Sermon - Last Sunday of the Church Year

TEXT: Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Some people are procrastinators. They like to put things off. “Never do today what can be put of until tomorrow.” But what happens when tomorrow comes sooner than you expected?

Jesus said, “the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.” 5 were wise and 5 were fools (lit. morons). It’s a parable about the End of Time. The coming Again of the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. He’s coming for His Bride, the Church…. But His return will be the time that no one expects. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Five of the virgins took their lamps but were foolish because they took no oil with them. What good is a lamp without oil?

Their lack of oil is only an indication of a bigger problem…. Unbelief. This is what God’s Word says about Fools… “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile… Psalm 14.

But all ten are virgins? Virginity is a word that implies purity… not corruption… not vile deeds. How can some be foolish?

Yes all 10 are virgins. Understand it this way. The 10 virgins are those who claim a Christian church affiliation. The ten virgins are those whom you and I assume to be Christians. They are baptized. Just as a bride wears a white gown so they were given the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Many of them confirmed. Most of them are regular in church. Practically all of them wish to be married and buried at the church.

But not every virgin is a virgin. Not every so called “Christian” is a “Christian.” Some who bear the name of Christian are fools and some are wise.

And wisdom does not mean book smart. It has nothing to do with your IQ or your achievement test scores or how well you did or didn’t do in school. The brightest and the best even get straight “F’s” the Lord’s report card. In Matthew 7 the wise man is the one who builds his house upon the rock. Jesus is the rock. St. Paul told Timothy, “from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” The wise person is the person who has faith in Jesus Christ. The one who daily remembers his baptism. The one who rejoices to hear, “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirirt.” Now, that’s wisdom!

The wise will endure persecution and false accusation for being wise. Can you imagine how foolish and moronic the 5 wise virgins looked carrying around all that extra oil? “Why do you need all that? Do you really believe the Bridegroom will come. You’re so gullible. Your Bridegroom still hasn’t come, has He? He’s not coming. There’s not going to be a wedding feast! Get over it!”

“AT midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the Bridegroom! Come out to meet Him.’”
The Bridegroom will come just as he promised. It will seem as if he’s procrastinating, that he’s long in coming. But he will come. It will be as a thief in the night. Unexpectantly.

Those who have prepared themselves have no need to fear the day of his coming… (just as the farmer who has carefully planned for the winter wind and snow) but woe to those who are not ready. For them it will be as those foolish virgins who had no oil. They day that they blew off finally came. The Lord had sent servants to warn them and to prepare them. But they laughed at them. Made fun of them. But the Lord Himself will come and then it will be too late.

In that Final day, there will be no more oil to find. The door to the eternal wedding banquet will be shut. They will be excluded. “Lord, Lord, open to us!” will be their cry. But He will answer, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you.”

Now is the day to prepare. Do not tarry. Don’t be a proscratinator. It’s a matter of eternal life or eternal death.

Listen carefully dear friends, the last days are here. The wedding feast is nearer than it was. When Jesus comes on the Last Day the oil will be taken away and it won’t be found. Don’t run to find it then, it will be too late. The dealers, that is Christ’s servants, will have none to give you. The goats will be separated from the sheep. The sky will roll up. The global earthquake will have begun, the sun will be darkened and the earth will pass away. ALL in an instant.

On that Great day there will be no more oil… no more means of grace… no more preaching, or baptisms, or Lord’s Supper. But the oil of salvation is still available. It is free and comes in large supplies. It was bought at a price… the holy precious suffering and death of your Lord. It’s given for you and Jesus wants you to have it… as much as you want… even more than you want! That oil is the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. It is a soothing oil, an anointing oil, the oil of gladness and of joy. It comes in Holy Baptism, in Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion. The Bridegroom brings his oil of salvation to you. Receive it! Bask in it! Let your cup overflow with it! Gather it up! Rejoice and be glad in it!

In Jesus Name! Amen.