Preachers like to preach about what people are thinking about, because timeliness and relevance heightens awareness. Ya’ll remember when we used to be able to believe some of what we heard? And all of what we see? I’m not sure of what changed it, but I miss it. Facts have become spin and images are photo-ops. But I’m so glad this “political thing” is over, even though the 2012 campaign is already under way! The wise warn that it’s unwise to talk about “politics from the pulpit,” but they’re wrong. That would rule out Good Friday, which was pure politics, mixed with religion. Ever hear of “church politics?” We can’t evade politics, since everything we do is political. Politics is the method by which we do things: at home, in school, church, or government. Like anything it can be corrupted, but not avoided. By all means though, partisanship is out of place in the church house.
I grew up in a family where politics put bread on the table. My Granddaddy was elected sheriff and my Daddy held elected public office for 44 years, still a Tennessee state record of which us Ivins’ are very proud. My Dad used to say, “Don’t tell anybody how you vote,” there will be consequences. The insecure take opposition personally, but most of us vote for a candidate for lots of reasons and we need to respect that. Today, there’s a lot more resentment than respect. I hope our church can beat that. Elections in this country have become like a civil war. We rightly take pride in President-elect Obama’s victory, no matter how you voted. We congratulate the winner, empathize with the loser. But no matter who won, the outcome produces overwhelming hope or bewildering disappointment. Just over half the country is celebrating a new dawning. The others are left wondering what hit them? The best they can do is “hope they’re wrong.” I don’t know anybody who enjoys doing that.
As a pastor my concern is that the intensity of our reactions should give us pause, so that we not make the mistake of placing more hope in politicians and too little in God. Political leaders come and go. Jesus Christ is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.” The national election has been on the secular calendar for quite awhile, and the choice of a new president dominated the dialog. But the Church calendar focuses is on “Christ the King, exalted, at the right hand of God the Father.” Lest we forget that Christ is the sovereign that matters most.
As a divided nation comes to terms with the current political polarization, my hope is that Christian conservatives and Christian liberals can share the same vision of Jesus Christ as Lord. Differences emerge between right and left not just in terms of world view, but also implementation. Generally speaking, conservatives trust the private sector to achieve their vision. Liberals see a greater role for government. But neither approach has a corner on the will of God. The Bible is our Baptist authority, but all of us wear biblical blinders. Our existential reality affects our interpretation of the scriptures: pro environment or pro growth, gay-friendly or not, war and peace.
I heard a story about how border states go at it. I’ve seen it Indiana/Kentucky; Tennessee/Alabama, Maryland/Virginia. At one of the gatherings, they got into a “preach-off.” Each side believed they were better than the other and would do anything to prove it. Out of politeness, the Maryland convention invited a blueblood with Virginia on his mind, to read the lesson for the day, Matthew 25:1-13. He wasn’t the brightest light in the Old Dominion, but he relished his role. So he licked his fingers, rocked back on his heels, and commenced to read the best he could, to show-those-lesser-Marylanders who’s smart! And he just knew he’d been assigned a text to prove it. He forgot his glasses, but started off well enough: “Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten ... VIRGINIANS!” Now he had ‘em right where he wanted ‘em! Then he got on a roll: “ten VIRGINIANS ... which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.” Then he got lucky and rattled off nine mono-syllabic words: “Five of them were WISE!” He smirked, “And five of them were...” “Somebody gimme one ‘o them modern Bibles. These people can’t be VIRGINIANS!”
Yeah it exposes our competitiveness. But if you like stories with happy endings, better skip this one. Jesus’ story of the wise and foolish virgins ends with the sound of a door slamming in somebody's face! But it does show that our modern obsession of not having enough oil, existed centuries ago. Jesus ends with a disquieting judgment on the foolish: “I don’t know you.” Then he summed it up with a moral, which he rarely did: “Watch out, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” All ten maidens impeccably dressed, waiting for the groom to arrive, a clear metaphor for Jesus. He didn’t chide them for going to sleep, but for failing to prepare for the delay. Bad assumption. No wedding ever goes as planned. Somebody’s always late. So they panic and run around trying to find more oil. But no stores were open. I don’t know why they didn’t realize we can never have too much oil. Matthew was writing in an apocalyptic context to a church, growing weary of waiting. The first few decades after Good Friday, Easter, and the Ascension were a time of eager expectation. “Lord will you at this time restore the kingdom? It’s not for you to know…” (Acts 1:7).
The church, in the face of hard times, longed for change that would come with the Messiah’s return, to re-establish Paradise. But the years piled up and the Bridegroom didn’t show up. So the church dozed off. In light of that, it became apparent that a lamp doesn’t hold enough oil to make it to “the end of the age.” The flame flickers; did anybody bring extra oil? How long can people wait? Because we're still waiting. We measure it now, not in centuries but millenniums. I doubt any of us gives a 2nd thought to the idea of a 2nd coming, where the world comes to an end. Those on the fringes are preoccupied with their predictions of the return of Christ. And being wrong hasn’t stopped them yet. But like the man said nobody knows ... not even Jesus. If you base your reason for being on Armageddon, it might be awhile.
Meanwhile, we’re left with the meantime. And it’s getting meaner! Which makes Matthew’s point even more pressing: did you bring extra oil? Some folks get worked up over the 2nd coming because they’re disappointed in the 1st one. Especially when we’re confronted with those times when, it's too late. Grace is not a perpetually open door. The Matthean vocabulary of God includes the word “no.” That's the only way it can be in a consequential world; for without no, yes means nothing. Sometimes it’s too late. We run out of options. Students sleep through class and expect to land a job. We keep pumping CO2 into the atmosphere and Rhode Island will be under water one day. We pray for peace and prepare for war. Maybe we don’t deserve peace. The older I get the more I try not to concern myself with things I can’t do anything about. To stop spending quality time on issues beyond my control. All any of us can do is manage ourselves. Five ladies were foolish not to take advantage of their opportunity and it passed them by. On the other hand, five “managed themselves well” because they wisely took time to prepare and bring extra oil, in case of a delay.
And then too: some things can’t be borrowed. It would have been nice if the extra oil gals had loaned the sleepy slackards some of their oil (V. 9). Some things can’t be loaned. How can you loan somebody your character? Or your wife? Or your motorbike! Or shoot somebody’s free throws for them? No matter how badly your Mamma wants it for you, there is the agony of wanting something for somebody more than they want it themselves. Jesus wept over his helplessness at Jerusalem’s obstinance, “I wish I could gather you in like a mother hen does her chicks, but you would not.” Even Jesus couldn't loan them his wanter.
Not only can we not do somebody’s wanting for them, but neither can we do somebody's believing for them. God has no grandchildren, only children. You can't do your kids hurting for them. They have to learn their own painful lessons. Or somebody’s dying for them. We all have to “walk that lonesome valley.” Some things won’t transfer easily. The foolish maidens typify those who go through life expecting somebody else to bail them out. Some live off the government or their father's reputation or their mother's goodness or their wife's loyalty and you can get by awhile like that...until midnight strikes. When the bell tolls, there's nobody left to borrow from; your lamp runs dry and there’s no more oil. At crunch-time, they come up empty. Sometimes it's too late. Some things you can't borrow.
The question becomes how do we prepare to have extra oil? Oil in the scriptures is a symbol of the Spirit. It’s not how brightly your lamp burns, but will your faith see you through the lean times? Only if you prepare for it. What life does to us depends on what it finds in us. When hard times hit, will they find something on the inside of us to stand up to it? A whole lot of things in life do come and go: houses, cars, churches, kingdoms, money, kids, our pets. Even presidents. Somehow we survive ‘em all! Everything in this life is a come-and-go affair. Except faith. Which makes church a lifetime calling. We’re never done with it. Can we ever have too much faith? We not only need it for the passion of youth, but also for the perplexing going-both-ways-struggles of middle age, as well as the relentless progression of the evening of life.
How do we get extra oil? That’s why we come to church. “In season, out of season,” filling our oil supply. Our church bell rings, signaling somebody still worships God in old Providence. Along with serving our neighbor, I can’t think of a better way to build up our oil reserves. If ya’ll know of any other way I’d like to hear it. But along the way, I've known some extra-oil people, who, when the night grew long, were able to keep their lamps burning. “The doctor said I have a 50/50 chance. Not bad, even Ted Williams couldn’t bat .500! And if I don’t make it Bro. Dan, I’m ready! God will see me through this.” That’s what I’m talking about! Wise are those who replenish their souls, so they can endure what can’t be avoided. The foolish maids thought of everything, except what they needed most. They were ready for his coming, but not the delay. And the heavenly banquet took place without them.
When I lived in Maryland, I enrolled in parachuting school. When you’re jumping out of a plane, the one thing you make darn sure of, is to pack your chute properly. They even provide a spare on your belly, just in case. Which is why I was astounded to read about one guy who jumped to his death. He got so caught-up in filming it, he neglected to pack his canopy! What a symbol of our time! Bringing a camera, but not the chute.
Carole King wrote a song called, “It's too late,” in which she tries to explain why a relationship came to an end. “One of us stopped changing. Or maybe we just quit trying.” For too many, it’s reality. “Something inside has died, that I can't hide. And I just can't fake it.” Some things can’t be faked: love, humor, authenticity, faith are just a few. Three of the saddest sayings in any story Jesus told are found in this parable at the end of the first Gospel: 1) “Our lamps have gone out” 2) “The door was shut” 3) “I never knew you.” People getting themselves trapped on the outside is bad enough. But not as pathetic as those who are “locked in a room with open doors.” Hear this word to the wise from ten bridesmaids: for God’s sake and your own, be very sure you don’t run out of oil! And that’s why this church has been around for a mighty long time, still priming the pump.
Pastoral Prayer: 11/9/08
O Thou who art at once the joy of heaven and the hope of earth, whose goodness faileth never, we have much to be grateful for as the leaves fall around us. When the headlines of the day beat us down, may this worship lift us up. We thank Thee for words of hope when the flame burns low. Accept our gratitude for good health and the length of days; for friends who always show up when we’re feeling down; for our ability to identify with one another, and for a Christ who both comforts and confronts. We pray for our country: & its new leadership, who must deal with both it’s ailments and aspirations; to govern a nation at our best & our worst; for the peaceful transfer of power in our land, an ordeal for some, a delight for others. We thank Thee for our church, where the welfare of one becomes the concern of all. Give us to see our differences as assets not liabilities, occasions for growth not grounds for tension. Forgive us for looking on the outward appearance, while you look upon the heart. Our masks are transparent to Thee; our gamesmanship is lost on Thee; whose love is less a love "because of," and more a love "in spite of," let this hour remind us of Thy grace which is able to make us more authentically human. Give us an appreciation for each other’s presence, open to each other’s needs, careful of each other’s rights, and happy for each other’s gains. Bless our life together in this congregation. May our involvement clarify our convictions and subordinate personal whims, as we pursue the larger goals of Christ. For Thy mercy that holds us fast when we aren’t worth holding, so that even in the worst of times, our hearts may still sing, we bless Thee. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
O God, guide our pondering that we may come to know the way of the deeper experience of your presence in our lives. It is our tendency to put off our preparations for the new. We seek your coming, but fail to prepare by watching. We seek your timing, but fail to prepare by waiting. We seek your wisdom, but fail to prepare by listening. We seek your forgiveness, but fail to prepare by repenting. We seek your blessing, but fail to prepare by following. May this worship prepare us and your grace enable us to make sure our lamps are full, for “we know neither the day nor the hour.” Amen.
