Sermon, Proper 27 Year A (12 nov 2023)

Do you remember the last time you stayed awake all night?
Maybe it was on a long journey…
maybe in school days writing a paper…
maybe recently out with friends at some grand celebration…
maybe a new baby in the house…
Whatever it was – most of us don’t tend to pull all-nighters on a regular basis.

And there are good reasons for that: The human body needs sleep. Without it, within one day, our brains struggle – our memory fails and our judgement is impaired.
Two days without sleep and our bodies show an increase in stress and anxiety, and disruptions within our digestive and hormonal systems.
After 3 days, we’re hallucinating, paranoid, and some of these impacts are becoming permanent.

Three days without sleep. It doesn’t sound like a long time at all to incur that much damage.
So perhaps we need to reconsider the advice we hear that says “keep awake!” that’s given in the context of delay.

The people Jesus is chatting with in today’s Gospel passage are his disciples; they’re away from the crowds with Jesus.
And they know what tiredness would have felt like. They would have had the crying baby, the lost sheep, the stressful business dealings, the indigestion: all those things that keep you up at night. They knew this.

Which means they also knew what it was like when, come sunrise, the invitation to “rise and shine!” felt more like a punishment.
And – these folks didn’t have coffee to help with the process.

So. Then, and now, we’re invited to consider this directive from Jesus in a slightly different way. Not a literal prying open of our eyes, but a gentle opening of our hearts. I think Jesus is inviting us to be spiritually awake: being fully present in the space where time isn’t measured in days or hours.

And there is precedent for this, right in the scriptures, if we are paying attention to this parable of the bridesmaids.
The groom was delayed, they became drowsy, they slept.
No problem. Looking after themselves. Paying attention to their bodies and the time of day.
And that way, when the shout comes at midnight, they are able to regain physical alertness, as they continue their spiritual responsibilities.

So… a little tangent about this parable.
The 10 bridesmaids: an interesting number! That’s a big bridal party. Let’s think about this for a moment.
Biblical numerology suggests that the number 10 is meant to convey for us a sense of harmony, of divine order, and of God’s purpose.
And the bridesmaids: biblical tradition had bridesmaids that were unmarried girls, which meant teenagers. So let’s consider that we have these young bridesmaids present, waiting for the bridegroom – yet no articulated bride.

And let’s think about bridesmaids: they are there to help the bride. To serve her. To be present for her.
So what happens when Jesus references a gaggle of divinely ordered bridesmaids, waiting for a delayed groom, with no bride in sight?

The listeners would have noticed some inconsistencies, some plot holes. It was meant to get them thinking about what they were being taught.

And the disciples will recall that Jesus has (back in chapter 9) referred to himself as the groom, and the ecclesia – the group of faithful followers – the church – the church is the bride. It’s a theme he connects to several times throughout the Gospels, and is repeated in the epistles.

A delayed groom, returning to his own home for the wedding feast. Being the host to the celebration of union.
Half of the bridesmaids ready; half of them not.

And not ready in the sense of hair and dress; but with their lamps lighted; wicks trimmed; oil supplied. These are the girls who were awake and aware, took their responsibility seriously.
And the un-ready: these are girls who have had access to new oil but didn’t get it; and now the merchants are likely closed (who sells oil at midnight in the world where internet shopping did not exist?)
I think it’s helpful for us to recall that these girls are not wicked or rebellious; they are young: they don’t understand the obligation.
Their being absent from the arrival of the groom is not a punishment; it is a response to the situation they chose. Consequence of actions can be painful sometimes – when they do arrive at the feast and are unknown to the host.
(They deserve education and compassion, not shunning.)

This parable is rich with meaning, and full of nuance.
But the message is consistent across the ages: for us to continue to learn.
Keep awake; keep prepared.
A delay is not a problem; it offers us the chance to be patient and prudent.

And it’s important that Jesus gave the community this foreknowledge that his coming again may not be on their timetable.
Because by the time this Gospel is being written down, it’s already about 40 years after Jesus’ death and Resurrection.
That’s a long time to wait; if you’re expecting the second coming any. Day. Now.

It’s a long time to wait, if you are a new Christian in a new faith community, wondering if your loved ones who have died will be assured eternal life – or if their earthly death meant they were now excluded.
This is the community that Paul is writing to – the oldest letter in the New Testament, the letter to the Thessalonians was actually written about 30 years before Matthew’s Gospel was put onto papyrus.
These folks were scared, confused, trying to be faithful – and thus Paul assures them with the message of hope that God’s power extends beyond time and place, and beyond the grave.

And he invites them to encourage one another with these words of hope.

This is not unlike Joshua, in this final speech of his accounting, where he encourages the people of his community to trust in God, and renew their covenant, and commit to the teaching of God’s gracious deeds.
They have the opportunity to serve idols, but Joshua is clear where his loyalty and attention lies: “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

In Shechem to the ancient tribes; in Thessalonika to a fledgling church; the people are being invited to remain spiritually prepared, for they do not know the hour or the day.
And on the Mount of Olives to his disciples; or to the church listening this morning in Saskatoon: the people are invited to be prepared for the coming of our God.

And so: we prepare.
We prepare for the Lord’s Coming, and we prepare for the delay!

We prepare by renewing our own trust in God;
in committing ourselves to focus on the goodness of God.
We prepare ourselves in prayer and study, in praise and worship.
And we share these preparations: being brave enough to invite others to join with us. Being confident enough in our faith to share the Good News.

We are informed by our past, and by those who have paved the way that brough us here.
We are rooted in the present, being mindfully awake and aware of God’s goodness in our midst.
We are focused on what excitement the future holds, alert to the possibilities of tomorrow.

For we, as children of God, are like the bridesmaids: rested, peaceful, awaiting Christ as host.
We, as the church, are like the bride awaiting her groom: eagerly, confidently, with joy-filled anticipation.
We, as the faithful, are the ones who proclaim the goodness of God,
the ones who speak of the hope;
the ones who carry the light into a world desperate for good news.

May we always be ready to serve;
at every day and hour; honouring and celebrating our God.