Matthew 25:1-13; 1
Thessalonians 5:1-11; Isaiah 65:17-25
In the Name of the Father and of the
+ Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Our Old Testament lesson today is pure
Gospel. The Prophet foretells a new heaven and a new earth in which there is no
inequity or strife, weeping or sorrow, and no more death. Now, who wouldn’t
want that? Who wouldn’t do anything they could to obtain it? Who wouldn’t pray
earnestly for that day and kingdom to quickly come? People like you and me,
that’s who. Oh, sure, we talk about the promised kingdom of heaven in wistful
and dreamy ways, imagining it not unlike the Edenic artwork on the Jehovah’s
Witness’ Watchtower literature sitting on our coffee tables, but do we really
believe in it? Do we really believe it will come soon? Do we really even want
it to come, particularly if it means giving up and losing what we have now?
Perhaps we have become a bit too content and complacent in our lives and in this
world, which are passing way, which are stored up for fire on the Last Day?
You are not alone in feeling this way.
Indeed, Christians, and Messianic Jews before them, have felt this way ever
since Jesus began His ministry of teaching and miracles. His disciples and the
crowds all thought He was the promised Messianic King who had come to establish
God’s kingdom on earth now. However,
when He failed to lead the people in uprising against their Roman occupiers,
when He failed to set them free from tyranny and oppression, when He failed to
restore worldly glory to Israel and reestablish David’s throne, the vast
majority rejected Him and cried out for His blood. He was not the kind of king
they were looking for. And, after He had been tried, convicted, condemned,
crucified, and buried, they thought that was that. No one expected Him to rise
from the dead. The women came to the tomb Sunday morning in order to finish the
job of preparing a dead body for burial. The disciples gathered in fear and
grief behind closed doors awaiting their own arrest, trial, and conviction at
the hands of the Jewish Council. They, like us today, would prefer that the LORD
make this present world better and more comfortable, release us from suffering
and sorrow, war and bloodshed, disease and death. However, the LORD did not
promise to make a paradise on earth again, but He promised to create a new
heaven and a new earth, and that this old world that we both hate and love will
be burned with fire and dissolve. Jesus said, “Behold, I make all things new.”
He wasn’t kidding. Believe it and receive it for Jesus’ sake.
In many ways, that is what the end of
the Church Year and the beginning of the new Church Year with Advent is all
about – watching, waiting in patient hope and expectation, and being prepared
for the day of Jesus’ coming, the Last Day, the end of this world and the
beginning of the new heavens and earth that will not fade away. That is what
the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins is all about. Jesus told this
parable to His disciples during the week of His Passion, during Holy Week
before His betrayal and arrest. Jesus told them this parable so that they would
be prepared for His delay in returning, by human standards. After Jesus’
Resurrection and Ascension, the disciples were all on board with Jesus.
Nevertheless, they expected His prophesied return to come quickly. That is why
the first Christians sold all their possessions and put them in a community
chest to care for those who could not care for themselves. That is why they
shared all things in common. It’s not that they were socialists or communists,
but they sincerely believed that they wouldn’t need such worldly and material things
much longer, for Jesus would be coming soon ushering in His new Kingdom. That’s
why Jesus told them, and us, this parable. He was encouraging us, exhorting us,
even warning us to not grow weary in our waiting and watching, for He is coming
soon – though, to the LORD a day may be as a thousand years, and a thousand
years as one day.
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish
Virgins is yet another Parable of the Kingdom. This time, the Kingdom of Heaven
is like “ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the Bridegroom.” As
in the other parables of the kingdom, the virgins were all invited, they were all in,
they were all going to the wedding
feast. However, Jesus tells us that, though they were all invited, though they were all
in, “five of them were foolish, and five were wise.” The difference between
the wise and the foolish virgins, Jesus says, was that the wise brought extra
oil with them. Already, the oil is a matter of significance. At the beginning
of the parable, all ten virgins have oil in their lamps. All seems well and
good – and it is! However, then comes the crux of the parable: The Bridegroom
is delayed. There they stand, all ten of the virgins, lamps filled with oil,
burning brightly, and the Bridegroom hasn’t come. They were all ready to enter
the Wedding Hall and partake of the Feast, but now they have to wait. Surely
this is how the disciples and the first Christians felt following Jesus’
Ascension and Pentecost. They were full of anticipation and excitement. They
were ready to enter the Kingdom of Heaven and celebrate the Feast with their
Bridegroom Jesus. But then, days, weeks, months, and years went by, and no
Bridegroom. After a while, they began to resume their work-a-day lives, going
to work, preparing meals, caring for their families, building homes and
churches, still waiting, still watching, but not as fervently or expectantly as
before. And, as years turned into decades and centuries and millennia, many
stopped watching and waiting altogether. They became the scoffers St. Peter
warned us about last Sunday saying, “Scoffers will come in the last days with
scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the
promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are
continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” Neither are you and I
immune to such thoughts and emotions. Some days we act as scoffers, as though
we do not believe that Jesus is coming, as though we do believe that this life
and world is all there is. Therefore, Jesus encourages, exhorts, and warns us
still, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
All
ten virgins were invited. All ten virgins
were in. All ten virgins had oil in their lamps, burning brightly. All ten virgins were on their way to the
Wedding Feast to meet the Bridegroom. But, when the Bridegroom was delayed, all ten virgins fell asleep. We are all
tempted, spiritually speaking, to succumb to weariness and sleep. It’s hard to
wait and watch perpetually with hopeful expectation. Even Jesus’ closest
disciples failed to wait and watch, and they fell asleep while He prayed in
Gethsemane. Whereas Jesus most likely has in mind spiritual slumber –
preoccupation with fleshly, worldly, and material concerns, idolatry – another
possible interpretation of sleep is death. All ten virgins died, and all ten virgins rose up when “at midnight there was a
cry” and the Bridegroom arrived. Either way, it is clear that falling asleep
was not the gravest problem for the virgins, but not having extra oil. Jesus
says that five of the virgins were wise, and that five of the virgins were
foolish. What made the five wise virgins wise was that they brought extra oil
with them as they went to meet the Bridegroom.
Once again, I must emphasize the fact
that all ten virgins had oil, that all ten virgins were invited, were in,
were on their way to the Wedding feast – they were all baptized Christians, purchased in the blood of Jesus. All ten virgins fell asleep. They grew
weary in their watching and waiting, or perhaps they died. However, when the
Bridegroom arrived, they all rose up and tended to their lamps. That is when a
distinction is made: Five virgins are said to be wise because they brought
extra oil. All of this begs the question, of course, “What, then, is the oil,
and how do we get it?”
Well, whereas I’ve heard and considered
many answers to that question, the only one that really seems to work, that is
the most supported by the Church’s interpretation throughout the ages, that is
consistent with the witness and teaching of Holy Scripture, is that the oil is faith. While faith is something that can
be measured to a certain extent – the Scriptures speak of great faith, little
faith, faith like a mustard seed,
etc. – any amount of faith in Christ
at all receives justification, the fullness of all of Christ’s benefits, and
the kingdom of heaven: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Therefore, it is not a question of how much faith you have, but rather, that you have it, that you have faith, period. The five foolish virgins had faith as they made their way to the
Wedding Feast. However, when the Bridegroom was delayed, over time they ran out.
In contrast, the five wise virgins, who also ran out of faith so to speak,
brought extra with them, which enabled them to abide the time of the
Bridegroom’s delay. So, if the oil is faith, the question is still begged, “How
and where do you get it?”
First most, it is clear that the faith
of another Christian cannot help you. No, you must have faith for yourself.
Thus, the five wise virgins could not share their oil, their faith, with the
five foolish virgins. Still, just having faith at one time or another is not
sufficient, but you must remain in faith, so you must be sustained in faith
until Jesus’ returns. St. Paul describes this truth in terms of a foot race,
“Run the race in such a way that you may obtain the prize.” Those runners who
stop midway and do not cross the finish line receive no prize. Consequently, in
this race, all who cross the finish line, all who endure and persevere in faith
until the end, win the prize, life eternal in the kingdom of heaven. And so,
this parable is Jesus’ encouragement, exhortation, and even a warning to
maintain and strengthen, to preserve and to keep your faith alive and shining
with light until He returns. And, where and how do you do that? You do that by
doing what you are doing right now – by receiving the Lord’s gifts in Word and
Sacrament. These are your true food, your true bread and meat and drink
throughout your earthly lives which forgive, renew, nourish, strengthen,
sustain, equip, and send you as the light of Christ in a world of darkness
until He comes. The Holy Spirit first filled the lamp of your body and soul
when you were baptized and first believed – just like little Brinley, Griffin,
Tobin, and Ellianna Saturday evening. Then, throughout your life, the Holy
Spirit continues to nurture and strengthen and preserve you in faith throughout
your life, even today, here in Christ’s Church with His Word of forgiveness and
His lifegiving and sustaining body and blood. The faith created in you, you
made confession of before God and men, just as Heather is about to do, when you
were Confirmed in faith whether as a youth or as an adult. Yet, Confirmation is
not graduation, but the beginning of a fuller participation in the life and
ministry of Christ’s body, the Church, both within these walls and, even
moreso, outside of these walls in your Spirit-given vocations. Which brings us
to yet another important teaching in this parable – works.
The purpose of a lamp is shine forth
light and lighten paths and rooms so that you do not stumble, so that others do
not stumble in the darkness. The people of Israel were called and chosen and
elect to be Light for the Gentiles. You too have been called, chosen, and elect
that you might be the Light of Christ in a world of darkness – “For once you
were darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord. Walk, therefore, as children
of Light. That is why Brinley, Tobin, Griffin, and Ellianna were given burning
candles with these words: “Receive this burning light to show that you have
received Christ who is the Light of the world. Live always in the Light of
Christ, and be ever watchful for His coming, that you may meet Him with Joy and
enter with Him into the marriage feast of the Lamb in His Kingdom, which shall
have no end.” You keep your lamps full of oil, shining forth with the Light of
Christ in good works and deeds which serve others and glorify God, showing that
you are Christians by your love for one another and for all.
Still, Jesus’ encouragement,
exhortation, and warning to remain full of the oil of faith and good works
remains, for the day of His return will come on an unknown day and hour, and
those whose lamps are shining forth with the Light of faith and works will
enter the Wedding Feast with their Bridegroom Jesus, but those whose lamps have
gone out, who have no more faith, will find themselves outside the gates of the
Wedding Hall where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. And, there will be
nowhere to obtain the oil of faith and rekindle their light, for the Church
will be closed, its purpose fulfilled and complete. Though they cry and plead
at the gates, the Lord will say to them, “I never knew you,” for the Lord knows
His people by their faith, faith that is shown to be living by good works and
love.
The extra oil is needed NOW in this
life. We must never think that we have enough and become complacent and content,
but we must be vigilant in maintaining and sustaining our faith. Therefore, O
Christian, do not delay in repentance or in receiving the gifts of Christ that
strengthen and sustain your faith. Rather, embrace them often, and receive them
with thanksgiving. For, through Word and Sacraments the Church fills Her lamp
full with the oil of faith and trust in the Lord, that She will be ready to
receive her Bridegroom when He comes again in glory. O Lord, preserve us in
faith in You and make us ever to hunger and thirst for Your righteousness. Make
us to shine with your True Light in our lives, words, and deeds to the glory of
God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Redeemer, in His most Holy Spirit our
Sanctifier and Sustainer.
In
the + Name of Jesus. Amen.
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