"The Oil Indicator Light" November 9 2014

Amos 5: 18-24 Matthew 25:1-13 For over 2000 years we have read this passage from Matthew, supporting values of our culture, “Be Prepared,” “Don't be late,” in crises “Hoarding and Saying No” are what are demanded. In Seminary this was affectionately referred to as the Boy Scout's Parable: “Be Prepared!” To the point that at a recent wedding, the day arrived, the flowers were exquisite, the bridesmaids and groomsmen were in place, the Prelude music had all been played, but guests were still arriving, when one of the Wedding Coordinators suggested “So, is now when we lock the doors, that they arrived too late?” I looked at them incredulously as if to say, everyone is turned around to watch the Bridal Entry and you want to create a scene of people outside pulling on the doors, screaming and pounding to get in? As the Bride is walking up the aisle, you want people distracted by guests coming in the back door across the Chancel? That is not what the wedding or this passage are about. In trying to better understand the passage, I attempted to use the parable in combination with other Bible passages so as to have Scripture interpret Scripture. Except that I wound up with “Do not store up treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, thieves break in to steal...Unless you are storing Oil, we need large Oil Reserves.” “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat, what you will drink, or about what you will wear. Worry about Oil, possessing Oil is the main thing.” “Ask and it will be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened, unless you are late and the bridegroom answers, in which case, forget about it.” “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, unless it is about borrowing oil, where it is every woman for herself.” The more I prayed and listened to this passage, the more I came to the illustration “For 2000 years a warning light has been flashing, like an Oil Indicator Light, saying “Second Coming” and we ignore it but although that Oil Indicator Light has been flashing 2000 years, one day he will come.” I turned to the Old Testament, where Amos describes “The Day of the Lord's Coming should not be hoped for! This is not a day of affirmation, Well done good and faithful servants! This will be a frightening nightmare, as if you were running away from a lion and ran into a bear, you put your hand out to steady yourself only to grasp a snake!” So it seems the sermon for this morning should be: Be afraid, be very afraid! Be prepared, bring extra virgin olive oil. I never before understood that it was about Extra oil for the Virgins, not Extra Virgin Olive Oil! I tried taking the parable apart, but there were 10 Bridesmaids, all in identical Dresses, all had been friends since School, all 10 brought Lamps, all fell asleep, so why were five included as being wise and five rejected as foolish? Martin Luther claimed the oil was Good Works, it was not about the people or wisdom or foolishness, but good works. But can you run out of good works? Thomas Merton rewrote the Parable as the Poem of 5 Bridesmaids, rowdy women who run out of gas on the way to the wedding, so show up late for the wedding feast. BUT they were told to hang around, because they knew how to dance, because at the Wedding of the Lamb in Revelation there were 10 Virgins. Certainly if this were a parable from Jesus, about the Kingdom of God, the Bridesmaids would share their oil, and standing at the door knocking with Jesus as the Bridegroom the door would be opened... So why is this so strange? Then it hit me, something no Scholar, Commentary or Blog has identified, the context of this Parable was Jesus last set of teachings before the Crucifixion, describing that there would be a judgement day... Know that If the Householder knew what hour the thief were coming, they would have locked the door! If the manager anticipated the coming of the Master he would treat the servants with respect and care! But suppose that servant is wicked and begins to mistreat the servants. The master will come early, when unexpected, at an hour not prepared for. And here comes our parable, THEN, AT THAT TIME, THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN will be like 10 Virgins who took their lamps to greet the Bridegroom. This is not a parable about the Kingdom of God, but of Judgment like the Parable of the Servant who mistreated others. Throughout Matthew we are told You are the Light of the World, You are the torch to light the path of others, the Bridegroom may as easily be late as early, will we still have faith to persevere, or will we be like salt that has lost its savor, and if so what can you do? At midnight, when your oil has run out, and time is of the essence where will you go? In Christianity, we have placed great emphasis on Baptism and Confirmation, claiming this individual as our sister or brother, as a child of God, and their own affirmation when they are ready that they are prepared to accept responsibilities. We have great emphasis on identification of The Call, Abram was Called, Moses was Called, Jeremiah was called before he was born, Jesus called his disciples. Here the question is not Are you called, or When, or How. But where do you go, what do you do, when your oil is out? Because you will run dry. What replenishes you, what fills you when you are spiritually dry? Because you cannot be a light to anyone else, when you are spent. Imagine it's 5:30 and you have had a really hard day, just as you are done taking your coat off, your spouse and kids ask “What's for dinner?” As you search imaginary possibilities, you feel Godzilla taking over your being, and when you finish your rant, your teen-ager looks at you calmly and says “Out of oil?” When a two year old does not get their nap, they have a melt-down. When you and your partner have not had a conversation in three weeks that has not revolved around schedules and logistics, you are do for a crash. If you have worked 80 hour work weeks as long as you can remember, relationships will suffer. Running out of oil, having the Oil Indicator Light come on is not something you can avoid or ignore. It happens. Replenishing your oil cannot be bought from a store like fastfood. No one can give you Peace of Mind. We all say, “Someday I will quit working so hard and spend quality time with my kids.” One of these days, I am going to take up sailing, or painting, or volunteering. We all do it. We all doze off caring for ourselves spiritually. Last week it hit me, after everyone had left, I made one last tour of the Sanctuary as pastors often do. In one place was a tissue, in another a baggy of cheerios, there was an empty communion glass in a pew. What occurred to me, is all that has been left here over all the years. In one pew someone had cast off their grief and left it behind. In another was a man's sense of failure and disappointment at life. On the floor was some secret sin, real or imaginary, no longer much trouble left behind. The remains of a heated argument before worship, the left-overs of a bruised ego. Marriage Vows broken. All of that poured out, exchanged for Grace. That is the Happy-Ending to this Parable, that even when shut-out, with no oil left, sitting in the darkness, unable to party, there is a renewable resource of Grace. Jesus tells us, it comes when you stop your schedule to serve others, when you feed the hungry, clothe the naked, when you welcome a stranger. That is when we find the source of replenishment, when we gather the fruits of the spirit: Love, Peace, Patience, Joy, Kindness, Generosity, Faith, Gentleness, Self-Control. For over 2000 years, I think we have missed the point of this Parable, missed the Point of the Day of the Lord, people cannot be scared into trusting, into believing. You do not fill up your spiritual lamp because you are afraid of being left out, locked out of the Kingdom of God, or because you want to have enough to turn others away. No, there come dark nights for all of us, when it feels like everywhere you turn, is a snake or a bear or lion. And in that dark night of the soul, you realize what you really want is to share in that communion. You fill your lamp out of Joy. That is the price of the oil, the only cost, wanting to meet your savior, to meet God when God comes. Which he will soon, very soon.