Matthew 25.1-13 The
Ten Virgins
Mountain Rescue
·
E Every
year, mountain rescue teams have to rescue hundreds of walkers, many of whom
had ventured out without even the basic essential equipment and supplies to
complete their route safely. Other people have to put their own lives at risk
to carry out these rescues. The cost can be very high and sometimes the
rescuers don’t get there in time.
·
Quote
from Lake District Search and Mountain Rescue Association chairman last year:
“Many, if not all of these alerts could have been avoided for the sake of a
map, compass and torch plus a little knowledge on how to use them.”
Judgement Parables
·
These
parables, mostly clustered at the end of Matthew’s gospel, are usually neglected
because (a) we think they are concerned with events in the distant future which
we can do nothing about and (b) we believe the warnings they contain are
addressed to other people (unbelievers) rather than us.
·
However
the judgement parable we are looking at today is addressed to believers and is
very much concerned with life in the here and now.
·
All ten
virgins/ young women/bridesmaids in the parable are believers in Jesus
(represented by the bridegroom). Their lamps are lit and they have been invited
to the wedding banquet.
·
However
only 5 are wise and the other 5 are foolish. The foolish arrive late and – at
least initially – are not allowed to enter the feast. Instead, they hear the
voice of Jesus saying “Who are you? Where have you been? What have you been
doing? I don’t know you.”
·
Jesus
is challenging the believers who hear the parable to be wise rather than
foolish. But what makes the difference?
Lessons for
Believers
·
A A
popular saying … “If you fail to prepare, prepare to fail…”
·
All of
us will meet Jesus face to face, either at his return or after our own death.
At that point we do not want to hear him saying “Who are you, I don’t know
you.”
·
So the
first lesson is to make sure we know and
are known by Jesus in this life. This means more than just saying the right
prayer of commitment or going through the right baptism or confirmation
ceremony. It means doing the things which are necessary to build and strengthen
our relationship with Jesus throughout our lives. A passive and unthinking
faith leaves us ineffective and vulnerable. An active, nurtured faith helps us
grow stronger and more useful to God.
·
The
next key lesson from the parable is that we need to prepare for the long haul. Christian life is more like a marathon than
a sprint, more like a mountain climb than a stroll in the park. So we need to plan
ahead and obtain and develop the equipment and resources needed for the whole
journey. The foolish virgins ran out of oil and the oil they needed was not
instantly available on tap.
·
In a
similar way some of the most important resources Christians need need to be
developed over a period of time. A Christian who has a terminal illness needs
deep faith and strength of character if they are to cope. But it is no good
saying to God “Give me deep faith and strength of character now” because these
are qualities which take years to build up, years of patient walking with God,
talking with God, listening to God.
·
It is
these qualities, these fruits of the Spirit if you like, which are the oil to
keep our lamp burning in the darkest night. We need these qualities and perhaps
more importantly, the world needs us to develop and to use these powerful
Christian resources.
·
The
parable also teaches that we cannot beg
steal or borrow these Christian qualities from other people. Of course we
can help each other to learn and to grow, but we can’t always rely on someone
else’s faith, someone else’s courage, someone else’s deep prayer life and
understanding of the Bible – we need to develop our own.
·
If we
are climbing a mountain and it turns foggy and I am separated from my
companions it will be no use to me that they
have a map and compass and torch and food in their rucksack. It is only what is
in my own rucksack (if anything)
which can save me.
·
And it
is not just about my survival and saving my own skin. I need to be ready to
respond to emergencies and address the physical and spiritual needs of others.
Like the wise virgins in the parable, I need to be ready to seize the day, when
the opportunity to serve arises. I need in fact to be a mountain rescue team
member/leader – not like some ill prepared tourist.
Practical Examples
·
Let’s
look at some practical examples of what each of us can do to ensure we are an
“oil filled”, well prepared Christian disciple. Here’s a quick list of 30
suggestions:
Practical
Suggestions for developing as ‘oil-filled’ Christians:
- Prayer partners – meet once a week/fortnight
- Prayer journaling
- Read bible regularly:
- Bible in a year or 2 years
- Receive bible notes online e.g. Word for Today
- or hard copies e.g. Jeff Lucas ‘Life Every Day’
- Join home group or bible study groups
- Monitor your viewing/reading – are you ‘polluting’ your mind?
- Avoid internet porn and other violent or unhealthy material
- Write reviews of books from our Christian book stall – share what you have learned with others
- Join in when we do 24-7 prayer events
- Join in when we organise church trips away, retreats and family days
- Serve others alongside other Churches e.g. Sant’Egidio, Zona Roja
- Examine your shopping habits:
- Are you over-consuming? Too materialistic? Too influenced by advertising?
- Could you buy ‘fair trade’ products
- Do you buy ‘environmentally friendly’ goods?
- Share what you have:
- A spare room, and someone in church has a need for it?
- A skill you can offer someone else?
- Hospitality & friendship – so many people IN OUR OWN CHURCH are lonely
- Give someone a lift
- Translate/help someone through Spanish paperwork
- Could you be a mentor to a teenager you know
- Tithing - are you giving God the first and best of your “crop”?
- Write to political leaders to protest against injustice
- Recycle more and waste less. Think about your impact on God’s creation.
- Treat old/disabled/marginalised people with dignity – give them time, listen to and talk with them.
- Support efforts of others who are trying to do things for other people or for our church
- Take the opportunity this Christmas to tell someone why Christmas is important and more than just about presents and eating too much
- Practise random acts of kindness, anonymously blessing others
- Offer to pray for someone when they tell you their worries but most importantly give them time, listen to them
- Look at yourself in the mirror:
- What image do you present to others?
- Do you see God’s image in you?
- Love yourself – God made you in His image
- Make sure you have a day of rest, spend it with your loved ones
- Thank God for your blessings, don’t let your prayers be like a shopping list
- Study christian discipleship online e.g, foundations 21
- Identify a daily habit/act you have e.g. washing up, opening your laptop, walking to work – make this a trigger of a short prayer
- Ring up someone who you know you should ring – today!
- Use post-its to remind you of things to give thanks for – when you brush your teeth, have post-its round the mirror with the names of people you love and are thankful that they’re in your life
- Identify 3 texts from scripture that really mean something to you, print them out and use them as bookmarks, read them aloud at least once a week and think about why you chose them
- Cut down on your daily commitments – perhaps you give up watching a particular TV programme – so that you have time to meet the needs of others or to spend time with God in prayer and meditation
- Build a friendship with someone outside your usual circle of contacts
- LISTEN to others, LISTEN to God – perhaps one will lead you to the other without you knowing?
Conclusions
·
These are just a few
suggestions and you may be able to come up with better ones.
·
But just to clarify – it is not
about activism, as though we could justify ourselves to God by showing him a
list of all the great Christian works we have done.
·
It is about developing good
habits, Christlike character and the experience which will enable us to save
ourselves and others from a futile, pointless and unworthy life.
·
Rest, recreation and sleep are
also important and remember all 10 virgins in the parable fell asleep before
the bridegroom arrived. But there is a world of difference between the peaceful
sleep of the wise, the well-prepared and the restless, uneasy “have I forgotten
something” sleep of the foolish.
·
Take a look in your rucksack
tonight. Ask yourself what’s missing and think about how your friends at St
George’s can help you be better equipped disciples with oil to spare.
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