"Ready or Not!" a sermon for 12 November 2023
One of my favorite games as a child was hide-n-seek. I am sure you all know the game. Children around the world have played the game for generations. There was the thrill of finding the perfect hiding spot. The excitement of being the seeker and finding your friends. “Ready or not, here I come!”
This morning, Jesus is like the
seeker. Jesus calls out “Ready or not,
here I come!” Some context is helpful
here. We are in Holy Week in the
timeline of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry.
So Jesus is preparing His followers for what is to come. Especially for the time when He is not longer
physically with them.
Matthew chapter 25 contains 3
parables, three stories. Each teaching
tells us something about the end times.
Here it is important to remember that Jesus is not trying to scare us or
intimidate us. Jesus, rather, is aiming
to help us live life at its fullest. To
fully love God and to love our neighbor as our selves.
That is the purpose of being
prepared. When we are prepared, we can
be alert and ready. We are better
focused on what is important so that we do not miss out- as the second set of
bridesmaids do in Jesus’ story. Those
bridesmaids were not expecting the groom to be delayed. And, so, they miss out on the wedding feast.
Scholar Susan Hylen notes that this
concept of waiting is difficult for us.
We are people who want something, and we want it NOW. Not ten minutes from now, but NOW. Our Western culture, especially, is one of
instant gratification. Where you and I
can have things “our way,” as the old ad slogan goes.
Advent is just a few short weeks
away. Advent, with its emphasis on
preparation and expectant waiting, is probably the closest you and I get to
this hopeful, watchful vigil. On the one
hand, Advent calls us to prepare for the celebration of Jesus’ birth over 2,000
years ago. At the same time, Advent invites
us to prepare for Jesus to return.
Scholars call this the now and the
not yet. Yes, Jesus has come, bringing the Kin-dom of God with Him. However, God’s Kin-dom has not been fully
realized. You and still await the
fullness of “on earth as it is in Heaven.”
The parable of the bridesmaids reminds us that we live in the between
times.
How, then, are you and I to live in
that now and not yet time? The
bridesmaids remind us to always be alert, prepared, and ready. That is the only difference between the two
sets of women. The Groom could come at
any moment. The Groom could even be
delayed. Which brings us to the next 2
parables of Matthew 25.
In the parable of the talents, Jesus
urges His followers to be wise caretakers of all that has been entrusted to
them. We usually talk about the time,
talents, and treasures God has given to each of us. God expects us to use those gifts for the
Kin-dom. We are to use those gifts just
as freely as we received them.
The second parable of Matthew 25
really drives the point home. All of
God’s people are brought before Jesus at the final judgment. There the people are separated as sheep as
set apart from goats. The sheep are
rewarded because they used their time, talent, and treasure to help
others. Thereby building up the Kin-dom.
Each week we pray in the Lord’s Prayer
“thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” You and I are to be about building God’s
kingdom here in Broome County. You and I
are to be God’s hands and heart in this world.
Bringing the light of God’s love to a broken and hurting world.
We do this as we help feed our friends
each month through the Canteen ministry (Saturday Soup & Sandwiches).
You and I do this as we provide food
through St. Mark’s CHOW pantry.
We do this as we befriend the poor, the
homeless, and the bullied.
You and I do this as we come together in
our diversity to worship God.
We do this as we help a friend or
neighbor with fall clean up.
You and I do this as we visit the lonely
and as we help clothe the naked.
Such simple acts of kindness show that
we are alert and ready. That we are
prepared for the wedding feast. As we
love our neighbor as our selves, we are building the Kin-dom of God right here,
right now in Broome County.
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