Scripture
Sermon
Have you ever been just off? Just a little late?
Maybe you were joking back and forth with a friend, were playfully insulted, and then no comeback comes to mind. Its only a minute later, when the moment has passed, that the perfect thing pops into your mind.
Or perhaps you find yourself attracted to someone across the room at a party. You sit and try to work the nerve up to approach them, figure out the right thing to say, and finally decide you are going to risk being foolish and open yourself up to a stranger. In the moment you make to walk over, they get up and leave with their friends. The moment has passed- your opportunity missed.
On the other side, have you ever been in the right place at just the right time? A friend is in crisis, and you happen to pop in just when they needed you? Or perhaps a child was about to run into the street in front of a car and you grab a hold of them just before they are about to be hit.
In all these scenarios, the difference between experiencing utter joy and utter misery, the difference between a life changing experience and just another humdrum day, is mere seconds. I know that in life, sometimes I am prepared to respond at a seconds notice when a situation occurs, but all too often I am oblivious until it is too late. The difference? I am only ready to respond when my heart and mind are fully engaged in the moment. Or, to put it in terms of the our second baptismal vows, I’m only ready when I’m actually present.
Now, of all the baptismal vows, of prayer, presence, gift and service, surely this seems like the easiest. I mean, the other three require you to do something, whereas this one just asks- are you there?
The parable Jesus tells today reveals the true complexity of being present. All 10 of the bridesmaids were waiting for the groom to arrive. Apparently, they were waiting so long that day turned into night and the groom had not yet arrived. The story tells us that 5 of the women were prepared for that delay but 5 were not. And who can blame them? Who expects the groom to be late to his own wedding? But, when suddenly, unexpectedly the groom arrives in the middle of the night, it is only those who have the presence of mind to be ready that get to enjoy the festivities of the wedding banquet. The others can only morn another opportunity lost.
We are told in the parable that this is what the kingdom of heaven is like. In a way, this can seem harsh and scary. If this is about the eternal fate of our souls, are we really all prepared for that moment to come? But I think, at times, that Matthew’s choice of language might obscure the point here. You see, Matthew uses the phrase “kingdom of heaven” a lot in scripture- 31 times in his Gospel in fact. This is a phrase, at least in the NRSV or NIV translations, that is unique to Matthew. This is because Matthew has a particular quirk in his writing style- he follows the Jewish practice of not using the Lord’s name so as not to take it in vain. Thus, instead of saying Kingdom of God, he instead called it kingdom of heaven. 2,000 years later, we miss this nuance because we tend to use the word heaven to refer to a place of reward in the afterlife.
If you consider that Matthew is referring to the here and now instead of some unknown future time, I think this parable takes on a whole new dimension. Rather than a pop quiz designed to separate out the good from the bad- rewarding one and damning the other, the text actually becomes a key revealing how we can experience the kingdom of God. What separated out the 5 wise bridesmaid from the 5 foolish ones? They were prepared for the moment?
How can we be prepared to be present for someone? First, we have to learn to look beyond ourselves. I am incredibly guilty at times of thinking the whole world revolves around me. When a friend has a crisis at a bad time, I can at times coldly bemoan the timing of the crisis and its impact on me rather than focus on the person going through the crisis. Thus, I become less present for that person, and I become a barrier, rather than a gateway, to the kingdom of God entering into that moment.
How can we move beyond ourselves? One of the ways I’ve found is right here at the communion table. I haven’t always appreciated communion in the past. It seemed ritualized and ordinary. It was only after I started seminary that I realized that this is the one regular moment when we all come together to experience God’s presence. Too often, I as the pastor end up being the central point. At communion, it is God’s presence, represented by the juice and bread, that is to take over our senses.
At times in our history, we Christians have missed the point. Rather then being present at the table, and celebrating God’s presence there, we have fought over the specific nature of that presence. Is Jesus really there, in body, or in spirit? Or is it in memory? Its not that these questions aren’t important, but when the debate distracts from the presence of Jesus in our midst, we are like foolish bridesmaids who miss the opportunity to experience the kingdom.
In a moment, I’ll be privileged to invite Rev. Bob Springer, a retired Lutheran pastor to lead us in communion. I’ve grown to know Bob and appreciate his willingness to come do this. A key aspect of Bob’s work in ministry has been working to overcome those things that divide us at the communion table and prevent us from fully experiencing God. And, as a pastor, I’m especially privileged to have the opportunity to just come to the table this morning worried about nothing more then experiencing the love of God.
Whether its communion, or church, or just life, the kingdom of heaven is waiting to burst forth into your life today. And the kingdom of heaven is waiting for you to be the one to open up the kingdom of heaven to others. If you are distracted, you may miss the opportunity to create a piece of the kingdom of God right here and now. But if you are present, you’ll experience the joy that is the kingdom of God right here in your midst.
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