Judges 24
Matthew 25:1-13
“We are the lamps, and we need to have oil”
Year A
A woman was expecting her first child, and she asked her two best friends to be present at the birth. She wanted them there for support, but she also wanted them to videotape the birth. As the due date approached, each of the friends readied their equipment, making sure their cameras were ready, along with batteries and videotapes. The due date came and went and still no signs that the baby would be born soon. The two friends stopped trying to rearrange their schedules to be available at a moment’s notice. Finally, the phone call came: “I’m in labor, can you come?” The two friends packed up their equipment and headed for the hospital. Once they got there they turned on their cameras and got everything ready for the big event. But the labor stretched from minutes to hours. They had arrived early in the morning, and now it was late in the evening. Finally, the two friends fell asleep in the hospital waiting room. It was in the wee hours of the morning that a nurse burst in to say, “it’s finally time! The baby has crowned and it won’t be long now. The baby is coming!” The two friends gathered up their cameras and headed for the delivery room. As one checked her camera, she was appalled to see that she had left it on the whole time they were waiting and now the batteries were dead. “My batteries are dead!” she cried to her companion. “Give me some of yours.” “I can’t!” her friend replied. “I just put in my last fresh set. You’ll have to get your own. Maybe they have some in the hospital gift shop.” Unfortunately, the gift shop was closed, since it was the middle of the night. By the time the friend had found an all night drug store, bought some batteries and returned to the hospital, it was all over. The baby had been born and the friend had missed her opportunity to participate in the blessed event.
Point Jesus was trying to make
That was a modern version of Jesus story. Of friends being asked to share in the joy of someone – and having to wait. But either being prepared for a once and a lifetime moment or not.
Isrealite Wedding
In order to understand this story you have to understand the context of an Isrealite wedding. Before the wedding the man was supposed to go to the father’s house to negotiate the terms of the wedding. After all of the papers were signed and everything taken care of then ceremonially – the wife would be marched to the husband’s house. It was an honor for the young female relatives of the husband to participate in the procession with lighted lamps to celebrate.
Importance of being prepared
This was a big opportunity for a young girl. There was a chance that she would be seen and that she may be picked next to get married. So it was important to be prepared
But he was late
It just so happens that it took a long time this time for the groom to come from the father’s house. He did not come out until midnight when everyone was ready to go to bed. But not all of the girls were prepared to participate in this once in a lifetime event.
Early Christians felt Jesus was late
Early Christians had always been told that everything would be okay once Jesus came. They were taught that it would be any moment. And yet Jesus had not come – what did that mean?
But Jesus teaches us to share – why did they not share?
I have always thought that this was a strange story. The maidens are called foolish. That does not sit well with me, because Jesus says in another story that we are not supposed to call anyone foolish – so why would Jesus so freely call these girls foolish?
And besides we are called to help one another out and to be community as Christians. So why wouldn’t the five wise ones just share their oil with those who did not have enough oil?
Yet Jesus Speaks of five wise maidens and five foolish maidens Why the distinction? Jesus is trying to teach us that when it comes to faith, there is no sharing. We cannot be saved on behalf of another. We cannot go to heaven on behalf of another. It is an individual choice that each of us has to make.
I think that we are all wise and foolish, and we all have the opportunity to be wise of foolish based on the decisions that we make in life. We are all waiting for Jesus and we all need to be prepared. On our own.
We are lamps, God is the light
A rabbi tells the story that we are the lamps of God and that God is the light.
Oil is our Christian life
We are each responsible for filling our own lamps with oil – we do that by our service to God – reading the bible, coming to church, being in service to others , being in fellowship with other Christians. We have to fill our own lamps.
This all Fits into being present
Who we are as people, as Christians are about Making choices
I want to Briefly speak of judges
Joshua talks of Joshua bringing all of the people together. And telling them that they have to make a choice. Choose ye this day whom you must serve – God or man. He calls them together and reminds them of their history and how God had been with them all along. And then he reminds them that God has chosen them as a special people and that they have to choose God. But not to take this covenant lightly. Because God is also an angry jealous God. Who does not like to be taken for granted.
This was not a convenant – but it is a recovenant – a repromise. They are recommitting themselves to God after a period of sin.
Perfect for stewardship
This is a perfect verse for stewardship time – we too have to recommit ourselves to our relationship with God after getting comfortable with life and falling into sin.
Life is about Making choices
God made hard choices for us
Choose to be wise and let our lights shine in the way we live in the world.
This Leads us to advent
Christ comes many times and in many ways. When Bishop Sprague would talk about the second coming of Christ, he would say that he believed that God come not just once of twice in the world, but that Christ comes again and again in our lives, and we have to be prepared for Christ coming in our lives in many ways. Advent is the the time when Christ comes in a new way. And we have to prepare ourselves for this new coming.
How will you meet him this year?
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