November 16 2014 Thanksgiving for Light Matthew 25.1-13

November 16 2014 Thanksgiving for Light, Matthew 25.1-13 Jacqueline Hines

Have you ever been ready, really ready -  ready for a meeting or a vacation, ready for winter? What did it take to be ready? What about the future? Do you need to get ready for a rainy day and save some money? Winter’s coming. Do you need to winterize your car or check the amount of oil in the furnace? Maybe you need to stock up on can goods or pull blankets out of storage. Meteorologists tell us there may be a lot snow this year. The Compassionate Care Team will be alerted, so each of us can be reminded to look out for our neighbors. We need to get ready.

What do you have to do to get ready for the next move of God?  We don’t know whether God’s work will entail a much desired blessing or an unwelcome trial. We don’t know, so we wisely prepare for the worst and pray for the best.

You have prepared yourself spiritually for great things. You have said your prayers of petition on behalf of others. You have given thanks and praise to God for all the blessings received. You have decided which committee you will serve on. Is there anything else to be done to get ready for whatever is coming your way?

The gospel of Matthew tells us ready or not the Lord is moving by the Spirit in a way that you cannot imagine. God is moving toward your life with a blessing. God is moving toward your life in order to be present in every trial you have. Ready or not, God is moving in your lives through the Holy Spirit. That movement creates an atmosphere and stirs up the best in us so we can keep the covenant and so that the Kingdom comes to us and to our children and our children’s children.

We know that God’s kingdom is in every holy place. God’s kingdom has a holy atmosphere, where good and right are the order of the day, where justice and mercy are plentiful, where unity and harmony prevail as the will of God is being fulfilled. That is why we pray [ #1 Thy kingdom come…] “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven.”

The Apostle Paul, speaking in the Spirit, taught the Church of Rome [ #2 kingdom of God is righteousness, peace…] that the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.

And, Jesus tells us disciples that [ #3 The kingdom of God is… within you.] “The kingdom of God is within you.”

In Matthew’s gospel today, Jesus tells us what we need to get ready for God’s moving in our lives and building the kingdom. [  #4  Matthew 25“Then the kingdom of heaven…]. 25“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this.” The metaphor begins:

[ #5 Ten Bridesmaids….]  Ten bridesmaids took 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.

These bridesmaids were ladies-in-waiting. They were there to serve and wait on the bride. Even though the story never mentions the bride – the bride throughout the bible is a symbol of the church.  So it begs the question, “Where is the Church?” Of course, the church is surrounded by bridesmaids. When you see God’s servants, you know the bride is close by.

Part of a first-century Palestinian marriage celebration included the bridegroom going to the home of his new wife, making the dowry arrangements and taking her to her new home. The bridesmaids were waiting for the bridegroom to appear. That was their cue to help the bride get ready and to get their lamps shining so that they could light the path and celebrate the new covenant.

Those listening to Jesus that day had to wonder if they were ready for the next move of God. Since the bible often uses female voices to represent submission to God, males who see themselves in covenant with God will also ask the question, “Am I ready. Am I ready to celebrate and am I willing to participate with those who have made a covenant with God, who love the Church for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part?”

As they waited [ #6 bridegroom delayed…]  5…the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.     [ # 7 but at midnight…..]    6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

The bride’s groom is the first to be up front and center in the wedding.  A Russian rabbi preached that the bridegroom was a symbol of a man who built a home – a home constructed with quality elements using gold and silver and copper – a home where there was a sanctuary for worshipping our God. [ # 8 rabbi…]  

When the bridegroom came for the bride, she knew she would be going to something solid that had been prepared especially for her. [ # 9 Exodus 25.8….]

The bridesmaids who were servants were waiting, preparing to light the way for the bride who is the Church to meet the love of her life. As Christians, we carry a light so we can see and celebrate, so others can see and celebrate.

After we turned the clocks back a few weeks ago, we noticed that it gets dark early. The darkness dramatically reminds us that light is so important and so appreciated.

The wise bridesmaids had enough oil to keep their lamps lit for as long as it took. They were prepared, and it is a good thing because the bridegroom was delayed. Perhaps he was helping the poor. He could have been at the bank handling unexpected financial blessings. Whatever the reason, he was delayed, and the ladies in waiting fell asleep – sleep is a biblical metaphor for prayerlessness.

Five of them did not have enough oil to bring light. Oil is the biblical metaphor for the Spirit of God. It flows, shimmers, shines, it is comforting, functional, and often fragrant. When they ran out of oil, they had no light.

Jesus knew that it would be impossible to celebrate this wedding, or any covenant in the dark. The bridesmaids who were ready were prayed up, organized, and diligent.

When we are prayed up we can maneuver in the dark. We can see what others cannot see. We can see what can only be seen from a high place, a holy place. 

[ # 10 Artistic face - sketch]* Artist Jorge Rodriquez Gerada took 7 years to create this 11- acre image for the Belfast Festival in Ireland. He used Topcon GPS technology and 30,000 manually placed wooden stakes in the ground, and with volunteers for four weeks moved nearly 8 million pounds of natural materials including soil, sand, and rock, producing this image of an anonymous Belfast girl. It can only be seen from the highest points in Belfast or from an airplane. Some things can only be seen from a high plane. [ #11 artistic face - real view]

A handsome young man in the armed services had a group of friends who encouraged him to date a beautiful woman. There was only one problem. He was not attracted to her enough to date her, but he did anyway.  With time, he saw the error of his ways. He saw the light and found his way to speaking the truth in love, avoiding breaking a young girl’s heart.

It is not easy to see the truth that sets us free. It is not easy to get a clear picture of what God wants us to see. We need to be right and we need the light.

A few years ago there was a report about two teachers in the Poconos. One teacher was vibrant, spectacular, and popular. The other was very traditional but just as effective. The popular one started getting threatening letters and other bizarre incidents occurred. The assumption of investigators was that the traditional teacher was crazy with jealousy and did hateful things. The case was even more confusing when they both passed a lie detector test. In the end, through the eyes of the law, they both were allowed to remain in the school system.

We need always be ready – always prayed up, always listening for God’s next move, so we can at least see where God is leading us in the midst of darkness and confusion.

When the foolish bridesmaids ran out of oil, they asked the wise ones to share. Those who had prepared answered with an emphatic  “no.” There was no way the bridesmaids could give up their oil. Some things are definitely NOT to be shared. They are to be guarded, protected, and watched over carefully.

The founder of Methodism, John Wesley [# 12 John Wesley in a crowd] was a man who spent hours in prayer. He did not compromise that time. He did not share it with other tasks nor did he cut it up, divide it, and give it away to more pressing needs of the day.  He is quoted as saying the busier he was, the more time he spent in prayer. He knew what was needed and he prepared with no excuses.

Verse 10 tells us that while the bridesmaids were out buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’  - in other words – keeping enough oil in our lamps - praying, praising, serving, celebrating  – opening our hearts to enough of God’s Spirit that we shine, is the way to get close enough to God to enjoy and to have doors open to us.

13Keep awake therefore, Jesus tells us. Keep that oil lamp [ #13 burning light] burning bright- for you know neither the day nor the hour that the bridegroom will return. We don’t know how God will move next, but we do want to be ready, because ready or not something great is coming our way! Amen.

 

  http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2013/10/wish-jorge-rodriguez-gerada-belfast/