Matthew 25:1-13 *
Dear Friends in Christ,
Do you know what a mentor is? We hear the term used quite a bit these days. According to my dictionary, a mentor is a “wise and trusted counselor or teacher.”
Putting it personally, mentors are people we admire. We see traits in them we desire to incorporate into our own lives. We learn from them, maybe even study them. Mostly we are impressed by the way they just seem to have life in general – or at least a certain portion of it – figured out. And by looking to them as our role models and examples, we hope we can do the same…
That being said, here is an interesting thought: Have you ever considered that we who make up this body of people on earth known as the Holy Christian Church have a whole bunch of mentors at our disposal? We do. There is a vast assembly of people that we can and should look up to (no pun intended).
Who are these wise and trusted counselors? They are those who have “fought the good fight and finished the race and kept the faith” as the Apostle Paul describes them, and now “from their labors rest” in heaven. Collectively we call them Saints Triumphant. And many of us know many of them personally.
There is much this heavenly band has to teach us. So this morning, on the basis of the Word of God we have before us, we’d like to consider
WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM SAINTS TRIUMPHANT
1. Anticipation of our Lord
2. Preparation for our Lord
3. Dedication to our Lord
Let’s begin by briefly reviewing our text. It’s a story…
Jesus talks about ten virgins – we might call them
bridesmaids – who were waiting for the bridegroom in order to accompany him
back to the house where wedding festivities were to occur. These ten bridesmaids fell into two divisions:
“Five of them were foolish and five were wise.” The distinguishing feature: “The
foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along
with their lamps.” The lamps referred
to here were more like torches. Oil was
needed to replenish them.
Hours pass. At
So the unprepared rush off to find oil – which means they miss out on the initial connection. By the time they get their act together, the processional is over. Better late than never, they reason, so they knock at the door. But the bridegroom makes it clear that in this case there are no second chances. And they are left on the outside looking in with no one but themselves to blame. Because it never was a question of if the bridegroom would appear, only when…
What Jesus is addressing in this parable is evident. It becomes even more evident when we understand that the entire chapter before (Matthew 24) and the rest of this chapter (25) all talk about the same subject matter. Jesus is speaking about the Last Things… the end of the world… the Day of Judgment. Using tender terminology found throughout the Bible, He is the bridegroom in our story. And we are to be ready to meet Him.
Because, like the bridegroom in our text, it is not a
question of if He’s coming – only when.
So Jesus ends with this encouragement:
“Therefore keep watch, because
you do not know the day or the hour.”
Although it was only a story and therefore, technically, they didn’t really exist, the five wise virgins are really representative of all the Saints Triumphant. With that in mind, let’s study their lives and consider how they can mentor us. Upon examination, we’ll find that their lives are particularly instructive to us in the three areas mentioned earlier… anticipation, preparation, and dedication.
What we see in the five wise virgins is, first of all, anticipation. They knew the bridegroom was coming. They anticipated his presence in their lives. It was something that was obviously on the front burner of their minds…
Let’s apply this to ourselves. We are in that period of the Church Year we call “the end times.” Last week’s readings and today’s readings remind us that Christ could return at any time. And I’m sure we all believe that. But it may also be that we routinely place this truth on the back burner of our consciousness. Or perhaps we view it as something that will indeed happen – but sometime in the distant future.
If that is the case, the Second Coming of Christ really ceases to be the “living hope” Jesus intended it to be. If that is the case, we have lost any sense of anticipation.
In the ancient church the criticism was sometimes leveled against Christians that they were so heavenly minded they ceased to be any earthly good. Some Christians obviously exhibited a literal head-in-the clouds attitude that went farther than it should have. But I would submit that our mistake is often just the opposite. We get too caught up in the earthly to think about the heavenly…
Saints Triumphant remind us of the importance of spiritual anticipation. Jesus is coming. And even if the “official” Last Day does end up being hundreds or thousands of years off, our personal Last Day – the day of our death – could come at any time. Like the wise virgins in our text, meeting up with the Heavenly Bridegroom – in one way or another – is something that will happen. And it is something to joyfully anticipate, as they did.
Such anticipation logically leads to preparation. The wise bridesmaids not only anticipated
meeting the Bridegroom, they were prepared to meet Him. They kept their lamps trimmed, replenished
and burning. Whether he came earlier or
later than
Maybe you’ve heard it said of someone who died that “they had their house in order.” What exactly does that mean? Usually it means that they tied up any personal or financial loose ends and made it as easy as possible for those left behind. People who have their houses in order are ready for a time when they will no longer be here.
Saints Triumphant are those who had their spiritual houses in order. They anticipated and were prepared for the day they knew would one day come. Through regular, faithful use of the Means of Grace they steadied themselves through life and they readied themselves for death. Ask any minister and he’ll tell you what a humble privilege it is to work with such saints – especially as they know their end is drawing near.
Semper Paratus is the motto of the United States Coast Guard. It’s a Latin phrase which means “always prepared.” That’s what Saints Triumphant were and Saints Triumphant-in-the-waiting (us) will want to be: always prepared. And we stay prepared by staying closely connected to Christ through regular use of the Word and sacrament and worship.
Back to our text. Anticipation of the Bridegroom leads to preparation for the Bridegroom. Both are grounded in dedication to the Bridegroom. Why such strong devotion to the One who is coming? Because of who He is and what He has done.
Again, apply this to our situation. A Second Coming presupposes a first
coming. And the first coming was a
clinic on love and devotion. We know the
story. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of
God, became one of us. He perfectly
carried out God’s demand that we be
sinless by being sinless in our place.
Then He satisfied both the love and the justice of God by dying on the
cross as our substitute.
“Upon the cross extended, see world, your Lord suspended” goes the Lenten hymn. Our sins put him there. His love for us kept Him there. “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” said Jesus. And that’s exactly what He did for us. Three days later He rose from the grave and with His glorious resurrection sealed the deal.
And everything He did is credited to the account of those who trust in Him as Savior. That’s us. And that’s why we can look forward to heaven. That’s why the Second Coming moves us to anticipation and preparation. Knowing what we know, how can we not be dedicated to our Heavenly Bridegroom?
Which brings us to a related spiritual
topic that we will all have the opportunity to prayerfully consider during the
next week: the subject of Christian
Stewardship. This past week’s
mail brought all members of
First, let us all honestly consider our many earthly and spiritual blessings. Each of us has been richly blessed. There are a lot of statements that we have to attach qualifiers to, but this isn’t one of them. It’s indisputable. Generously supporting the work of the church is our personal opportunity to thank God for the blessings He has showered upon us…
Secondly, let us consider where we are in the Church Year. As we think about all the Saints Triumphant who have gone before us into heaven, let us remember the work they did for us while on this earth. Let us remember their sacrificial giving and their sacrificial living so that the Gospel would continue going forward. In providing for the work of the church, they also are our mentors.
The work which God has given us to do – including the glorious privilege of building a new educational facility – is merely a continuation of what began with those who are now in heaven. Now it is our turn. Now it is our privilege and responsibility to build upon the foundation that they have laid – so that future generations (should the Lord tarry) can build upon what we have done.
As we make our decision to generously support the work of the Church through our offerings, let us take joy in knowing that our faithful decisions will have an impact on all who come after us. Perhaps someday they will look at us – just as we look at our forefathers – with gratitude and appreciation. And through our responsible stewardship today we can become their mentors tomorrow…
One of the Saints Triumphant who would have personally heard Jesus tell the parable of the Ten Virgins was the Apostle Peter. I’d like to conclude by sharing with you a portion of what he wrote in his first letter. I believe it ties together everything we’ve been trying to say on this Saints Triumphant Sunday of the End Times… (1 Peter 4:7-11)
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded
and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply,
because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another
without grumbling. 10 Each
one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully
administering God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as
one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the
strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus
Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and
ever… Amen.