Sermon for 23rd Sunday after Pentecost – Matthew 25:1-13

Have you ever run out of gas? So, I used to have a trunk, and while I was driving, I ran out of gas. Now, you see those Hoosier Helper trunks driving around the city, and luckily one pulled up behind me after a short bit. I’m convinced they’re sent from God. Anyway, how I got into trouble was that the gas gauge wasn’t working. If you know about these, they’re a lot of work to replace. You have to change the whole gas tank, and it’s expensive. So, naturally I made do by just learning to track my odometer really closely. Which worked great for a while, until it didn’t. And funny how that’s always the least opportune time to run out of gas. How many times do we run out of gas in our lives?

In our gospel reading for today, Jesus tells us a parable about running out of gas. In this case it’s a wedding. And what a wedding – 10 bridemaids! WHo does that? But it’s a disaster. The bridegroom’s delayed. For hours. Most folks would give up and go home, but not these bridesmaids. They’re determined to wait it out together. We should all be so determined. Since it’s late at night, they’ve got their lamps blazing. Like you do. So there they are all together in their best light, all ready and waiting, because the bridegroom could show up any minute. Now, keep in mind that Jesus has already warned the disciples about his crucifixion and resurrection, and promised he’d return for the last day of judgment. In case we didn’t get the memo, there’s a lot of evil in the world. So right there, promise….but judgment. So it sets us on edge. The disciples want to know when and how to recognize that day. So Jesus tells this parable. And he says keep awake, for you know neither the day nor hour. So it feels like Jesus warning us to shape up before it’s too late, and time will be up before we know it.

Jesus also tells us that half the bridesmaids are foolish and half are wise. Teams. Not surprising, since we’re thinking of judgment. Be wise. Don’t be foolish. Except, we’ve got 10 maids, and a 50/50 bet as to who’s who. Those aren’t good odds for pegging someone either way. Or even pegging ourselves, for as wise as we like to think we are, until we’re seriously not. But even still, we have good intentions, right? Like these bridesmaids that know they’ve got to keep their lamps blazing in the night to be ready at a moment’s notice. Except only Team Wise thinks to bring extra oil, because who wants to run out of gas? Have you ever run out of gas and had to coast to the side of the road? I have! Did I learn a lession from being stuck and waiting to be rescued? I don’t know. Maybe Team Foolish hasn’t had that experience. Except, who’d expect such a delay for a wedding? What kind of host treats guests this way? Maybe he had a good reason, but we don’t know which team he’s on either, do we? Yet, the bridesmaids give him the benefit of the doubt. They’re determined to greet him in their best light.

But hours pass. They can’t keep going. They fall asleep. Who could wait for hours? Funny question after voting, but I guess we all have virtuous moments. Suddenly it’s the stroke of midnight and a voice cries out “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!” They stumble to their feet. They check their lamps. But WHOOPS! Half discover their lamps going out. Probably forgot to charge their cell phones too. Probably doing a real fast mental inventory of everything they did and didn’t do that day, because that’s what you do when you panic. They know they messed up. That’s repentance by the way. So they turn to the others and beg “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out!” How does Team Wise respond? “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” That’s interesting. Not just because it’s self-centered, but because if they’re so smart, why didn’t they think that SOMEONE might run out of oil? Some team. Oh, but they’ve got advice. “Go buy some.” Not sure who’s selling oil at midnight in THAT village, but they get it somehow. Do you think it felt like a minor miracle to them? Until they get back and the host rejects them. The end.

There’s so much to dissect here, but we can’t, because Jesus doesn’t let us into his head. The only thing he gives us is this dire story of two equally defective teams. But is it really about wise versus foolish, or more about self-righteousness versus misfortune? Yet, the bridegroom only lets in the folks who seem to make perfect choices. He shuts out the losers and tells them “I do not know you.” There’s no forgiveness here. Only the command to keep your lamp lit at all costs or else, and wait for a time that never comes, until it suddenly comes and shuts you out at the worst moment. Jesus says “the kingdom of heaven will be like this.” Deep down, don’t we kind of know that we never have enough oil for our lamps? How often do they flicker out at the most crucial times? What do we regret? Yet righteousness doesn’t care about best intentions, or about “fair”. At the end of the day, you either are or you aren’t, and if we’re honest, we know the truth.

Friends, there’s no good news in this story. But there is good news in the one who’s telling the story. Jesus, the living Word of God, the one who embodies good news for us, especially when our lamps have gone out and when we have nothing left to fill them with. Jesus knows exactly what that’s like, because he did exactly that, hanging from the cross, suffering and dying for our sake and the light of the world was snuffed out. But after three days he was raised, in the glorious light of his resurrection. And this is the light that will never go out. The light that needs no wick or oil or lamp at all. The only light that’s truly everlasting. In this light, Jesus sees all our guilt and regret, and has only one thing to say – I forgive you. Here’s the thing – this is HOW Jesus judges. We always forget that forgiveness is judgment. It names wrongs. It speaks truth to power. But it also says these will never have the last word for you or me.

Sure, Jesus says “keep awake, for you know neither the day nor hour.” He’s right. But he knows we always fall asleep. We’re never ready. He also knows the cross is once-and-for-all and can never be taken back, no matter what. But that’s not all. He also gives us his Holy Spirit to make the light of faith in our hearts. So that we can’t help but see all the folks around us whose lamps are going out. Of course, we still speak without thinking. We’ll probably say “hey, you need to go buy oil.” Like folks don’t already know that. Except, we don’t abandon them like a bunch of “wise” bridesmaids. No, we stick with folks, to actually bear the light of Christ FOR them, so that they can see and rejoice that the bridegroom has come to meet them, just as he met us.

You know, this is a really timely message post-election. We have two big teams of folks, and regardless which team we’re on, we probably have a lot of opinions about the others. But faith says we have a whole lot of brothers and sisters suffering from all manner of distress. Folks who can’t see anything good right now. And truth be told, none of us can see the future, regardless of our political leanings. But what we do see is a remarkable opportunity and privilege to be in enduring relationship with each other, so that no one has to feel left behind or shut out. And this is not work. This is a gift, because they are also children of God who will show us light when our lamps inevitably go out, at our most unexpected hour. I confess I’m not ready for that. But I can’t wait.