Grace Mercy and Peace given to you from God our Father. Amen
I am thankful to be back in front of you this evening/morning. As some of you may be aware, I have been going through a process of discernment to learn for what service God is calling me forward. It has been a long and fruitful discussion with our Lord, Pastor Jane, Dawn and other family and friends to date. By the looks of things, these discussions will continue and that there appears to be more for me to understand about my life, my faith and my commitment to the community of Christ.
In preparation for this sermon, I was compelled to speak to the Gospel reading for today, the parable of the lamps and the bridesmaid. I struggled at first or for that matter, the second and third times around when reading this lesson. At first look, it was all too easy for me as the reader to focus on the lack of compassion from the five with plenty of oil and the fact that they were not sharing with those who did not have enough. This seemed to go against most all of what we think about when we consider Jesus’ life and teachings and our help and care for those who are in need. Sharing the bounty of our labor with those who struggle or do not have proper provisions is the usual par for the course in such teachings.
So then, why did the 5 wise not share their oil? After all, the other 5 (the foolish) were merely caught up in the excitement of the moment and made a quick assumption that the bridegroom would arrive shortly. Was the lack of compassion some harsh judgment or cruel way to define themselves as better than the others and more deserving? After all they had their oil and they would be able have light to see the bridegroom and the bridegroom would be able to see them. This seems to be supported later in the parable when the foolish 5 were shut out of the feast altogether and not allowed to take part in the banquet. I read this over and over again and I kept thinking, I must be missing?
As I continued to review the Gospel lesson, another thought crowded thinking and covered my mind’s eye, the phrase “and then the door was shut”. I thought to myself, that’s it, it’s all over? The event arrived and festivities would take place without them. They have missed the feast. And to make matters worse for them they were shunned again as they shouted “Lord, lord, open to us”, and he replied “Truly I tell you, I do not know you”. My first reaction was wow, it is it, it really is over for the other five? This was very troubling for me. I asked myself, is there no forgiveness for them? No second opportunity?
So, at first glance that statement of being shut out seemed to overpower and loom heavy on me as the reader. One slip, and in a moment of excitement, you rush forward but don’t think to bring an ample supply of oil, and then, it is over. How were they to know just how much oil would be needed? Or, how long would they be waiting for the bridegroom to arrive and what compelled the other 5 to grab hold and take more oil for their lamps? But then for the 5 foolish the wait was too long and all of their oil was consumed, and all is lost. So you can see where I struggled with this verse.
As I continued in prayer and study about the content and context of this verse a different understanding began to emerge in my thoughts, God was telling me to look deeper into this scripture and by deeper, to not just scan the surface and expect to find inner meaning of this parable. He was also telling me to not lose site of the forest while looking at the tress. As I sat back, I began to look at the printed words and tried to be open for a different perspective. As I read and listened for guidance, I felt God begin to pull my thoughts away from the specific words and the specific phrases and as He did, I began to see this scripture differently, the phrases began to take on new meanings for me.
It is with this new perspective that I want to talk with you today. As my mind drifted back, I began to question the significance of the oil. What kind of oil is this and why was it so important? After all in darkness surely any light, even the dimmest light will brighten an area well enough to see more then shadows. So, why was the light of 5 lamps not sufficient for all ten to be seen by the bridegroom? There must be something else at play in this parable.
5 wise but not 5 who share, this quit a different angle than most of the stories that Jesus relates to His disciples. How did they know how much oil would be needed? The story doesn’t really say for sure how much oil they carried or if the 5 wise each carried an equal amount. Did the wise really have some insight as to how much oil would be needed? It seems unlikely, with the limited facts available. I needed to move beyond the oil and as I did I began to resolve that the oil may not really be oil, but rather symbolic something other than fuel for their lamps. A likely interpretation is that the oil represents their faith and faith that the bridegroom, representing Jesus, will see them and know them when he arrives again. I am certain many of you had already drawn yourself in that direction or to that conclusion. This is a common position for most commentaries on this verse in scripture.
So, if this is true, that the oil represents faith, then certainly it is understandable to see that the 5 wise could not simply give away their oil, for faith does not come from others but from within our own hearts and our souls. So we need to excuse the 5 wise for not sharing their oil, because they had no option, it simply was impossible. In fact it would be wrong for us to compare the wise and foolish and make any distinction that one is better off than the other. As easy as it is to say one group should have been prepared, it is also easy to say the other should have been open about their faith and have helped to prepare a path for the other. In either case, judgment is not ours but in the hands of God.
The focus of this scripture therefore does not rest in either the 5 wise or with the 5 foolish but instead on God’s mercy and His desire to have us draw close to Him. In what first presented itself to me as a strong, powerful message of preparation, obedience and a stern warning to be alert or risk being left out, slowly but distinctively became a prayer of love, a prayer of hope a prayer of optimism and an invitation to welcome Christ into my life, so that He can welcome me into His feast.
Jesus is inviting us to open our hearts and our minds to Him. As the 5 foolish shouted “open to us” and the lord replied “I do not know you”. Then the question that came to my attention was, how would the Lord know who I am? Have I invited Him into my life?
How do we get to know one another? We converse, we share fellowship, we share experiences, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we allow ourselves to be loved, we share our time and talents and we may even share the fruits of our labor. In short, we spend time with one another. So, how do we get to know Jesus? Or for that matter, how does Jesus get to know us? Have we invited Him into our inner circle of friendships, do we spend time in conversation, listening and talking to Him, about our lives, our needs and our weaknesses?
The statement “I don’t know you” is not a harsh reprimand but an invitation, an invitation that can be easily answered, an invitation that when accepted, will make available to us in the Feast that is Christ Jesus. To help me understand the importance of this message I had to let go of the notion that the only time that I would see Jesus would be at the time of His second coming, and that would take place sometime in the future. I needed to listen to His call and understand that there is way a to see Him and to be with Him. I needed seek and find Christ and His continual presence in my life each and every day. I needed to get to know Him and I needed and still need to, reveal my true self to Him, so that He will be able to say, I know you.
We are all invited to the feast of the Lord, and that feast is here, right here in this room. Today, as we gather for worship we are guests that have accepted His invitation to be present at His feast. When we commune together we are invited to be seated at His table and to share in His life, His body, His blood and His spirit. So, in this scripture are we to believe that the 5 foolish are to be cast out forever? Is this really the lesson that Jesus wants us to learn from this parable? Or is He telling us not to just look to the future and wait in anticipation for the feast to come, but rather is He inviting us to participate in that feast today.
There is a funny thing about words on paper is that without sufficient adjectives to describe the emotion, the body movement and the volume used to speak a phrase and or quote, the meaning is then left to interpretation. Let’s try an experiment with the term “I don’t know you”. This phrase if said like this “I DON’T KNOW YOU” gives you the listener what kind of insight to my intent? Angry and rejecting right? But when said like this “I don’t know you” implies what? Maybe, I am looking for clarification, maybe if you tell me more about yourself, I will have confidence that I may be able to have trust in you. We don’t know for sure which was the tone the Lord used in this parable and but it is easy to assume that it was the former rather than the latter tone. But for me, as I continued to work on this verse, the message was coming through to me as an invitation, an opening of an opportunity to allow Jesus to see and know me. I saw a compassionate Lord, who was looking down at an unfortunate few and giving them an understanding of how they can prepare for reconciliation and redemption.
Jesus, is looking to know us. He is asking that we get to know Him today and not in some time in the future, the time is now. Jesus is saying to His disciples in this parable, I am here and with you now. Let’s get to know one another starting today. There is no reason to wait, get to know me while I am with you so that I will be able to say, that I know you when the time arrives.
The time is Now, right here and right now.
Jesus is not in some distant location, slowly making His way forward on a journey to find us. He is not a stranger waiting for us to bump into Him or someone we seek, only in a time of our own desperation. He lovingly longs for us to hear His call in this parable and join Him in the joy of His Grace and to join Him, in the peace that is His forgiveness. Invite Jesus into your heart, prepare a place for Him and seek to find Him in all that you do. Spend time with Him and learn how He is calling you to service.
Feel His power, His presence and His love, through the examples that He brings forward to you each day and in your interactions with others in this world. As you will see when you invite Him into your life, He will make Himself known to you. It may or may not be obvious to you at first but surely, when you prayerfully seek Him with an open heart, you will find Him. I believe that Jesus is telling us not to anticipate but to participate. Participate in His feast this day and every day.
To seek and find Jesus alive in our life today and every day that we are on Earth is truly living a life of preparation, for when you invite and allow Jesus to stand next to you, the gates of heaven will be open for you on that last and final day. Amen
I am thankful to be back in front of you this evening/morning. As some of you may be aware, I have been going through a process of discernment to learn for what service God is calling me forward. It has been a long and fruitful discussion with our Lord, Pastor Jane, Dawn and other family and friends to date. By the looks of things, these discussions will continue and that there appears to be more for me to understand about my life, my faith and my commitment to the community of Christ.
In preparation for this sermon, I was compelled to speak to the Gospel reading for today, the parable of the lamps and the bridesmaid. I struggled at first or for that matter, the second and third times around when reading this lesson. At first look, it was all too easy for me as the reader to focus on the lack of compassion from the five with plenty of oil and the fact that they were not sharing with those who did not have enough. This seemed to go against most all of what we think about when we consider Jesus’ life and teachings and our help and care for those who are in need. Sharing the bounty of our labor with those who struggle or do not have proper provisions is the usual par for the course in such teachings.
So then, why did the 5 wise not share their oil? After all, the other 5 (the foolish) were merely caught up in the excitement of the moment and made a quick assumption that the bridegroom would arrive shortly. Was the lack of compassion some harsh judgment or cruel way to define themselves as better than the others and more deserving? After all they had their oil and they would be able have light to see the bridegroom and the bridegroom would be able to see them. This seems to be supported later in the parable when the foolish 5 were shut out of the feast altogether and not allowed to take part in the banquet. I read this over and over again and I kept thinking, I must be missing?
As I continued to review the Gospel lesson, another thought crowded thinking and covered my mind’s eye, the phrase “and then the door was shut”. I thought to myself, that’s it, it’s all over? The event arrived and festivities would take place without them. They have missed the feast. And to make matters worse for them they were shunned again as they shouted “Lord, lord, open to us”, and he replied “Truly I tell you, I do not know you”. My first reaction was wow, it is it, it really is over for the other five? This was very troubling for me. I asked myself, is there no forgiveness for them? No second opportunity?
So, at first glance that statement of being shut out seemed to overpower and loom heavy on me as the reader. One slip, and in a moment of excitement, you rush forward but don’t think to bring an ample supply of oil, and then, it is over. How were they to know just how much oil would be needed? Or, how long would they be waiting for the bridegroom to arrive and what compelled the other 5 to grab hold and take more oil for their lamps? But then for the 5 foolish the wait was too long and all of their oil was consumed, and all is lost. So you can see where I struggled with this verse.
As I continued in prayer and study about the content and context of this verse a different understanding began to emerge in my thoughts, God was telling me to look deeper into this scripture and by deeper, to not just scan the surface and expect to find inner meaning of this parable. He was also telling me to not lose site of the forest while looking at the tress. As I sat back, I began to look at the printed words and tried to be open for a different perspective. As I read and listened for guidance, I felt God begin to pull my thoughts away from the specific words and the specific phrases and as He did, I began to see this scripture differently, the phrases began to take on new meanings for me.
It is with this new perspective that I want to talk with you today. As my mind drifted back, I began to question the significance of the oil. What kind of oil is this and why was it so important? After all in darkness surely any light, even the dimmest light will brighten an area well enough to see more then shadows. So, why was the light of 5 lamps not sufficient for all ten to be seen by the bridegroom? There must be something else at play in this parable.
5 wise but not 5 who share, this quit a different angle than most of the stories that Jesus relates to His disciples. How did they know how much oil would be needed? The story doesn’t really say for sure how much oil they carried or if the 5 wise each carried an equal amount. Did the wise really have some insight as to how much oil would be needed? It seems unlikely, with the limited facts available. I needed to move beyond the oil and as I did I began to resolve that the oil may not really be oil, but rather symbolic something other than fuel for their lamps. A likely interpretation is that the oil represents their faith and faith that the bridegroom, representing Jesus, will see them and know them when he arrives again. I am certain many of you had already drawn yourself in that direction or to that conclusion. This is a common position for most commentaries on this verse in scripture.
So, if this is true, that the oil represents faith, then certainly it is understandable to see that the 5 wise could not simply give away their oil, for faith does not come from others but from within our own hearts and our souls. So we need to excuse the 5 wise for not sharing their oil, because they had no option, it simply was impossible. In fact it would be wrong for us to compare the wise and foolish and make any distinction that one is better off than the other. As easy as it is to say one group should have been prepared, it is also easy to say the other should have been open about their faith and have helped to prepare a path for the other. In either case, judgment is not ours but in the hands of God.
The focus of this scripture therefore does not rest in either the 5 wise or with the 5 foolish but instead on God’s mercy and His desire to have us draw close to Him. In what first presented itself to me as a strong, powerful message of preparation, obedience and a stern warning to be alert or risk being left out, slowly but distinctively became a prayer of love, a prayer of hope a prayer of optimism and an invitation to welcome Christ into my life, so that He can welcome me into His feast.
Jesus is inviting us to open our hearts and our minds to Him. As the 5 foolish shouted “open to us” and the lord replied “I do not know you”. Then the question that came to my attention was, how would the Lord know who I am? Have I invited Him into my life?
How do we get to know one another? We converse, we share fellowship, we share experiences, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable, we allow ourselves to be loved, we share our time and talents and we may even share the fruits of our labor. In short, we spend time with one another. So, how do we get to know Jesus? Or for that matter, how does Jesus get to know us? Have we invited Him into our inner circle of friendships, do we spend time in conversation, listening and talking to Him, about our lives, our needs and our weaknesses?
The statement “I don’t know you” is not a harsh reprimand but an invitation, an invitation that can be easily answered, an invitation that when accepted, will make available to us in the Feast that is Christ Jesus. To help me understand the importance of this message I had to let go of the notion that the only time that I would see Jesus would be at the time of His second coming, and that would take place sometime in the future. I needed to listen to His call and understand that there is way a to see Him and to be with Him. I needed seek and find Christ and His continual presence in my life each and every day. I needed to get to know Him and I needed and still need to, reveal my true self to Him, so that He will be able to say, I know you.
We are all invited to the feast of the Lord, and that feast is here, right here in this room. Today, as we gather for worship we are guests that have accepted His invitation to be present at His feast. When we commune together we are invited to be seated at His table and to share in His life, His body, His blood and His spirit. So, in this scripture are we to believe that the 5 foolish are to be cast out forever? Is this really the lesson that Jesus wants us to learn from this parable? Or is He telling us not to just look to the future and wait in anticipation for the feast to come, but rather is He inviting us to participate in that feast today.
There is a funny thing about words on paper is that without sufficient adjectives to describe the emotion, the body movement and the volume used to speak a phrase and or quote, the meaning is then left to interpretation. Let’s try an experiment with the term “I don’t know you”. This phrase if said like this “I DON’T KNOW YOU” gives you the listener what kind of insight to my intent? Angry and rejecting right? But when said like this “I don’t know you” implies what? Maybe, I am looking for clarification, maybe if you tell me more about yourself, I will have confidence that I may be able to have trust in you. We don’t know for sure which was the tone the Lord used in this parable and but it is easy to assume that it was the former rather than the latter tone. But for me, as I continued to work on this verse, the message was coming through to me as an invitation, an opening of an opportunity to allow Jesus to see and know me. I saw a compassionate Lord, who was looking down at an unfortunate few and giving them an understanding of how they can prepare for reconciliation and redemption.
Jesus, is looking to know us. He is asking that we get to know Him today and not in some time in the future, the time is now. Jesus is saying to His disciples in this parable, I am here and with you now. Let’s get to know one another starting today. There is no reason to wait, get to know me while I am with you so that I will be able to say, that I know you when the time arrives.
The time is Now, right here and right now.
Jesus is not in some distant location, slowly making His way forward on a journey to find us. He is not a stranger waiting for us to bump into Him or someone we seek, only in a time of our own desperation. He lovingly longs for us to hear His call in this parable and join Him in the joy of His Grace and to join Him, in the peace that is His forgiveness. Invite Jesus into your heart, prepare a place for Him and seek to find Him in all that you do. Spend time with Him and learn how He is calling you to service.
Feel His power, His presence and His love, through the examples that He brings forward to you each day and in your interactions with others in this world. As you will see when you invite Him into your life, He will make Himself known to you. It may or may not be obvious to you at first but surely, when you prayerfully seek Him with an open heart, you will find Him. I believe that Jesus is telling us not to anticipate but to participate. Participate in His feast this day and every day.
To seek and find Jesus alive in our life today and every day that we are on Earth is truly living a life of preparation, for when you invite and allow Jesus to stand next to you, the gates of heaven will be open for you on that last and final day. Amen
No comments:
Post a Comment