Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Matthew 25:1-13
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  November 12, 2023

A story is told about the famous explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, perhaps best known for his expeditions to the Antarctic. On one of those expeditions, he was forced to leave some of his crew behind on Elephant Island. He had planned on only leaving them there for a short period of time. He was planning on coming back for them soon and returning them to England. Well, as we all have experienced in one way or another, his plans changed. He was unavoidably delayed in returning to Elephant Island. By the time we could go back, he found, to his horror, that the sea had frozen over and the men were stranded. Three different times he tried to reach them, but each time his efforts failed. Finally, in a last ditch effort, he found a narrow channel through the ice.

When he finally reached the island, expecting the worst, he not only found his crew alive and well, but all prepared to get aboard. They quickly loaded up and headed home for England. After that initial excitement died down, Shackelton asked the men how it was that they were so prepared, so ready to board the ship. And this is what they told him. Every morning, their leader would roll up his sleeping bag and tell them, “Get your things ready, boys, the boss may come today.” 

That’s the same mentality that we are encouraged to live with today as we draw closer to the end of the Church year. Our Gospel today makes it clear that we need to be Keeping Watch, prepared and alert for the coming of Christ. And to illustrate this important truth, Jesus tells us a story about a wedding banquet.

The wedding in the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day was significantly different than ours. Once the couple was betrothed, they were considered married in God’s eyes. This is what we hear about Mary, Jesus’ mother, who was pledged, betrothed to Joseph. Yet, often, the couple wouldn’t begin living together as husband and wife for some time. And for sure, not until after the wedding banquet. In what could be months or even years, the plans would be made, the arrangements would be finalized, the banquet would be planned and prepared and then the bridegroom would come to take his bride. The family and friends would gather and wait. When the groom arrived a shout would go up and a procession with torches would take place. If you were going to the party, you were part of the procession. It was as simple as that. And while no one really likes waiting, the waiting was exciting. It’s like that waiting at a surprise party as everyone waits to yell, “Surprise!”

Keep that picture in mind as we read verse one again. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”  There are a couple of important things to remember for us to understand this parable. First, we want to remember the context. In chapter 24, Jesus talks about how things will be at the end of the world, at the Last Judgment. He’s continuing that discussion here in chapter 25. That helps us to understand what he means when he says, “At that time…” Secondly, Jesus says, “the kingdom of heaven will be like…”  Hopefully, we remember that this does not mean heaven itself. Again, in Jesus’ parables, the kingdom of heaven refers to the kingdom of believers here on this earth, where Christ rules in the heart. That makes this parable about believers. This is a parable about Christians in the time in between Jesus’ first and second coming. 

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps.” The translation of “lamps” maybe gives a misleading picture in our own minds. The “lamps” really were more like torches. A long pole with oil-drenched rags at the top were what the people used for processions of this type. They were very bright. There was just one drawback. You had to replenish the oil frequently. You had to trim off the ends of the rags frequently, as well. So let’s get our bearings here: there’s ten virgins, ten bridesmaids, if you will, ten people representing the church, waiting for Jesus, the bridegroom, to come. They all had torches doused in oil. They were all waiting. Five of them didn’t bring any extra oil, and five of them did. 

“While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ 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.’ 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.” Jesus’ second coming is just as certain as his first. Jesus will come at the right time, but even though all the signs are here, it might be later than we expect. Certainly, it was for the virgins in the parable. Not until midnight did the cry finally ring out. And despite their excitement and anticipation for his coming, they all fell asleep. But the shout woke them with a start. They looked at their lamps and saw that they were going out. The charred edges needed to be trimmed off. They needed to be soaked in oil again. Five of the virgins had oil. Five did not. Five were prepared. Five were not. The five who weren’t prepared rushed off to buy oil, at midnight. But while they were gone, the groom arrived. The banquet began, The door was shut. No one else was getting in. 

“Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’ But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’ Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” 

Friends, this is a parable  about us. This isn’t a parable about those people out there, outside our walls. This is a parable about us. This is a parable about the church. These ten virgins represent those who hold membership in the church in this life. We’ve heard all about the day of Christ’s coming again. We’ve been to the “dress rehearsals” for that great and glorious day where Jesus has come to us in Word and Sacrament. We are friends of the bride, the Holy Christian Church, and we know the groom, Jesus himself. We’ve not only been invited to the wedding, but we’ve been chosen as his special guests. At his own expense, Jesus has given us the proper wedding attire–his own righteousness–and the torches of faith glowing with the oil of the gospel. He’s simply asked us to be Keeping Watch. To be prepared for him to come.

Now, I’m not trying to be crude, but the five virgins who didn’t bring extra oil are called “morons” in the Greek. The Greek word is moros. A moron isn’t someone who doesn’t know any better. A moron is someone who does know better and does something foolish anyway. Those five virgins knew how the torches worked. They knew they needed oil. They just didn’t value it like they should have. They didn’t make sure they had enough. They gambled that they’d be ok with what they had. But when the groom came and they realized their error, it was too late. The other virgins couldn’t light their torches for them. They hadn’t been keeping watch. They weren’t prepared.

So the question is, where do you fit? Are you wise or foolish? Are you feeding your torch, your faith, regularly with the oil of the gospel or are you gambling that you’ll have enough when Jesus comes? 

Friends, don’t be fools. Don’t be morons. Instead, keep watch! Be prepared. Make sure you tend to your torch, your faith. The supply of oil, the good news of the gospel is endless. And it’s offered to you free of charge. So sit down as a family and have a devotion, even though it may feel awkward for the first few times. Read to your children from the Bible or a devotional book so they can have a closer walk with their Savior. Is it worth gambling on your soul and the souls of your children? Make sure you are faithfully and regularly hearing God’s Word in worship and Sunday school and Bible studies. The oil of the gospel overflows from the love of your Savior who not only lived and died for you, but who warns you and reminds you to keep watching, to be prepared. Burn that midnight oil. Immerse yourself in every sermon, in every service. Because even if you don’t remember everything that was said, it doesn’t mean it hasn’t fed you.

A debate was raging in the editorial column of a local newspaper. Someone had written in saying he stopped going to church because he could remember few, if any, of the lessons he heard there and for that reason he didn’t think they had done him any good, that he wasn’t getting anything out of them. In the weeks that followed, letters flew in on both sides of the issue. But it wasn’t until a man wrote the following words that the debate was settled once and for all. 

The man wrote that his loving wife was a wonderful cook and that she had made him countless meals throughout his life. He admitted that even though she was a fabulous cook, he couldn’t remember most of the meals she made. He said, that on the surface, he might assume that he hadn’t gotten much out of them since he couldn’t remember them. But, then he went on to pose this question: What would have happened to him if he hadn’t eaten those meals? Obviously, he would have starved. Each meal had been important. Each meal had contributed something, whether he realized it or not at the time, or clearly remembered it later. We have to eat if we want to survive, and even the least memorable meal, so long as it includes healthy ingredients, feeds us.

So does every contact with God’s Word! Every sermon, every Bible class, every devotion, from the most memorable to the least, so long as it doesn’t include the poison of false doctrine, so long as it includes the kernel of God’s Word, feeds us. It puts oil in our torches, It keeps those torches burning brightly. Will you remember it all? I hope so, but probably not. But if you don’t hear it at all, you will slowly spiritually starve. You will not be prepared. And when Jesus comes, it will be too late.

Most of you, if not all of you, have heard those words before: “You’re too late.”  As painful as that can be, we can hear nothing worse than hearing Jesus say on the Last day: ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’  Don’t hear that on the Last Day. Instead, when Jesus comes, let him find you Keeping Watch! Burn the midnight oil of the gospel. Trim the wick of your faith again and again through confession and absolution. Be prepared for Jesus to come. That’s what he wants you to be. You’ve already been invited. You have a place at the table. Let’s keep on Keeping Watch! Come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen.