Don’t be a Moron (a Fool)
St. Matthew 25:1-11
November 22, 2020 anno Domini – Redeemer
Suppose that Jesus returned halfway through my sermon. Whoever was listening would be taken to heaven. Whoever was not, would not. You probably hope He comes soon before you lose interest. Whoever was found to be in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s day was with the Lord forever. Whoever was not found in the Lord’s house was locked out.
What if you were not here this morning? You were in your deer stand or at your daughter’s basketball tournament. 8 or 9 am is just too early or you were quarantining. Would any of that be worth missing out on Jesus?
What would you say to yourself if you were locked out? Idiot. How could I be so stupid? Moron. Moron is the Greek word fool. Five virgins were morons. This is not a “Minnesota nice” word. I won’t call you morons, but if you find yourself on the outside at the last day you will use much worse words to describe yourself.
The Lord’s final judgment is not based on a singular moment in your life – as if whatever or wherever Jesus finds you when He returns will determine your final destination. But the parable does declare a definite time – the end of your days and the end to all things. There will be a moment at which you can do no more – when what you have and have done will be judged by Jesus. We do not know that moment. Jesus doesn’t know that moment. The Father does. You could die of COVID tomorrow, or a heart attack on Friday or Jesus could return before you speak the amen to my sermon and after that moment it will be too late to do anything.
What makes this parable troubling is that it is about the church, even about a congregation. The virgins were all dressed alike. They were all waiting on the bridegroom. They all had their lamps and oil. They all fell asleep. This is the visible church on earth. Looking at us we all appear to be Christian. We all confess the one holy Christian and apostolic faith. We are waiting for Jesus Christ to return. Should He not return in a certain number of days then we will all sleep. We will all be laid to rest in the cemetery – cemetery means resting place. When the Bridegroom arrives, we will all be awakened. Whatever you went to sleep with is what you will wake up with. If you went to sleep with oil for your lamp you will wake up and Jesus will judge you as walking in His light. If you wake up and have no oil, the door to heaven will be shut. Jesus will have no clue who you are because you had no clue who He was.
The difference is the oil, and what the oil does. The oil is faith. Faith is what God expects of us. He made us and daily provides us with everything necessary for life. He expects us to fear, love, and trust in Him above all things.
In Jesus He does creation one better. He loves you by forgiving your sins. He gives His flesh and blood for your flesh and blood. He is faithful to His promises when you are faithless adulterers who worship every false god that comes along and chase every pleasure your heart desires. He came as He promised to die for His bride, to take the punishment she (you) deserves.
Jesus is a good man, the best man. He loves His bride to death. He covers her warts and deformities with His righteousness. By His blood you are cleansed, forgiven, spotless, white as snow, glorious in the bridal gown that He has given you, and you are ready to go home to meet His Father face to face.
This is what He has done for you. This is what He has given you. He has said His “I will” at the cross and in baptism He says it to you, “I love you and I will love you. I forgave you and I will forgive you.” Faith is your “amen” to His promises. “Will you love Jesus, honor Him, cherish Him, submit to Him knowing that not even death will part you?” Faith says, “I will.”
But any of you who are married know that the wedding doesn’t make a marriage. It’s the beginning and your words, your “I will” are the promise of action – acts of love, kindness, sacrifice, patience, humility, grace and fidelity. If you believe your words, then deeds follow. If deeds don’t follow your “I will” you will tear your marriage apart.
It was not merely having oil that made the 5 virgins wise. Their wisdom led to action. They were mindful of the coming bridegroom and realized that anything could happen on the way.
This is how weddings happened in Jesus’ day. The groom headed over to the bride’s house to pick her up. Then they paraded around town in his 1958 Ford Retractable. Honking the horn, receiving congratulations, maybe stopping at the Soda Shop for a Cherry Coke. The bridesmaids never knew what might happen. The groom might really enjoy motoring around in his car. He might go for a country drive with his bride. Or that classic car might break down at just the wrong moment. The ESV translation says “the bridegroom was delayed” but that isn’t a passive verb there. It is active. The bridegroom took His time. The old word is “tarried.” We know why the Lord is taking His time in returning. He wants to save all whom He has chosen. He doesn’t want anyone to miss out.
Those five wise bridesmaids were mindful of everything that could go wrong. They prepared more thoroughly than the Minnesota Department of Health during COVID. The one thing they needed was oil when the bridegroom arrived. So, before they headed to the Bridegroom’s house, they all stopped at Costco. No dainty single serve olive oil containers for them. Nothing you could hide in your purse. They bought the two pack gallon jugs. Sure, it clashed with their Cinnamon Rose dresses and Dusty Rose accessories, but it wasn’t about them. They did not want to miss the Bridegroom and his bride.
Do you know why the virgin’s needed oil for their lamps? It was not so that they could see in the dark. It was so that others could see them. It was shameful for a single girl to be out after dark unaccompanied at night. If a young woman was hiding her identity you could be assured that she was up to no good. But a woman whose face was lit up, whom everyone could identify would not suffer that shame. She obviously was out after dark for good reason, something she did not need to hide.
This is what faith in Jesus does. It illuminates you – not only internally with a whole new view of your life, your body, your work, and your future, but as Scripture says, “faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” (Ja 2:17) A good tree produces good fruit. The light of faith reveals itself to others in the light of works. Saint Paul writes of this in today’s Epistle “But you are not in darkness brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all children of the light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.” Then Paul speaks to our behavior – sleeping, being indifferent to the Lord’s return, dozing off with your prayers, with your works, with your preparedness. Getting drunk with worldly things. A drunk keeps drinking but is never satisfied, so the gifts of this world will never deliver what they promise, but we keep consuming.
Jesus Christ has done everything for you to be in the Kingdom, now and for all eternity. In His Church He delivers all that to you – He cleanses you with His blood, forgives you of your sin, clothes you with His righteousness, and feeds you with bread from heaven. Don’t be a moron. Be mindful of His return, be engaged with Him daily in Word and prayer, be faithful by not fooling around with the world. With the oil and illumination of faith and works you will enter with Him into the wedding feast. In the name of Jesus. Amen.