November 12, 2023
Pastor John Hering
Matthew 25:1-13
Matthew 25:1-13
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; 4 but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, ‘No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. 11 Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
God gave us the gifts through the great Reformation—Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone. Last week we received a foretaste of the heavenly banquet before the glory of God! Today, God calls us to be ready. I’m sure all of us would be quick to answer, “Yes, I’m ready!” But, we can’t ignore the fact that the devil continues to work to distract so we become spiritually drowsy. That’s just how our sin-stained mind works. It shows itself at school when the teacher hands out a pop-quiz and you hear the groans from the students because they just weren’t ready. It shows itself at home when you ask your child to go and get their shoes from their bedroom and get ready to leave and you hear, “I can’t find them!” Yet, you wonder how in the world that same child can find a little piece of onion hidden between two pieces of pepperoni in a pizza! This helps us peer into the brain of a child who just doesn’t want to get ready. Being lazy, or not wanting to be ready shows itself when you have your meeting with your financial advisor. He can help you get ready for retirement, but you also know he is going to ask some tough questions. “When do you want to retire?” “How much traveling do you plan to do?” “How much money have you saved up so far?” He can help you make a plan for retirement, but he can’t make you be ready. You have to plan ahead. You have to be prepared.
Today you heard the Parable of the 10 Virgins. If you were like me, as you listened to this parable you were asking yourself the question, “Do I have oil in my lamp, or not?” You perceived the warning in the parable, but you also perceived some hope. Jesus wants us all to have oil in our lamps when he calls us home so the Holy Spirit asks us to reflect on this eternal question:
Are You Ready?
Final Warnings
Jesus speaks this parable on Tuesday of Holy Week. He knows what the next days will bring and told his disciples to be ready for some life changing events. You know what it’s like to be waiting for a major event (surgery, vacation, marriage) and how it consumes your life. There is no greater event in history than Jesus’ death on the cross, yet he is all-consumed with his disciples. Jesus wants his disciples to be ready for the coming days. Jesus wants them to know who his is, the plan of his Father’s salvation that is being fulfilled, and in the end, to have faith in Jesus and be ready for eternal life in heaven. Jesus said,
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; 4 but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps.”
The difference in these young women is quite simple. The five wise virgins were wise because they had enough oil to keep their lamp burning until the bridegroom arrived. The five foolish women didn’t have enough oil for their lamps. Therefore the obvious question before us is this: Do you sufficient oil for your lamp?
Saying we’re ready doesn’t necessarily mean we are ready. That’s because it’s so easy to be more like the foolish virgins than the wise. It’s easy to live life for the here and now and it’s hard to remember that something far better lies in wait for us. Will you have more oil in your lamp with a Bible in your hand, or a Budweiser in your hand? It’s easy to live while focusing on sports, or family, or job and tell yourself you’ll worry about spiritual preparation tomorrow. The devil wants to distract you so much that when the when the Bridegroom arrives, you’ll be so distracted that you’ll miss him and be separated from him forever! “5 While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’” We know the devil does not have the power to take your invitation away to the wedding feast, but what he can do is tempt you to undervalue your invitation. He can tempt you with materialism so that you are not content with your possessions, but covet more because you think you need it. The devil can also tempt you with complacency and deceive you into not taking faith seriously. He can convince you that you are strong enough on your own and that you don’t need any more help. It was to the Corinthians that Paul gives this pointed reminder: “So let him who thinks he stands be careful that he does not fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Jesus makes the point of this blunt warning clear, “1 Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’” There is no worse words anyone could hear! Let these words slap our sinful flesh in the face, smash the Old Man living in us over the head, and bring us to our knees in repentance.
Dear Christian Friends, there are lots of important things in our lives, but having oil in our lamps, that is, being prepared for Jesus’ return is the single most important thing you can do in your life. It’s not your sports team. It’s not whether or not your candidate won the election. It’s not getting a job that pays more and takes you away from your family and church. It’s not saving money for a comfortable retirement. It’s this: When the Bridegroom returns, what will he find? Heed the Warning! Are you Prepared?
This is a sobering question because we also know that we could never do enough on our own to be ready for Christ’s return. We could never have enough oil to have lamps. We know without question that we deserve to have that door slammed in our face and we deserve to be left out in the cold. Take the Warning Seriously! We could never be prepared enough. But, neither do we want to sacrifice our faithfulness on the altar of failure! We want our faithfulness to be motivated from the proper source of our oil! Listen to Jesus words to be ready and recognize the place from which we will receive real hope!
Final Hope
You know our only hope to be found prepared is Jesus!
7 Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, ‘No, there may not be enough for us and for you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were away buying oil, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.”
It was all about having Jesus through faith. Just like the ladies couldn’t share their oil, so we can’t give our faith to someone else. No, each person needs Jesus for themselves. Why? That’s because Jesus prepared himself to be the gracious Savior that we needed. He was prepared for the rejection. He was prepared for the devil’s attacks. He was prepared to live the perfect life that was required of us. He was prepared to take on sin itself by becoming the sacrifice that paid sin’s debt. He was prepared to take our place and be our substitute. And that’s exactly what he did – for you, for me and for the world! Dear Christian Friends, we have sure hope in Jesus Christ. We look forward to the day when Jesus Christ will come to take us to heaven.
But it’s not just heaven that is prepared for us. Christ Jesus prepares us to face today with hope that sustains us every day through the Means of Grace. He promises us his presence and his blessing. He guides us in his Word. He prepares his Church by giving his people gifts to use in service to him. Through them, he builds up members for works of service. He prepares a meal for us to eat – giving us himself, his body and blood with the bread and wine. He keeps our hope alive by reminding us of our baptism, and then when we celebrate his holy communion as he grants us forgiveness of sins and the sure hope of a future glory.
If you’re a student, you want to be ready for your quizzes at school, so faithfully study and you’ll be prepared. If you’re trying to find your shoes at home, then faithfully keep your possessions in a place where you know they will be, such as a shelf in the closet! If you want to retire someday, than faithfully manage the finances in your life to the best of your ability. If you’re going to be ready when Jesus Christ returns, then faithfully keep yourself in top spiritual shape. Where is your spiritual gym going to be? How you exercise in this spiritual gym will influence your behavior. I estimate there are three big things that affect your behavior: Money, Power and Sex. To what extent will you exploit others to achieve these things? This will affect your choices, responsibilities and character. And your character will drive how you behave. Will you be wise or foolish? Will you become drowsy in regard to God’s Word or alert to these tools used by the devil to distract you? Are you ready? Faithfully read God’s Word and the Holy Spirit will do his strengthening. Talk about God’s Word with a family member, friend or here at Bible Class and the Holy Spirit will keep your prepared. He will use the law to Warn you of the selfishness, stubbornness, and ugliness of sin and our great need of a Savior. The Holy Spirit will use the Gospel to continue give you final Hope as you repent of your sins and trust in Jesus’ forgiveness. Yes, keep oil in your lamp and keep them burning! “13 Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” In Christ the oil in your lamp won’t run dry. In Christ You Are Ready! Amen!
