Sermon – Matthew 25:1-13 - Excuses

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Matthew 25:1-13 - Excuses

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Stewardship Sunday

Nov. 13, 2011

Today is Stewardship Sunday. This is the day each year when people stay home from church. This is the day to skip the sermon and visit your grandchildren on the western shore, or see a show in New York, or catch some rockfish on the bay. And if by mistake you come to church on Stewardship Sunday then this is your warning to turn down your hearing aids or read the NFL predictions on your smart phone. No one ever wants to hear a money pitch from the pastor, and that's why we all dread Stewardship Sunday. But stewardship is important so let's begin with prayer.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

^NIV Matthew 25:1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.⁴ The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶ "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' ⁷ "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'⁹ "'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'¹⁰ "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived.The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.¹¹ "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!' ¹² "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.' ¹³ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

We have a simple story about ten bride maids. They are waiting for the groom to come for the great wedding feast. Their lamps are lit and they wait patiently until he arrives. But for some reason the groom is delayed and the young women fall asleep. Late that night the groom finally arrives and the women awake finding their lamps almost out of olive oil. Some of them have brought extra oil and quickly refill their lamps. Others failed to bring extra oil so they leave to get some and miss the feast. The question I have been thinking about all week is, why did these bridesmaids not bring the extra oil? Why were they not prepared? What were their excuses? Maybe it went this way.

The first bridesmaid had married just a year ago. Her husband had a good job, but he lost it when the economy soured and his company downsized. They had to borrow some money from her parents to pay the rent on their small apartment. They had also maxed out their credit cards. This couple had been economizing on everything. So when it came time for her younger sister's wedding feast she decided not to bring extra oil for her lamp. She now regrets missing her sister's wedding feast realizing that a little oil would make no difference in her finances but would have allowed her to be where she was supposed to be with her sister and her wedding.

The second bridesmaid was a vendor of purple cloth. She made a good living because purple fabric was in high demand among upper class in the city. She had saved up a solid pile of silver for her retirement and was well positioned for the weak economy. She certainly didn't waste anything and figured that she didn't really need to take that extra olive oil. But when she awoke, saw her lamp almost out she begged the others for some of theirs, but sadly they didn't have enough for her too. Had she though about it in advance she would have realized that she should have brought enough oil for everyone. But she didn't, and so she missed the feast.

The third bridesmaid knew that she was just about to inherit some prime farmland. Her husband's brother was sick, and since he had no wife or children she and her husband would inherit his land. In a few months they were sure to be wealthy. But right now the budget was tight. She had plenty of olive oil in the pantry but decided not to bring any extra. She was angry and tired when the groom was late, and fell asleep. When she awoke she saw her lamp was almost out she remembered all the oil she had left back home. So she ran home as fast as she could, but by the time she returned the door was shut and she had missed the celebration.

The fourth bridesmaid was the groom's youngest sister. She was a student in the fifth grade. She was thrilled to be a bridesmaid and got up early to prepare. Her dress was perfect and her aunt helped her with her hair. When she heard that the groom was delayed she was determined to stay awake until he got there. But she quickly fell asleep. Late that night she awoke and found that her lamp was almost out of oil. She had forgotten to bring extra oil in all the preparations. So she ran to a friend's house nearby, but the friend wasn't home. There was no place she could think of where she could get more oil. So she sat down and cried, missing the feast.

The fifth bridesmaid was the bride's best friend. The two of them were active in their church and volunteered in its homeless ministry. Every Saturday morning they would go together to the local homeless shelter and cook breakfast. The also collected an offering of coats which they delivered to the shelter. This bridesmaid really looked forward to the wedding feast. She and the bride had planned out all the details. This was going to be a great celebration. But there was only one problem. She hadn't brought any extra oil. Her lamp was going out. What could she do? No one else had any extra oil. She lived too far away to go home. In was not safe to go looking for olive oil in the dark. And all she could do was to watch as the other bridesmaids accompanied the groom into the feast while she waited outside in the cold and dark.

Five bridesmaids and five excuses! Five very disappointed young women!

But this parable is not about bridesmaids. It is about us. The groom is Jesus, and the bridesmaids are the church waiting for his return. Some of us are prepared for the wait. We have whatever is needed to keep our lamps shining until Christ returns. Others of us are not prepared and our lamps may going out before this happens. This parable is a warning to all of us to be prepared and have sufficient resources for the wait.

What we have to do to be prepared is up to each of us to decide. In your prayer life and study of scripture God will speak to you about what you need to do to be prepared. For me it is to tithe. I give 10% of my income back to the church. Last winter, I must confess, that I couldn't do it given the high cost of heating oil. This bothered me a lot. So as soon as I could I caught up on my tithe and now try to give my 10% every month. It's not easy. I would love to put that 10% into retirement or better clothes or a nicer car, but I can't because I believe that God wants me to sacrifice and 10% is the least I should do.

I am not telling you what to do. But I am telling you to be prepared because you do not want to be shut out of the feast in heaven when Jesus returns. I do know that God has said repeatedly in scripture that He wants the church workers, the poor, the needy, the widows and the orphans to be cared for and have plenty to eat. So to be ready when Christ comes again you must take care of your church and those in need in our our community. And I urge to prayerfully ask God if a tithe is the way for you to do this.

And stay away from excuses: “I have already given enough through by taxes.” “Steward is not about money; I already do enough volunteer work.” “I have already maxed out my tax deductions for the year.” Excuses are just excuses they won't keep your lamps lit. But remember that Christ gave up his life for you. What will you do as you wait for him?

Lord Jesus Christ you have taught us to to love God and love our neighbor. Help us to use our resources in the most effective way to achieve both of these goals as we await your return. This we pray remembering your sacrifice for us. Amen.