Let It Shine
Sermon
The Home Stretch
Matthew's Vision Of Servanthood In The End-Time
Jesus told a story about ten bridesmaids whose job it was to bring wedding torches to shine for the arrival of the bridegroom. Five of them ran out of fuel. Let's imagine the story from the perspective of one of the foolish bridesmaids who didn't have enough fuel for her torch. Her story might go something like this:
Anna's Story, Part 1
"My name is Anna, one of the five 'foolish' bridesmaids. Right off the bat, I'd like to clear up one thing: we did bring some oil that night! We weren't foolish enough to bring our torches without any oil at all, because our lights were burning for a while. But we didn't bring an emergency supply, and the wait for the groom was much longer than anyone expected. I mean, it was midnight before the wedding party arrived!
"When my friends asked me to be a bridesmaid in their wedding, I was so excited! I wanted to be the best bridesmaid ever! We had a year to get ready. I started right away planning an engagement party, giving a shower, making their present, and going on lots of shopping trips. I had so many lists, no one could say I didn't care about being prepared.
"In hindsight, I'd have to say I lost my focus over the year. I was trying so hard to be a good bridesmaid that I got too busy with too many things. The bottom line is this: the wedding night came, and my light went out. That was the most important thing I had to do, and I foolishly neglected it by not having extra oil along. The next day I checked my things--to--do list titled, 'The Big Day.' Extra oil was the only thing not crossed off.
"Ironically, I didn't even need the extra pair of shoes I put in my backpack for the torch dance. The torch dance is a special dance the bridesmaids do when the groom arrives, and I missed it all.1 By the time we got back from buying oil, we were even too late to get into the banquet. They didn't even recognize us as the bridesmaids, I guess because bridesmaids are supposed to be there early with their torches and not show up late begging to get in.
"Jesus told our story to illustrate how the kingdom of heaven might come later than we think, but we should be prepared. Faith is like our torches, and we need to be sure we have plenty of fuel to keep the light burning even if it's a very long wait. As time went on, I got sidetracked. I was so busy trying to be the best bridesmaid around, that I messed up on the basic job of tending my torch. Jesus sure made his point by telling our story."
Anna's Story, Part 2
"Lots of people are like us five foolish bridesmaids. The funny thing is, we each made different foolish mistakes, that let our lights go out.
"As I said, my light went out because I got sidetracked. It's easy to get 'faith sidetracked' by doing all kinds of religious stuff thinking we can impress God and be the best Christian around, but forgetting to 'keep the main thing the main thing.'
"Another bridesmaid, my friend Deborah, ran out of money. She got her nails done and her hair highlighted and even bought a fancy little purse that matched our dresses - things that really didn't matter. She didn't have anything left to buy oil, so her light went out, too. Some people spend their lives on things that don't matter, but don't invest anything in keeping their faith light going.
"And Lois just ran out of time. She'd been meaning to pick up extra oil, but never got around to it. Her intentions were good, but that didn't keep her light going. I know some people do the same with faith, figuring they'll worry about God and religion later. That's what my dad thought, except he ran out of time and died of a heart attack.
"Then there's Rhoda. She was never a Girl Scout because she hates that motto: 'Be Prepared.' She'd rather take risks than play it safe, which is why she decided not to bring extra oil. But her light went out, just like the rest of ours. Some people think faith is a crutch for weaklings who can't stand on their own in this risky world. They get more and more self--confident and start thinking nothing will ever happen to them.
"Poor Martha put some extra oil in a bottle on the shelf months before the wedding and then, because that little detail was taken care of, she forgot about it. Then, of course, she didn't have it when her oil ran low, and her light went out. Some people think they just have to do a few things to put faith 'in order,' like they're taking out an insurance policy for heaven. Then they set it aside and forget about it.
"In the end, what matters is whether our 'faith light' is shining for the Lord and showing the way for others. With each of us, it didn't. Our lights went out.
"They tell me the torch dance that night was dim and disappointing, since only half of the bridesmaids were there to dance with their lights. At the wedding banquet, our five places at the head table were empty, like we'd died or something. My friends, the bride and groom, were sad about how things turned out. So were we."
"Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
These are five fictitious stories based on Jesus' parable. They illustrate just some of the ways people can end up without enough fuel to keep their faith lights burning. So the question is, "How's your light doing?"
The question is an important one. There is an undeniably ominous ending to Jesus' parable: the five foolish bridesmaids are gone to get oil when the festivities begin, and consequently are excluded from the wedding feast. But this story is not about just making it through the door of the heavenly banquet. It is an invitation to the torch dance of life that leads to fulfillment in the wedding feast to come.
We do not have to create our own flame of faith, like cold campers rubbing stones together to ignite a small spark. It has been given to us.
The torch of faith is passed on to us in baptism. As God lights the faith fire, the church lights a baptism candle and symbolically hands it off to us with the words, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). This directive to let our lights shine, placed early in Matthew's Gospel, helps set the context for the failure of the five bridesmaids to keep their lights burning.
Our job is to tend the faith flame and keep it burning. Pray. Read your Bible. Be part of a worshiping Christian community. These are fuel for the fire.
Jesus' story makes it clear that being included in God's kingdom can't happen on someone else's preparations. The five unprepared bridesmaids couldn't borrow oil from the five who were prepared with enough oil. Neither can we live off someone else's flame. The five unprepared bridesmaids had to go buy oil because they needed to have their torches burning. We have to participate with our own flame - tending it, fueling it and, of course, shining it.
But what happens to the enthusiasm of the children singing with all their hearts, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"? And what happens to our enthusiasm for the gospel as we plod along in life? And what of the long wait when, in our weariness, we cry with the psalmist, "How long, O Lord? How long?"
Jesus' parable sparks our imaginations again. Imagine the brightness! Imagine the excitement when finally the long--awaited news comes, " 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' " (Matthew 25:6). Imagine the joy of the torch dance, the feasting at the wedding banquet!
Our mission in the world with each of our lamps is simple but vital: "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
Shining Together
The light of each individual is crucial. But when combined with the lights of others, they shine much more powerfully.
Many years ago, there was a small village that had no church. Except for one wealthy landowner, most of the people in this village were poor and struggling. The wealthy man came to the village council with a proposal: He would like to build a church for the village. He would personally fund the whole project. The only condition he placed on them was this: He must be completely in charge of the project, down to every little detail. They were somewhat reluctant to have no say at all in the project, but they could hardly turn down such a generous offer. They agreed to his proposal and his conditions.
The villagers watched with curiosity as construction began. They were amazed at the size of the foundation, impressed with the fine quality materials being used, and generally very excited. And there were some who were frustrated about being left out of the decisions. He must need their input about something. They were sure he'd forget something vital.
Finally the construction was done, and the day came for the villagers to step inside their church. They were in awe. It was truly magnificent! A few, of course, were sure they'd discover something wrong somewhere, something forgotten. Finally someone discovered, "There are no lights in this whole place!" It was true; there were absolutely no lights mounted anywhere in the mammoth sanctuary.
The man just smiled and pointed up. There was a continuous row of pegs on the walls around the whole inside of the church. Each peg had the name of a villager engraved beneath it.
He passed out a lantern to each villager, from the month--old infant to the elderly. "When you come to worship, you must bring your lantern and place it on your peg. When you are here, all of our lives will be brighter. When you all come, the whole church will be brilliantly lit. But when you do not come, the church - and each of our lives - will be that much dimmer."
And so we fuel our lights and carry God's flame with us wherever we go. Anna and Deborah, Lois, Rhoda, and Martha, we need you! Each light matters.
Individually, our lights provide a unique brightness in the world as we wait for this joyful fulfillment of God's promises. Joined together as the church, our lights become stronger and brighter than we could ever be alone in this sin--darkened world.
The air is filled with excitement, not terror, when we are ready with our hearts and our lamps burning to see Jesus. We wait with anticipation for the promised announcement, "Here is the bridegroom! Come!"
May we be wise and watchful, faithful and focused, that the light of Christ we bear in the world may grow brighter and not dim as time waits for eternity.
____________
1. Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According To Matthew, trans. David E. Green (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975), pp. 465--466.
Anna's Story, Part 1
"My name is Anna, one of the five 'foolish' bridesmaids. Right off the bat, I'd like to clear up one thing: we did bring some oil that night! We weren't foolish enough to bring our torches without any oil at all, because our lights were burning for a while. But we didn't bring an emergency supply, and the wait for the groom was much longer than anyone expected. I mean, it was midnight before the wedding party arrived!
"When my friends asked me to be a bridesmaid in their wedding, I was so excited! I wanted to be the best bridesmaid ever! We had a year to get ready. I started right away planning an engagement party, giving a shower, making their present, and going on lots of shopping trips. I had so many lists, no one could say I didn't care about being prepared.
"In hindsight, I'd have to say I lost my focus over the year. I was trying so hard to be a good bridesmaid that I got too busy with too many things. The bottom line is this: the wedding night came, and my light went out. That was the most important thing I had to do, and I foolishly neglected it by not having extra oil along. The next day I checked my things--to--do list titled, 'The Big Day.' Extra oil was the only thing not crossed off.
"Ironically, I didn't even need the extra pair of shoes I put in my backpack for the torch dance. The torch dance is a special dance the bridesmaids do when the groom arrives, and I missed it all.1 By the time we got back from buying oil, we were even too late to get into the banquet. They didn't even recognize us as the bridesmaids, I guess because bridesmaids are supposed to be there early with their torches and not show up late begging to get in.
"Jesus told our story to illustrate how the kingdom of heaven might come later than we think, but we should be prepared. Faith is like our torches, and we need to be sure we have plenty of fuel to keep the light burning even if it's a very long wait. As time went on, I got sidetracked. I was so busy trying to be the best bridesmaid around, that I messed up on the basic job of tending my torch. Jesus sure made his point by telling our story."
Anna's Story, Part 2
"Lots of people are like us five foolish bridesmaids. The funny thing is, we each made different foolish mistakes, that let our lights go out.
"As I said, my light went out because I got sidetracked. It's easy to get 'faith sidetracked' by doing all kinds of religious stuff thinking we can impress God and be the best Christian around, but forgetting to 'keep the main thing the main thing.'
"Another bridesmaid, my friend Deborah, ran out of money. She got her nails done and her hair highlighted and even bought a fancy little purse that matched our dresses - things that really didn't matter. She didn't have anything left to buy oil, so her light went out, too. Some people spend their lives on things that don't matter, but don't invest anything in keeping their faith light going.
"And Lois just ran out of time. She'd been meaning to pick up extra oil, but never got around to it. Her intentions were good, but that didn't keep her light going. I know some people do the same with faith, figuring they'll worry about God and religion later. That's what my dad thought, except he ran out of time and died of a heart attack.
"Then there's Rhoda. She was never a Girl Scout because she hates that motto: 'Be Prepared.' She'd rather take risks than play it safe, which is why she decided not to bring extra oil. But her light went out, just like the rest of ours. Some people think faith is a crutch for weaklings who can't stand on their own in this risky world. They get more and more self--confident and start thinking nothing will ever happen to them.
"Poor Martha put some extra oil in a bottle on the shelf months before the wedding and then, because that little detail was taken care of, she forgot about it. Then, of course, she didn't have it when her oil ran low, and her light went out. Some people think they just have to do a few things to put faith 'in order,' like they're taking out an insurance policy for heaven. Then they set it aside and forget about it.
"In the end, what matters is whether our 'faith light' is shining for the Lord and showing the way for others. With each of us, it didn't. Our lights went out.
"They tell me the torch dance that night was dim and disappointing, since only half of the bridesmaids were there to dance with their lights. At the wedding banquet, our five places at the head table were empty, like we'd died or something. My friends, the bride and groom, were sad about how things turned out. So were we."
"Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"
These are five fictitious stories based on Jesus' parable. They illustrate just some of the ways people can end up without enough fuel to keep their faith lights burning. So the question is, "How's your light doing?"
The question is an important one. There is an undeniably ominous ending to Jesus' parable: the five foolish bridesmaids are gone to get oil when the festivities begin, and consequently are excluded from the wedding feast. But this story is not about just making it through the door of the heavenly banquet. It is an invitation to the torch dance of life that leads to fulfillment in the wedding feast to come.
We do not have to create our own flame of faith, like cold campers rubbing stones together to ignite a small spark. It has been given to us.
The torch of faith is passed on to us in baptism. As God lights the faith fire, the church lights a baptism candle and symbolically hands it off to us with the words, "Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). This directive to let our lights shine, placed early in Matthew's Gospel, helps set the context for the failure of the five bridesmaids to keep their lights burning.
Our job is to tend the faith flame and keep it burning. Pray. Read your Bible. Be part of a worshiping Christian community. These are fuel for the fire.
Jesus' story makes it clear that being included in God's kingdom can't happen on someone else's preparations. The five unprepared bridesmaids couldn't borrow oil from the five who were prepared with enough oil. Neither can we live off someone else's flame. The five unprepared bridesmaids had to go buy oil because they needed to have their torches burning. We have to participate with our own flame - tending it, fueling it and, of course, shining it.
But what happens to the enthusiasm of the children singing with all their hearts, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"? And what happens to our enthusiasm for the gospel as we plod along in life? And what of the long wait when, in our weariness, we cry with the psalmist, "How long, O Lord? How long?"
Jesus' parable sparks our imaginations again. Imagine the brightness! Imagine the excitement when finally the long--awaited news comes, " 'Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' " (Matthew 25:6). Imagine the joy of the torch dance, the feasting at the wedding banquet!
Our mission in the world with each of our lamps is simple but vital: "let it shine, let it shine, let it shine."
Shining Together
The light of each individual is crucial. But when combined with the lights of others, they shine much more powerfully.
Many years ago, there was a small village that had no church. Except for one wealthy landowner, most of the people in this village were poor and struggling. The wealthy man came to the village council with a proposal: He would like to build a church for the village. He would personally fund the whole project. The only condition he placed on them was this: He must be completely in charge of the project, down to every little detail. They were somewhat reluctant to have no say at all in the project, but they could hardly turn down such a generous offer. They agreed to his proposal and his conditions.
The villagers watched with curiosity as construction began. They were amazed at the size of the foundation, impressed with the fine quality materials being used, and generally very excited. And there were some who were frustrated about being left out of the decisions. He must need their input about something. They were sure he'd forget something vital.
Finally the construction was done, and the day came for the villagers to step inside their church. They were in awe. It was truly magnificent! A few, of course, were sure they'd discover something wrong somewhere, something forgotten. Finally someone discovered, "There are no lights in this whole place!" It was true; there were absolutely no lights mounted anywhere in the mammoth sanctuary.
The man just smiled and pointed up. There was a continuous row of pegs on the walls around the whole inside of the church. Each peg had the name of a villager engraved beneath it.
He passed out a lantern to each villager, from the month--old infant to the elderly. "When you come to worship, you must bring your lantern and place it on your peg. When you are here, all of our lives will be brighter. When you all come, the whole church will be brilliantly lit. But when you do not come, the church - and each of our lives - will be that much dimmer."
And so we fuel our lights and carry God's flame with us wherever we go. Anna and Deborah, Lois, Rhoda, and Martha, we need you! Each light matters.
Individually, our lights provide a unique brightness in the world as we wait for this joyful fulfillment of God's promises. Joined together as the church, our lights become stronger and brighter than we could ever be alone in this sin--darkened world.
The air is filled with excitement, not terror, when we are ready with our hearts and our lamps burning to see Jesus. We wait with anticipation for the promised announcement, "Here is the bridegroom! Come!"
May we be wise and watchful, faithful and focused, that the light of Christ we bear in the world may grow brighter and not dim as time waits for eternity.
____________
1. Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According To Matthew, trans. David E. Green (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1975), pp. 465--466.
