Being Wise… Being Watchful… Being Ready
Pastor Dean Jurgen
November 9, 2008

Matt. 25:1-13

There are times that we are more watchful.  Like this past Tuesday.  It was the first Tuesday of November, and most of the world knew that the future of the world was being voted upon.
And so we were watchful.  For we knew something very important was happening.  Some of us were watchful the week before.  We were watching to see if the Phillies could actually win it all.  Oh, the future of the whole world wasn’t at stake, but for us, something very important was happening.

We’re watchful when a baby is due.  Something very important.  We’re watchful when we sit by the hospital bedside of one that we love.  Something very important.  As children we’re watchful for our birthday or Christmas coming.  There are times that we are more watchful… expectant… ready for something important about to happen.

Jesus nudges us in today’s scripture lesson to live with that kind of watchfulness everyday.  He lets us know that God is about to do something very important… and we don’t want to be left out.  And God doesn’t wait for the 2nd Tuesday of November or the 25th day of December to do something important.
God doesn’t act according to our calendar.  We never know when God is going to do something important… we never know when God is going to come to us in a personal, powerful way… and so:

Be wise, be watchful, be ready.  Keep your lamps trimmed and burning... the time is drawing nigh. (as the choir sang for us)  Have plenty of oil on hand.

It makes me think of the camp song, “Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning. Give me oil in my lamp, I pray. Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning, burning, burning; keep me burning till the break of day”

The imagery of oil in lamps and wicks trimmed is a bit strange to us who live in a time of streetlights and headlights and flashlights.  But those who first heard this from Jesus knew what he was saying.  They knew that the only way they could get around after dark was to have oil lamps.  And the reason they would want to get around was that the bridegroom was coming.

In this parable, two groups are mentioned - the wise who are ready and prepared (wise bridesmaids) and those who are not (foolish bridesmaids).   The custom in those days was for the female friends of the bride, at least ten of them, to wait outside her house for the coming of the bridegroom.  The man would come from his own house to get his bride and take her back to his own house for the ceremony.  This involved great festivity and joy as they would walk through the streets, often taking the long way back to his house so everyone could bless them.

Well, the bridesmaids would wait outside the house, even at night, for often the groom would come then.  They would often use lamps so that they could tell the bride the groom had arrived and then escort them with lighted lamps through the town, back to the groom’s house, and inside where they would be locked away for a joyous celebration.  Often someone would go before the groom and announce that he was on his way.  But even then it could be a matter of hours.  You never knew when he was coming.

So these women had to be ready and prepared for such a delay.  Some were, for they had extra oil for their lamps, while others had not thought about that.  So when the bridegroom arrives suddenly, they are not ready.

They want the other five to share their oil, but they refuse.  Why?  Because it would throw the whole wedding procession into disarray and insult the groom and bride.  There would not be enough oil for the procession.  So the five unprepared rush off to try to find oil but get back to the groom’s house too late.
The door has been shut.  Too late for them to enter.  They were not ready and missed out on the joy that was taking place inside.

William Barclay says that this is first a parable of judgment on the scribes and Pharisees (who Jesus has been addressing for some time now).  They, of all persons, should have been ready for the coming of the Son of Man.  But most were not.  The wedding took place and they refused to take part.

But Christians are also addressed here.  The warning is clear: The delay here is the delay in the return of Christ.  Many expected the imminent return of Christ.  But that had not happened.  Christ is the bridegroom and the bridesmaids are Christians who are awaiting his return.  But we do not know when that will be.  So we have to prepare.  Some will be ready and others not.

What does it mean to be ready?
How does one prepare?
How do you keep your lamps filled?
How do you make sure you don’t miss out on the new thing God is about to do… in his time?
How do you wait and watch wisely?

You stay tuned.  Daily.  Intentionally.  By prayer… worship… study… serving and following.  You stay tuned in the small and the big decisions, keeping in touch with God, yielding it all to him, seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness.

One example of this is the significant event of our church’s history that we remember today.  It was a time that the church tuned in to God intentionally, with extra prayer and seeking of His will.

It was 1741.  The little band of Moravians from their settlement in Herrnhut were growing because of their nine year mission emphasis.  Leonard Dober had gone, with David Nitshmann, to the slaves of the West Indies as evangelists… these two men being the first Protestant missionaries.  But two years later Leonard Dober was called to be the Chief Elder of the Moravian Church.

For seven years he served as the Chief Elder until the expansion of the church overseas made him feel that he was not capable of being in charge of this growing church.  He resigned the position.  It was, at first, a big problem.  But it became the great opportunity for our church to recognize that no human being should ever be in charge of the church… but Jesus alone should be in charge as our Chief Elder.

Some of you  know more details of the story… how they used the lot to select the new leadership needed, and how the lot kept coming up empty until they were inspired to understand that Jesus Christ is to be our Chief Elder and Head of the church.

But whether we use the lot or use ballots (bal – lots) to choose leadership… we stay tuned… we keep our lamps trimmed and oil in supply… we wait and watch with readiness.  For as God did a new thing that day that they knew Jesus to be our Chief Elder, He can do just as wonderful a new thing today… any day.

So let’s stay tuned, stay watchful and ready, even now as we prepare to come to this table and renew our relationship with our Savior and Chief Elder… the one who rescues us by his death on the cross and guides us to live his life in our day.  He saves us and he leads us on.

He’s the one who knows that we haven’t always stay tuned… we haven’t always kept our lamps trimmed and burning… But he doesn’t want us to miss out on the joy of the wedding banquet.  So, that’s why he has prepared this preview of the wedding banquet… he has prepared this forgiveness banquet and invites us all to come, eat and drink and live.
Lititz Moravian Congregation | 8 Church Square | Lititz, PA 17543 | 717 626-8515 | Admin