
It
is the elder’s worst nightmare. As with
every Sunday, the crucifer, acolyte, and pastor are lined up at the back of the
nave. The organist has begun playing the
introduction to the processional hymn.
When the congregation begins singing, it will be the signal for the
crucifer to start the procession and head down the aisle toward the altar.
This
same pattern is repeated Sunday after Sunday.
And part of that pattern is that as the organist begins to play the
introduction to the hymn, the elder lights the wick for the acolyte. Yet this time, the elder clicks the lighter …
and nothing happens. He clicks it again,
and sees the faintest suggestion of flame which then immediately goes out. He clicks it again, and again but gets no
flame.
The
congregation is about to start singing, which means the crucifer will head down
the aisle. After several more desperate
clicks, the elder realizes that the lighter must be out of fluid. He looks over at the back wall of church in
order to get a new lighter. But his hopes are dashed as he sees none
there. The congregation begins singing,
the procession starts down the aisle, and the elder has no flame for the
acolyte with which the candles can be lit.
In
our Gospel lesson this morning we hear about a similar event as five virgins
realize they have no flame at the moment when a procession takes place. We learn from Jesus’ parable that our Lord’s
return may seem to be delayed. We do not know when it will occur. But we must be ready, because everything
depends on it.
Our
text begins with the words, “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like.” We immediately find that once again, Jesus is
talking about the kingdom of heaven. As you know very well by now, when Jesus
refers to the “kingdom of heaven” he is not talking about a place. Instead, he is talking about the reign of God
which had arrived in him – the reign of God that was overcoming sin, death, and
the devil.
Jesus
declared that he was the presence of God’s reign. When he cast out demons and the Pharisees
said that was able to do this because he was in league with devil, our Lord
responded: “But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the
kingdom of God has come upon you.” However, in our text Jesus now describes a future
aspect of the reign of God. He says
the “kingdom of heaven will be like.”
Our
Lord tells a parable about ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet
the bridegroom. They were waiting to
honor the bridegroom when he arrived, and to accompany him into the marriage
feast.
Jesus had already referred to
himself in Matthew’s Gospel as the bridegroom, when he explained why his
disciples were not currently fasting. In
the Old Testament the bridegroom was Yahweh.
He was described as having this role in relation to the nation of
Israel. Yet now Jesus is the
bridegroom. He is because he is the Son
of God. He is Immanuel – God with us.
We
learn that five of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise. The foolish virgins did not bring any extra
oil for their lamps. However, the wise
virgins brought flasks of oil. They were prepared to refill their lamps.
We
hear in our text, “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.’” Jesus is the
bridegroom, and he is teaching us about his return on the Last Day. Our Lord has ascended into heaven. He has
been exalted to the right hand of God.
But he has declared that he will return in glory.
In
the parable the arrival of the bridegroom was delayed. After two thousand years, it certainly seems
to us that our Lord’s return is delayed! However, we must recognize that God’s
perception of things is very different from ours. The psalmist writes, “For a thousand
years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a
watch in the night.” God sent his Son into the world in the fullness of time,
and the Son will return when God’s timing and purposes have been accomplished.
We
learn that the arrival of the bridegroom was delayed. But when he arrived, it was sudden and
unexpected. Jesus says in the
parable, “But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come
out to meet him.’” Our Lord teaches us
that we do not know when he will return.
The history of the Church is filled with examples of people who
predicted when Jesus would return … and were wrong. In the verses before our text Jesus says, “Therefore, stay
awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” He says, “Therefore
you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you
do not expect.” We hear at the end of our text, “Watch therefore, for
you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus really does mean it.
When
the bridegroom arrived the virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. This action seems to indicate that while they
had been asleep, the lamps had expended their oil and gone out. Now the virgins lit their lamps in
preparation for the bridegroom. The wise
virgins had additional oil for their lamps.
But the foolish virgins ran into a problem. They said to the wise ones,
“Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” Without oil, they
would not stay lit.
However,
the wise virgins replied, “Since there will not be enough for us and for you,
go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.” If they shared their oil, it
was possible that all of virgins would run out and no one would be ready to
honor the bridegroom. So the foolish
virgins went to buy oil. But while they were gone the bridegroom came,
and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast,
and the door was shut.
Later the foolish virgins returned,
saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.”
However, they were not admitted to the marriage feast. Instead the bridegroom answered, “Truly, I
say to you, I do not know you.”
The
Son of God, Jesus Christ, entered into the world so that we can join him in the
marriage feast – the fullness of salvation and life with God. This is not something that we could ever
achieve. We are instead sinners who
repeatedly reject God’s will in what we say, do, and think. We sin as we give time, attention, and trust
to the false gods in our lives. We sin as we ignore opportunities to love and
support our neighbor, and instead harm their reputation by the words that we
speak.
The
Lord Jesus was the presence of God’s reign bringing forgiveness for our sins
and the defeat of death. Jesus Christ
had no sin, but at his baptism he took on the role of being the sacrifice for
us. He came to take our place, and drink
the cup of God’s wrath against our sin.
Jesus received the judgment that we deserved. From the cross he cried out, “My God, my God,
why have your forsaken me?” so that we will never be abandoned by God to the
punishment of hell.
The
dead body of Jesus was placed in a tomb.
But God was acting in Christ in order to defeat death itself. On the third day, God raised Jesus from the
dead. The reign of God conquered death as Jesus was raised with a body that can
never die again. The resurrection of the
Last Day started in Jesus Christ on Easter.
Jesus
humbled himself to the point of death on a cross in order carry out the
Father’s saving will. And now, he has been exalted as the risen and ascended
Lord. After his resurrection he told the
disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
God
has brought his saving reign to you through the work of the Spirit. He has called you to faith in Jesus Christ
through the Gospel. In the waters of baptism you were born again, as all your
sins were washed away. You live knowing that you have been justified – that you
are a saint in God’s eyes.
This
is true, and we give thanks for it. But Jesus’ words this morning teach us that
we must be ready for his second coming – a return that will be sudden and
unexpected. We must be ready in the way
that God defines it.
It
must not escape our attention that all ten virgins expected to go into
the marriage feast. They all thought
they would go in with the bridegroom.
However, the foolish virgins were not ready. When the bridegroom arrived
there so no time to get ready. And so,
they were locked out as the bridegroom said to them: “Truly, I say to
you, I do not know you.”
Many
people say they are Christians. Many people say they have faith. But faith that is ready for Jesus’ return is
faith as it is defined by God’s Word.
You received God’s reign and became
a saint through the Means of Grace. But
you still have the old Adam present in you.
You still have the devil and the world seeking to draw you away from
Christ. And so, you need to continue
to receive God’s reign through the Means of Grace. That’s what God tells us in the Third
Commandment. We cannot despise preaching
and God’s Word, but instead need to hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn
it.
This means that the Divine Service needs
to be the weekly foundation of your life of faith. Here you receive Christ’s word of
absolution. Here God’s Word is read and
preached by his called servant. Here you receive the true body and blood of
Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar.
Through these means the Spirit nourishes and sustains faith as he gives
forgiveness. Those who are regularly
receiving God’s reign in the Means of Grace are ready for its arrival on the
Last Day.
And at the same time, faith that is
ready for Christ’s return is not merely a passive thing. Instead, faith that is worked by the Spirit
is active – it alive and at work. It is,
as Paul told the Galatians “faith working through love.” So put the needs of our spouse, father and
mother, brother and sister, friend and neighbor ahead of our own. Support and encourage those who are troubled
and distressed. Take the time to pray
for those who are facing difficulties.
Weep with those who weep. Rejoice with those who rejoice. In this way you become Christ to your
neighbor – you share his love - as the Spirit of Christ works in you.
At the end of our text today Jesus
says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” We do not know when our Lord will
return. But the risen Lord calls us to
be watchful because he will return.
And in this we find comfort and hope.
Jesus who was vindicated by his resurrection, will vindicate us before
the world for believing in him as every knee bows before him and every
tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the
Father. Our Lord will give us a share in
his resurrection as he raises and transforms our bodies. He will renew creation
and make it very good once again. The problems of this sinful, fallen world
will be gone forever. And instead, we
and all the saints will live with God forever.
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