Keep the lamp of your faith well-supplied.

 

Sermon for Last Sunday, November 20, 2022

Grace, mercy and peace be yours in abundance from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.

Matthew 25:1–13  “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.  ³When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them; ⁴but the wise took oil in their containers with their lamps.  ⁵While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.  ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’  ⁷Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.  ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’  ⁹But 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.’  ¹⁰But 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.  ¹¹Later, the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’  ¹²But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’  ¹³Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (EHV)

Keep the lamp of your faith well-supplied.

Dear friends in Christ,

            Jesus’ disciples came to Him with a question; “Tell us, when will these things happen?  And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3)  They asked this after they had marveled about the magnificence of the Temple, but Jesus informed them that the temple would be completely destroyed.  What follows next in Matthew’s gospel is a series of pictures that Jesus drew for them of the end times and of His return.  Our sermon text is one of these pictures.  Now we could make all kinds of points based on this picture, but Jesus’ main emphasis here is that His glorious return will come suddenly, so we must Keep the lamp of your faith well-supplied.

Therefore, I ask you, are you prepared for Jesus’ return?  It might seem unnecessary to ask this question in a room full of Christians but look closely at the picture Jesus drew.  He says, “the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.”  In His comparison, Jesus does not say the kingdom of the world, but the kingdom of heaven—in pictures like this, the number ten signifies completeness, so this is a picture of the whole visible Church on earth.  It is all the people who claim to be waiting for Jesus’ return; all the people who appear to be dressed for the wedding feast of the Lamb, which is the eternal wedding celebration of heaven.

Now, all ten virgins took their lamps.  All ten were gathered to meet the bridegroom.  Nothing is said to oppose the idea, so we can understand that all ten appeared to be dressed properly.  Thus, it would be normal for us to assume that all ten were ready to meet the bridegroom, but we would be wrong, so what is the difference?  Not all ten entered the wedding celebration, because, as Jesus said, “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 five foolish virgins appeared to be ready for the bridegroom, but it was in appearance only.  The light of their lamps was fading away as they waited for the bridegroom.  When Jesus returns, they will shine no light.  Perhaps, they didn’t think it important.  Perhaps, they thought there would be no delay in the bridegroom’s coming and so, the little bit of oil in their lamps would be plenty. 

What does this illustrate for you and me?  Are we among the wise or the foolish?  Jesus draws a picture of two types of Christians.  The first are foolish enough to think that just by belonging to a church, they are ready to meet the Lord.  These people know that they have received the invitation to the wedding.  They started down the path to meet the bridegroom, but the details escape them.  They don’t want the hassle of really preparing to meet the Bridegroom, so their faith gradually fades away.  So, again I ask, are you ready?  Have you filled your lamp with oil, and are you keeping it full, and what is the oil anyway? 

Over the last couple thousand years, some have claimed that the oil is faith.  Others claim it is our good works.  Some would say it is Christ’s righteousness, and others that the oil is God’s Word.  Yet, isn’t it, really, all of these together?  We come to faith only through God’s Word.  Anyone who claims another way has no oil in his lamp. 

Without faith in Jesus, we have no righteousness and whatever works we would do, apart from faith in Christ, would not be considered good in God’s eyes, so any person trusting in his own works to gain salvation also has an empty lamp.  Yet, as James warned, “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26) 

Those who claim to have faith yet want to live like heathens, also have lamps with no oil, for Jesus said, “Let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  Our lamps are well-supplied when we are dressed in Christ’s righteousness through faith in Him and we live as faithful Christians.  Still, what keeps your vessel full? 

There are those in our world who would claim that churchgoers are hypocrites—just empty lamps.  Yet, those unbelievers misunderstand why Christians come to church.  Faithful Christians are not in church to pretend that we are lamps, but to have our lamps refilled with oil through the power of God’s Word.  The Gospel in God’s Word gives us faith in Christ and restores and strengthens that faith as we fill our lives with His Word.  In the picture Jesus drew, all ten virgins fell asleep.  Really, they were just doing what came naturally as they awaited the bridegroom, and as they waited, the oil in their lamps was burning. 

In the end, the foolish virgins had no oil; their lamps were going out before the bridegroom came to them.  On the other hand, the wise virgins made sure to have plenty of oil to last.  They didn’t put off filling their lamps but stored up oil long before the fateful day.  You and I must do the same.  Faithful Christians keep their lamps full by returning to the source of the oil that feeds the flame of our lights.  As we fill our lives with the Gospel, our lamps are refilled.  So, when we come to church to hear God’s Gospel proclaimed, when we return to the saving waters of our baptisms by confessing our sins and we hear the absolution pronounced to us that God has removed our sins for Jesus’ sake, our flickering faith is restored to full brightness.  Our lamps are filled again as we partake of the Lord’s Supper to strengthen our faith in the forgiveness Jesus won for all. 

In addition to coming to church to refill our lamps, they are topped off as we daily read and study God’s Word, as we go to the Lord in prayer and ask for His forgiveness, and as we trust in His guidance for our lives.  Then, filled with the oil of faith and Christ’s righteousness, our lamps shine in the world showing that God continually refills the lamps of those who remain in His Word.  Our lamps shine on those around us as we share God’s Word with others and live lives of charity, forgiveness, and love.  Jesus said, "I am the Light of the World.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)  As we fill our lives with the Word made flesh, we shine His light in a sin-darkened world, while Keeping the lamp of your faith well-supplied.

Jesus emphasized that being ready today is good, but we also need to be ready tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that, and forever.  Like the virgins in His story, no one knows when our heavenly Bridegroom will return.  God wants us to remain ready until His Son returns. 

Jesus said, “While the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.”  Jesus wasn’t complaining that the virgins slept.  The virgins were doing what came naturally in their waiting.  Jesus’ point is that Christians have a certain amount of time in this life to fill their lamps, but that time will end, suddenly, when we least expect it.

Our end of time is unpredictable.  Jesus said that “at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’”  He means that we can’t take a moment off from our readiness for His return.  Through the ups and downs of daily life and through the trials and storms that we each must face, our lamps should burn with the brightness of His light.  It is necessary for those around us so that they too can see Jesus’ light, and it is necessary so that we will be recognized as His faithful friends. 

In our epistle lesson this morning, St Paul told us, “Concerning the times and dates, brothers, there is no need to write to you, for you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-2)  It is not given to us to choose the day of Christ’s return.  Nor is it necessary for us to know that moment.  What is necessary is that we be shining His light as we live lives filled with Christ and His Word.

When the midnight cry rang out, “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.'”  The foolish ones begged the wise to share their oil, but each will be judged on our own faith.  No one can be saved by another’s faith or by the works we do.  Therefore, any person who neglects the regular use and hearing of the Gospel of salvation is in grave danger of being left empty of that saving light when our Savior returns.

“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.”  There is a time in every life when we must be ready to meet the Lord, whether when death claims our bodies or the Savior returns in judgment.  At that moment, our time of grace ends, and there is no more opportunity to fill the lamp of one’s life.  Those who are empty of the light of Christ will be left outside the mansions Jesus has prepared for us, and the door will be shut.  For those unprepared to meet the Lord, never again will the door be reopened.  From that moment on, those who enter with the bridegroom will focus on the celebration, while those left outside are outside forever. 

“Later, [in Jesus’ parable] the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, let us in.’  But he answered, ‘Amen I tell you: I do not know you.’”  Earlier in Matthew’s gospel. Jesus said, “Many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) and “Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)  You and I have been chosen by God to believe in His Son and to walk in faithfulness to Him until we meet Him as our bridegroom. 

My friends, this text is a warning to all Christians to be continually ready because Jesus could return at any moment.  Just as important though, it is a beautiful promise that Jesus will return in all the glory He deserves.  What wonderful reassurance that is for faithful Christians!  You and I can go confidently about our lives knowing that those who keep their lamps filled and ready to shine will be rewarded as the Savior leads us into His eternal wedding feast.  Your faith will not be in vain.  The works that we do out of faith in Christ, and the struggles we endure as we wait for our Savior’s return, will not go unnoticed but will be brightly burning in our lamps on the day Jesus returns. 

There is one more point that we should never forget.  This banquet feast with Jesus is forever.  The joy and glory of those Christians who keep their lamps filled will never end.  It makes all the preparation and waiting in this world an easy task to bear.  My friends, Keep the lamp of your faith well-supplied through the continual use of God’s Word, and with the glorious service of God’s Son, and you will rejoice with your Lord forever in the banquet feast of heaven.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life, everlasting.  Amen.