Anticipating the Arrival of Our King - Sermon for the Last Sunday of the Church Year

Last Sunday of the Church Year
November 26^th, Year of Our + Lord 2023
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s 
Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, South Dakota
Anticipating the Arrival of Our King 
Matthew 25:31-46

    Imagine for moment that you a Brit, and a fervent supporter of the British monarchy.  Life circumstances cause you to live in America, but you are all in for the House of Windsor, including it’s relatively new head, King Charles the III, sovereign of the United Kingdom.  You have his picture hanging in your living room, follow all the news of the royal family, and generally think they are the bomb. 

    Then, to your great excitement, you find out King Charles is coming to visit America.  He’s even coming to your town, to see you, specifically!  You haven’t been told when, exactly.  But soon, you are promised, by people in the know. 

    How would you behave?  What would you do to prepare for the king’s visit?  What would say to your American friends and neighbors about his imminent arrival?  I think you might get your things in order and organize your life so that you would be ready and available at a moment’s notice to attend to your king.  You’d probably tell your American neighbors about it, and with pleasure.  Now, you’d likely have to do some explaining to them, as to why you are so excited.  Because, while some Americans will tune in to watch a coronation or a royal wedding, most of us don’t tend to be all that interested in British royalty, or any royalty, for that matter. 

    Which is too bad.  Not because I care much about King Charles.  But we American Christians, along with Christians from every nation, are waiting for our King.  We could learn a thing or two from how we expect our hypothetical British friend to behave when he finds out that King Charles is coming to visit him.  Indeed, one of the most difficult challenges of Christian life is Christ’s call for believers to live watchfully, eagerly expecting His Final Return, and to have this reality shape our lives every day.  A difficult challenge, because it has been a very long time, and Christ has not yet returned on the clouds, as He promised.

    Three Sundays in a row, our readings have focused our attention on the Final Return of Jesus, with the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins, the Parable of the Talents, and now today, with Jesus’ vivid description of the Final Judgement, when He will separate the righteous and the wicked, the sheep and the goats.  These three Gospel readings come one after the other in Matthew, chapter 25.  Chapter 24 was all about the End as well. 

   Directly following today’s Gospel, the betrayal of Jesus unfolds, our Lord transforms the Passover into the Eucharist, the Holy Supper, and the drama of salvation reaches it’s climax.  The last topic Jesus chose to teach the 12, before entering suffering and death, was all about the End, His Final Return, and how He expected His servants, His disciples, His Church, to behave while they waited. 

    From the Wise Virgins, we learned of Christ’s call for us to watch diligently, by keeping our lamps and flasks full of the oil of God’s Word, so that when the cry goes out and our Bridegroom returns, the flame of our faith will be burning, and we will be welcomed into the wedding feast.  We are to watch for our King’s return, not by staring into the heavens day and night, but rather by being continually filled up with His Word, by which the Holy Spirit creates and maintains our faith.  Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly! (Colossain 3:16) Do not give up gathering together, as is the habit of many, but encourage one another, especially as you see the Day drawing near! (Hebrews 10:25)  

    Oil turns to silver in the Parable of the Talents, as Jesus instructs us to invest the treasure He left His Church, before His Ascension to God’s right hand.  That treasure is, first and foremost, the Gospel, the teaching of the faith, the Bad News of our just condemnation by God’s Law, because of our sin, and the life-giving Good News of free forgiveness, won by Christ for every sinner, when He shed His blood on Golgotha.  We, the Church, are not to bury our talent, keep our treasure to ourselves.  Rather we are to invest it in the world, so that God may receive a return.  God’s desired return is more and more forgiven and restored people, recreated as His children, to live with Him forever.  Indeed, the many material blessings and time and energy that the Lord gives each one of us are to be stewarded for the good of our greater stewardship, the stewardship of the Gospel, a project in which the Lord has graciously included us. 

    The Virgins teach us that waiting for our King is to include constantly receiving the faith, the teaching of Christ, for the sake of keeping our own faith alive. 

    The Parable of the Talents teaches us that in these End Times, our Coming King wants us to invest the treasure He has left us, that the Lord’s desire for His Church is that we share the faith, not bury it in a hole.  One natural and expected consequence of saving faith in the Gospel is the desire to share it, to support and even participate in the proclamation of that same Good News to others. 

    With His description of the Sheep and Goats Judgment, given just before finishing His salvation course, Christ Jesus completes an End Times trilogy.  Jesus moves naturally from one aspect of End Times living to the next. 

   After first teaching us to always be receiving the faith, then to always be sharing the faith, finally He describes the kinds of good works which will flow from Christian faith.  Faith alone saves, but faith is never alone; it always produces fruit, good works of love in the lives of Christians.  The loving work of Christ in us sinners always produces works of love towards other people in our lives, including the least of these brothers and sisters of the King. 

    The righteous sheep do not think they are earning Christ’s favor when they serve their neighbors.  Nor does Jesus say that the sheep are saved because they feed the hungry, welcome the stranger, clothe the naked, or visit the sick and the imprisoned.  But our King is immensely pleased with these good works, because, as He explains: the Lord of heaven and earth receives these good works, done for the least of His brothers, as good works done for Him, personally.  Just as Jesus informed the persecuting Pharisee Saul that his attacks on Christians were really an attack on Christ, so also, a good deed done for a Christian is truly to bless and serve God’s Son, our Coming King! 

    And should the good works of Christians spill over and benefit unbelievers, Christ also rejoices, because He died for all, and is reaching out to all, through His Church.  Receiving the Word of Christ and sharing the Word of Christ fill Christians with the Love of Christ, which spills over into good works for people in need.  Often, the Holy Spirit uses these good works as a bridge for the Gospel, moving from some good gift to the best gift, from a material blessing to the blessing of the Gospel.  And thus God draws more sinners to Himself, through His Church.  This is the shape of the life Christ the King teaches His disciples to live, as they await His return.    

    From the virgins we also learned that a failure to keep our lamps and flasks full of the Word of Christ is a sign of unbelief.  Believers in Christ need His Word, love His Word, and seek His Word.  But the unbeliever, the sinner, who sadly remains in every Christian throughout this life, can gain the upper hand.  Our sinful nature tempts us to drift from, or even to despise God’s Word.  Then our personal faith is endangered, and eventually, our flame can be snuffed out.

    From the Talents, we learned that a failure to invest the treasure of the Gospel in the lives of others also flows from unbelief, from false faith, like believing the lie that our Lord is a hard master, someone to fear. 

    So also, from the goats we learn that a failure to serve the least of these is a sign of unbelief.  A disciple who is loveless is obviously not filled with the love of Christ, which comes to us by faith.  For it is the love of Christ which both creates our trust in His forgiveness, and moves us to love our neighbors.   

    The Sheep and Goats Judgment that our Lord describes has always been troubling for Christians, for the Church, in every age.  As it should be.  It is good and right that you should be worried about whether you will be counted a sheep or a goat.  Because all of us behave like goats, far more than we care to admit.  The world and the sinner within tell us to take care of ourselves, and to not get involved with needy people.  Because that will cost you.  And who knows how much? 

    And, this is true.   Helping others is an imposition; it can be unpleasant at times; it can be hard, a real sacrifice.  But it is also the best way to live, the way to truly find joy.  How do we know this?  Because our King Jesus did it. 

   God’s Son had it all: glory, power, the adoration of the heavenly hosts.  But He set all that aside, to come and serve.  To help broken, dying people.  To save you, and to save me.  This was Jesus’ will, His desire, because it was His Father’s will and desire.  So for the joy set before Him, Jesus came and humbled Himself and served the lowest of people, even though it cost Him His own life.  Before any of us were born, Jesus came and served us, taking our sin and brokenness and death, so He could give us His righteousness and eternal life in return. 

   This is your King, who comes to you through His Word and Sacrament every day.  This is your King, who is coming, visibly, someday soon, riding on the clouds.  He will return  to welcome all His faithful people into the inheritance that the Father has prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

   Trust in in your King.  Look forward to His return, and ask Him to help you learn to serve, even to find joy in serving the needy people He brings into your life.  You don’t have to travel far to find people to serve.  Start close to home.  Start in your home, in your family, in your neighborhood, in  your congregation.  Seek to serve others, as you have been served by Jesus.  Pray that your King will help you serve.

   He who has fulfilled your every need will do it, and heaven will rejoice, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.            

Gospel Stewardship - Sermon for the 25th Sunday after Pentecost

Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
November 19^th, Year of Our + Lord 2023
Our Savior’s and Our Redeemer Lutheran Churches
Hill City and Custer, SD
Gospel Stewardship –Matthew 25:14 - 30

    It’s not about your money.  Today's parable is not about you money, not really.  

   Money makes us uptight…  I once heard a high Synodical official make the following stewardship pitch:  “Money: You got it, we need it, let’s have it!”  He may have been kidding, a little.  I hope so.  Nevertheless, his slogan went over like a … well, you can supply your own metaphor to describe how badly his little aphorism was received.   

    Talking about finances makes us uptight.  I think maybe this is because money seems like a miracle.  Some commentators describe the miracles of Jesus as shortcuts.  Jesus did things that could have been achieved by normal means and processes, but as Master of the Universe, He could do them without all the time, material and human effort normally involved.  When our Lord wanted to feed the 5,000, He had no need for vast fields nor to sow seed.  Nor time or climatic conditions to foster growth.  No effort required for harvesting, milling, baking, or transporting the finished bread to the hillside.  Jesus, Lord of all those processes, jumped straight to passing out plentiful food for all His guests. 

    And money seems a little like that.  It isn’t, really, but we like to think so.  If I have enough money, that wonderful communal technology that gives me power over the work and material goods of others, I too can quickly put together an amazing meal for friends, or secure medicines and treatments to heal a loved one, and so on.  So, unsurprisingly, we like to control money; it makes us feel like little gods.  With enough money, we tend to believe we can purchase safety, power, ability, popularity, happiness.  It’s all an illusion, really.  But we love the illusion.   

    At any rate, talking about money messes us up.  Money talk especially prevents us from hearing rightly.  Consider the talents in our parable.  A man, the lord or master of a household, seemingly a sizable estate, is going on a journey.  He leaves his servants, his slaves, in charge during his absence.  He charges three of them to manage large sums of money, five, two and one talents, respectively.  Scholars disagree about the value of a talent, which was a certain weight of silver.  It was worth a lot of money.  Other scholars use a more technical term: a talent was worth “a whole lot” of money.  Significant cash.  Each servant was given a lot of silver, and told to steward it for the master. 

    From the results, we learn that the master expected them to put his money to work, to invest it for the purpose of growing it.  Don’t be stingy, don’t consider your master a hard man, don’t fear failure, don’t be like the third servant.  Invest the talents your Lord gives you.  Put them to work, be bold.  Don’t be miserly.  All true.  Thousands of sermons,  newsletters, books and seminars have launched from here to describe a dizzying array of stewardship programs, including some as crude as: “You got the money; we need it; so let’s have it.” 

    But is Jesus even talking about money?  Let’s break it down. 

    Who’s the master, the lord, in this parable?  (As He so often does, Jesus is talking about Himself.)

    Who are the slaves, the servants the master calls to be stewards?  (For sure the Apostles, and the pastors and teachers who followed in their calling.  But also, I would argue, every Christian in some way is called to be a steward of the talent the Lord gives.)

    What is this journey that the lord goes on, and when and what is His return?   (Remember, our Gospel was first spoken just days before the Cross, when Jesus spent a lot of time talking about His final coming, on the Last Day.  The journey is Jesus’ exodus, through the Cross, out of the Tomb, and back into heaven, to the Right Hand of power in His Father’s glory.  The return is when Jesus comes back, visibly, once more, to usher in the new heavens and the new earth.) 

    O.k., then, to understand Jesus correctly, how many talents of silver did Jesus leave with the Eleven Apostles, when He went on His journey?  What’s that?  Zero?  Jesus gave His Apostles no money, no silver or gold, when He sent them out to build His Church?  Well then, what treasure did Jesus leave for the Apsotles to steward?    (The Gospel, the Word of Law and Gospel, of forgiveness and salvation for sinners, found in the blood Jesus shed on the Cross.) 

    If we are going to use the parable of the talents to talk about stewardship, and I think we should, let’s start by understanding what the thing is which the Lord calls His servants to steward.  Christ did not leave earthly riches for His Church to steward.  Sometimes the Church has been poor, sometimes rich, but that has always properly been a side issue.  The fundamental, for sure, true stewardship we have been given, as the Apostolic Church, as Christians, as pastors, is the stewardship of the Gospel.  If we are properly stewarding the Gospel, our Master is pleased.  If we are afraid to invest the Gospel, if we hoard and protect and keep it buried in a hole, our Master is not pleased.  And, as we see in the frightening case of the third servant, a failure to put the Gospel to work is actually a sign of unbelief.  Lord have mercy! 

    The Christian Church, pastors and people together, has a calling to steward the Gospel, each contributing according to the shape of our various vocations.  Your stewardship and my stewardship, the stewardship of a parent or a child, or the Gospel stewardship of a believer living out her days in a nursing home, each of these stewardships will have its own shape.  All together, Jesus has called us to steward His Good News.  So, all of our stewardship conversations should stick close to this truth. 

    So then, what does it take to steward something?  Where do we begin?  What is the first requirement for a person, called to be steward, to exercise good stewardship?  

    You can only steward what you have been given, what you have in your control, in your temporary possession.  For example, if I ask you to take care of my dog Maggie while I am on vacation, but I don’t put a leash on her and pass her off to you, how can you steward her?  If she is loose, running around the Hills, how well can you care for her?  You have to receive Maggie, before you can care for her.  You can’t be a good steward of something you don’t have.  You can’t put your talent to work, you can’t invest it, if your Master doesn’t first give it to you. 

     So, if Christian stewardship is fundamentally the stewardship of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, what is the first step of Christian stewardship?  

    Receive the Gospel.  Step one in Christian Stewardship is to be filled with the Gospel.  Receive, believe, and continually deepen your faith and understanding of God’s Word.  Once you have her on a leash, you will do better taking care of my dog Maggie, if you are acquainted with her, know what makes her tick, how you can best care for her.  Same thing with the Gospel:  the deeper and fuller your acquaintance with the story of Jesus and His Church, the better steward you will be equipped to be.    

    Happily for us Christian stewards, the Lord has clearly told us how and where and when we can get ahold of this Gospel we are supposed to be stewarding.  In His Word.  God delivers the Gospel, and we are called to receive it, wherever and whenever we can.  This especially happens in the gatherings of God’s people that we call congregations, where the Lord goes so far as to invite us into a family feast, full of Cross conversation.  He even connects His Gospel Word to Water, Wheat and Wine.  And, God the Holy Spirit comes with the Word, to open our minds and hearts to believe and understand, more and more.    

    Not sure how to be a better steward?  Then get more Gospel.  Be filled to overflowing with the Good News that, despite who you are, despite your sinfulness and your many sins, despite what you deserve, God through the blood of Jesus Christ forgives you, makes you alive, binds Himself to you, and goes with you, to guard and keep you day by day, until He brings you into His joy, forever.  Fill up on this Gospel, and then consider how you might best steward it in your life.  Think and pray about how, where and when you could invest the Gospel in the lives of others. 

    Step one in Christian Stewardship: Be filled with the Gospel.  Step two: Home first.  Your home and your local congregation are the first mission concerns of every Christian.  Jesus went on a journey, to carry the Good News of salvation into heaven, presenting the scars of His victory before the heavenly altar, so that the hope of every Christian is eternally secure.  Where did He leave His slaves?   He left them at home to steward His talents. 

    Now, to be sure, Jesus does send some of His stewards on earthly journeys as well.  We call them missionaries.  But most of the Master’s slaves are directed first and foremost to work around the house.  Christian homes and healthy local congregations are God’s Plan A for growing His Church.  Even more, traveling stewards, missionaries, also depend on local congregations.  Remember, it was the Church at Antioch who sent Paul and Barnabas out to plant churches.  And that greatest persecutor turned missionary wrote his letters primarily to help congregations and pastors understand how to be healthy congregations, in the place where they were.  The first missionary concern of every Christian is local, in the home and in the congregation.  Think of how tremedously the overall Mission of God would be boosted if every congregation and every Christian were properly focused on receiving and understanding and promoting the distribution of the Gospel at home, to their fellow members, to their families, and to their local unbelieving neighbors.   

    Step three:  When the Gospel starts to overflow and overfill souls in your local congregation, then you are ready to look beyond.  Look to your neighboring town or neighborhood, that lacks a faithful church.  Look to you neighboring congregations, your circuit, to see if you and your congregation might provide some valuable support to them.  And of course, get to know and seek to support the farther flung Word and Sacrament missionaries of your Church.  Be connected.  Know their work, pray for their ministry, support them as the Lord gives you opportunity.   

   Now, for a moment, it’s finally time to talk about that very common stewardship tagline: Time, Talents and Treasures.  Except I don’t like that slogan.  I mean, it’s useful, but we’ve corrupted the meaning of talent, and of treasure.  Biblically, from our parable, talents are the Gospel, which is also our true treasure.  But we think of talents as abilities, and treasure as money.  We need a better catch phrase.  Time, Abilities and Currency?  Time, Skills and Material Blessings?  Not too catchy. 

    I don’t know if there’s a better slogan.  But certainly an important part of supporting the Gospel ministry of your local church, and beyond, is dedicating time.  Time dedicated to deepening you and your family’s knowledge of God’s Word, and time spent doing the things needed to make a congregation function.  The Lord puts many different tasks before us, from music to cleaning to bookkeeping to ushering to knowing and caring for your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Doing any of these things takes time, and what a wonderful way to use the time God has given you. 

    It is also helpful when members with particular skills and abilities offer them up in service to the congregation.  Although we should also remember that, very often in the Church, willingness to take responsibility is more important than having specific skills.  God will provide the necessary abilities, often in surprising ways. 

    Finally, as we see throughout the Gospels, Acts and the Epistles, financial donations are needed to make the earthly side of church things run, so the Gospel can be proclaimed and received.  That ox of a preacher is not to be muzzled while he grinds the grain, and all that. A warm, well lit room can be a great aid for receiving the Gospel.  And acts of love, of mercy and care, for your fellow members and for your nieghbors, is a primary way that God attracts the attention of unbelievers, that they too might be drawn to Christ and His gifts.     

   Gospel-cheered believers are to be encouraged to joyfully support the ministry of the Gospel, with their time, their energy and abilities, and with their material wealth.  We are wise to do this, for ourselves, for our family, and for the world.  With the reality of true Gospel stewardship firmly in the front of our mind, we should specifically think and pray about how we use our earthly blessings in support of Gospel ministry.   

   Not feeling it?  Return to #1, and double down on receiving the Gospel. 

    Having a hard time prioritizing the Church?  As Jesus focused on the End Times in the days before Good Friday, think about what you will be remembering and cherishing and wanting to have around you as your earthly life draws to a close.  Will you want to check your bank balances, or your social media likes, or your favorite team’s odds in the next game?  Or will you want your family and friends around you, and a confident peace that your death is but a doorway to the joyful presence of Christ? 

    Burning out?  Giving and serving leaving you feeling empty?  Be served.  Get more Gospel.  And also, be careful not to let Satan trick you into spending too much time thinking about your stewardship.  Naval gazing is always dangerous.  Take stewardship seriously, but don’t worry constantly about whether you are doing or giving enough.  Don’t believe the lie that the Church will fail if you don’t give more or take on one more responsibility.  Stewardship in the Church is not an obligation, but a privilege for those who know and trust in our True Treasure, Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior.    

    Concerning Christian stewardship, I would suggest you take just a couple of weeks each year to prayerfully consider your stewardship and make a plan for the following year.  Then, barring some unexpected and major change in your life situation, leave it alone.  Try not to worry about it till next year.  I even have a form to help you do this.  Check it out,  make an annual plan.  Then relax.  Live in Christ, revel in the Gospel, marvel at the blessings God provides, and stick to your plan until the next year rolls around.   

     True stewardship starts by receiving the Gospel.  This means that, in the midst of your stewardship efforts, your Lord and Master Jesus Christ will be holding you close, forgiving your sins, and giving you great joy as He works in you and through you.  Because caring for you is central to His Mission, as well as His Mission to your fellow Christians, and to your neighbor, and to the ends of the earth. 

    Rest in Christ and and rejoice in the Gospel Talent He gives to you.  For in this Gospel, you have the sure and certain promise that Jesus is with you now, and will one day soon bring you into His Father’s joy, forever and ever, Amen. 

Don’t be a Moron, be a Gregory! - Sermon for the 24th Sunday after Pentecost

Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
November 12^th, Year of Our + Lord 2023
Our Redeemer and Our Savior’s Lutheran Churches
Custer and Hill City, South Dakota
Good Advice for End Time Living: 
Don’t be a Moron, be a Gregory! 
Matthew 25:1-13

   Good news, Gregory is not a moron!  Gregory is not a moron.  O.k., I’m a coward.  I should have preached this sermon when my good friend Greg Westerfield was still an elder at Our Redeemer.  But I’ll send him a copy, I promise.   

   More fun with words this morning, but this time, we will look at some words that we actually know and maybe even use in common conversation. 

   Our words of focus this morning are ‘foolish,’ and ‘watch!’  These are two of Jesus’ most important words in His parable today, which could be summarized in a bumper sticker:  Don’t Be Foolish, Be Watchful!  And here’s where the fun with words begins.  The foolish virgins are morons.  The Greek for foolish is ‘moros,’ which descends directly through the centuries into English as moron.  You didn’t know you were insulting people in Greek, did you?  No, no, you don’t call people morons, I hope.  As soon as we far-from-perfectly-wise people start categorizing the wisdom and intelligence of others, bad things start to happen, for them and for us.  But Jesus, who knows all things, who is the Wisdom of God in the flesh, does call some people morons, fools, because He wants to save them from their foolishness. 

   The Greek to English connection of the command “watch!” isn’t quite as direct, but we do use the Greek word behind it, as the name Gregory.  The development of this name is a decidely Christian Church thing.  Gregoreite, is the Greek command “Watch!”   And watchfulness is such an important command from Jesus that Christians started using it as a name: Gregory, a watchful one.  As in St. Gregory of Nazianzus, and Pope Gregory the Great.  And of course, centuries later, our friend Greg, now residing in Buffalo, WY. 

   And so, we could distill this parable of the wise and foolish virgins into an even more striking bumper sticker: Don’t be a Moron, be a Gregory!

   Jesus teaches this parable to His disciples just days before His crucifixion.  Watching their Lord and Teacher suffer and die was going to seem like the End of the World to them, which is perhaps why Jesus teaches so much about the Last Day during that first Holy Week. 

   An important theme in Matthew’s presentation of the Cross is the occurrence of End-Times-like events.  In the first Gospel, God’s judgement against human sin at the Cross of Calvary comes with earthquakes, darkened skies, and bodily resurrections of the saints.  ‘Day of the Lord,’ or ‘End Times’ phenomena provide the backdrop for Jesus’ great work of Atonement.  We can and should consider the Last Day and the Final Return of Christ through the lens of Good Friday, especially because in Good Friday we find hope.  Because of the darkness of that Day, and the glorious light of the Resurrection on the third day after, now all who are in Christ have nothing to fear.  In Jesus, you have nothing to fear, not even of the frightful events leading up to the End of this world.  

   But perhaps the parable of the foolish and wise virgins disappoints us, as it seems to burden us with a task of watchfulness that we don’t completely understand.  We may even fear it.  All ten virgins appear to be Christians, part of God’s people.  They are collectively a symbol of the whole visible Church of Christ on earth, waiting for His Final Coming.  But according to the parable, there is a requirement, a wise action necessary for these virgins to be welcomed into the wedding feast.  And half of them fail at the task.  Is Jesus teaching against salvation by faith, apart from human works?  Is He saying that in the end there is some work required of us, in order to be saved?  It almost seems that way.  We better dig deeper. 

   Jesus is teaching His disciples, and us, about how we are to live in the End Times, in order to be prepared for the Day of the Lord, His Final Coming.  The End Times, by the way, began at Christ’s Ascension and continue until He appears again.  And Jesus is not saying anything contrary to the rest of His teaching, which clearly proclaims that our salvation depends solely on God’s grace, revealed in Christ’s saving work.  Even faith, which we must have to receive forgiveness and entrance into the Kingdom of God, even saving faith is a gift, created in us by the Holy Spirit, working through the Word of the Gospel. 

   The parable of the 10 virgins says the same thing, using a dramatic metaphor to heighten our understanding of the stakes.  Because the sad and frightening truth is that we are capable of wandering from the faith, of losing our gracious connection to the Savior, and bringing condemnation down upon ourselves.  Indeed, by our own reason and strength, we are only capable of squandering the gift of the Gospel.  We need the Holy Spirit’s constant help to stay in God’s kingdom. 

 

 The wise virgins understand this reality, and so they keep their lamps and flasks full of oil, which is to say, they keep filling their faith with the Word of Christ, which is what created their faith in the first place.  The Word of God is the only fuel capable of keeping the fire of faith burning. 

   To use a different metaphor, if you were drowning, and then from up above a hose and mask was thrust onto your face, giving you life-saving air to breathe, you would be very focused on keeping that mask on your face, until you could reach the surface.  Christian faith works in a similar way.  The Holy Spirit comes to sinners with the Word of Christ, and breathes new life into us.  The new creature, the believer re-created in you and me, naturally craves that Word, stays close to that Word, breathes that Word to stay alive.  Or, to switch back to our parable, wise virgins keep their lamps of faith filled with God’s Word, so that their light will still be burning, no matter how long the Lord tarries before returning, no matter how long your earthly life endures. 

   Godly Wisdom is this: first, to know and cherish your dependence on the Word of Christ, which rescued you through Holy Baptism, and second, to then order your life so that you are being regularly filled with that Gospel, in the Word proclaimed, sung, heard, read, prayed, and connected to Wheat and Wine.  This is to be a Gregory.  This is to be watchful as Jesus intends. 

   Watchfulness does not involve trying to determine when our Bridegroom Jesus will return.  Christ has specifically told us no one will know the day or the hour.  Neither does watchfulness involve scurrying about, trying to do enough good things to make ourselves look worthy in the eyes of the Bridegroom.  He has already loved us perfectly, unto death; nothing we can do could make or break His love. 

   The only way for us to be lost is for our faith to die, for our lamp to be snuffed out.  So, watchfulness is to dwell in the courts of the Lord.  And we don’t need to go to Jerusalem to dwell in God’s House.  In the New Testament Church, we are incredibly blessed, as the Lord comes to us.  We are blessed to be able to receive Jesus through Hi Gospel, again and again, in the weekly gatherings of God’s people, and also on a daily basis.  Wisdom is to fill up our souls with the Good News of Jesus, which lights our fire of faith, and keeps it burning.      

   Foolishness, moronic behavior, on the other hand, is to take faith for granted, like a lucky rabbit’s foot that can be left in a drawer to wither and decay.  The foolish virgins fumbling to get their empty lamps burning represent outwardly Christian people who have cut themselves off from God’s Gospel for so long that they no longer know it or believe it.  On the Last Day, when the trumpet sounds, and Christ returns visibly, it will be too late to kindle faith. 

    So, are we wise or foolish?  Are we Gregory’s, or are we morons?  The evidence cuts both ways, doesn’t it?  We are here today, that’s good.  To attend a faithful church is the centerpiece of wise Christian living, God’s ‘Plan A’ for keeping your flask full of the oil of the Gospel.  Weekly attendance at the Divine Service is our Biblical baseline.  God grant us hearts that rejoice to gather with His people, around His Word. 

   What about the rest of your week?  Are you letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly Monday through Saturday?  We have, today, many advantages over Christians of earlier times.  Accessing faithful translations of God’s Word has never been easier.  From Portals of Prayer to the devotions included in our weekly readings insert, to a dozen other faithful resources that I will gladly point you to, there is no good reason that any of us should not hear and ponder God’s good Word, every day. 

   But we do have our destractions, don’t we?  Time slips through our fingers like sand.  Rushing around like head-less chickens seems like a normal state of affairs.  And there are so many distractions.  Light and sound and flickering images surround us, 24/7 if we let them.  And there’s always more that we could do at our job, or for our home, or on our favorite hobby.  There’s always another quick video to watch, another snack to get, another score to check. 

   Many of our distractions are harmless, or even beneficial, in limited quantities.  Others are shameful, sinful denials of who we are called to be in Christ.  Who among us doesn’t spend time and attention on worthless, foolish things? Who among us would not benefit from 10 more minutes a day, quietly spent with God and His Word?  That would be wise.  Lord, save us from being foolish morons!    

   I warned against taking faith for granted, that is, to remember that your faith is a living thing that needs feeding.  Ironically, to do this, we need to remember that faith actually is granted, that is, given.  Faith is given to us sinners by God’s grace.  But God protect us from thinking faith is just a dry truth that we acknowledge, but then tuck back in a dusty shelf of our mind, like multiplication tables or the names of state capitols.  True faith in Christ is front of mind, a living connection of mutual love between Savior and Saved.  True faith is a communion with God that grows and grows.  This is the only way for us dying sinners to be kept alive.    

   One last thing from our parable.  I am always a bit troubled to read how the Wise Virgins would not and could not share their oil with the Foolish Virgins.  It seems uncaring.  But remember, Jesus always tweaks the earthly stories and institutions that He uses for His parables.  For example, real first century farmers did not willy nilly cast their seed in the rocks, among the weeds or on the hard ground along the roadside.  Earthly shepherds are unlikely to leave 99 sheep alone on the mountainside to go look for one moronic sheep that gets lost.  And the bridesmaids invited to a literal 1^st century wedding feast didn’t have to stay up all night waiting at the gate, in order to enter the feast. 

   Jesus describes the wedding preparations this way because, as Scripture teaches in many places, on the Last Day, Christ will come suddenly, and the opportunity to repent and believe the Good News will be gone.  And, whether our moment of truth comes at the Last Day, or on the last day of our earthly life, each of us will have our own faith.  We will have either true faith in Christ, or a false faith in something else.  And this difference will determine our eternity.  Either we will trust in Jesus and His forgiving love, or we will trust in something else, some idol, which cannot forgive us, and so cannot save us. 

   And, as much as I might want to, I cannot believe in Jesus’ forgiving love for you.  You cannot believe in Jesus’ forgiving love for me, nor for your spouse, nor for your children or friends.  Our sinfulness isolates us, and only the grace and mercy of God can bring us back into communion, into community, into a forever family, with God and all the saints.  This is why the Wise Virgins of the parable could not and did not share their oil, not once the trumpet had sounded. 

   But, we can share our oil now.  Keeping our flasks full of the oil of God’s Law and Gospel is our wise and joyful task, for our own blessing, today and for the rest of our lives.  And yet the Christian’s oil flask is made to leak; it overflows, actually.  Your light can shine with the fire of God’s love.  Your mouth can share the faith-igniting story of Jesus, our Bridegroom, who has written our invitation to the eternal feast in His own blood.  Every Christian has a role to play in spreading His oil around, of supporting and participating in the telling of the Good News of Jesus. 

   Christians of every time have wondered why the Lord delays His Final Coming.  Often elderly Christians and others who suffer from painful diseases wonder why the Lord tarries in taking them home.  Part of the answer is always that the Lord is still seeking to win more hearts, to fill more flasks, and so fill more seats at the Heavenly Banquet.  And He does this work through us.  Yes, the Holy Spirit is always the One who changes lives, bringing sinners to repentance and creating saving faith in the heart.  But He speaks His Word through us, through His Church, through all the Gregory’s, all the wise, watchful virgins, men, women and children, who watch for His return by daily filling their flask with His Word of Promise.   

   Don’t be a moron, be a Gregory!  Fill your flask daily, resting in the promise of all that Jesus has done for you.  Watch for His return by hearing and reading and praying and singing His Word, and by feasting at His Table, for your eternal blessing, and to have oil to share, until our Bridegrooms appears.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.