Matthew 25,1-13. Eternity Sunday

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Matthew 25,1-13               5719

Ewigkeitssonntag; Letzter Sonntag des Kirchenjahres (27. Trinitatis 073)

Chrysogonus, Martyr 303

24. November 2019 

1. O Lord, absolve Your people from their offenses, so that from the bonds of our sins which by reason of our frailty we have brought upon ourselves, we may be delivered by Your bountiful goodness.  Amen. (27. Trinity even year Collect) 

2. »Jesus said: „Then the reign of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵Now because the bridegroom kept on delaying, they all grew drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a cry: ‘Behold the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!’ ⁷Then all those bridesmaids rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said to the wise: ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise answered, saying: ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you , go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward the other bridesmaids arrived also, saying: ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²But he answered: ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“« 

3. The Last Sunday in the Church Year has arrived with its theme of eternity. From Genesis to Revelation the advent of God’s salvation winds its way through the ages and pages of the Holy Scriptures. On Eternity Sunday those Scriptures have come full circle. The Prophet Isaiah proclaims that God will create new heavens and a new earth where the wolf and lamb will lay together (Isaiah 65,17.25). The Apostle John also speaks about a new heaven and a new earth in his revelation; he tells us that God will make all things new where death, mourning, crying and pain will be no more (Revelation 21,1.4).   

4. Jesus’ parable in today’s Gospel pericope addresses this theme of eternity from a different perspective than Isaiah and John. Jesus exhorts us to be ready for His 2. Advent. We have been waiting for His return for nearly 2000 years; and this should be no surprise to us for He told us this in this morning’s parable. In this parable, Jesus is the bridegroom and Christians are the bridesmaids, and thus the parable tells us: now because Jesus kept on delaying, we all grow drowsy and sleep.  

5. Christ exhorts 2 things from us in this parable: 1. Watch, and 2. Be ready. There prevails throughout the Church a view in which the expectation of the consummation of the age of Christ’s final victory over death and every enemy has all but disappeared under the onslaught of rampant individualism in which what really matters is „my own personal faith“ and „whether I’ll be in heaven when I die“ (Gibbs). The cares of this world press upon us and take up much of our thoughts and time. We have responsibilities to family and work that demand our attention. Our thoughts of Christ’s return probably do not register in our hearts on a daily basis. The last 3 Sundays in the Church Year are important because they re-focus our attention on the return of Jesus. We gather and pause to meditate upon the joy of the 2. advent and how wonderful it will be. We alert ourselves and renew our waitful watch for His return. We must also be ready, for it is not enough to wait and watch. When the 5 bridesmaids were awoken from their slumber they immediately lighted their lamps and joined in the bridal procession because they had prepared: they anticipated a delay and had brought enough oil to last the parade.  

6. You already have the first thing needed to be ready: you believe in Jesus. The Apostle Paul tells us: »The righteous shall live by faith« (Romans 1,17). This faith needs to be nurtured because the cares of this world and its trials can cause a faithful Christian to wither or grow cold. As last week’s lectionary reading reminds us: The Devil tried his best to cause Job to lose hope in God and thus abandon his faith. The Devil seeks to do the same to us. So we nurture our faith by being faithful in church attendance where we hear the Scriptures explained, sing hymns and praise of God. Such attendance among the fellowship of believers rejuvenates us for the week ahead, and receiving the Lord’s Supper continually assures us that Christ has forgiven us. We further nurture our faith by setting aside time throughout the week to read the Bible, let the Holy Spirit strengthen us through those inspired words and then lift up to God our concerns with prayer. 

7. This fallen world of ours enjoys ridiculing Christians and our faith in Christ. Those who scoff at our Christian faith mock us, asking: „Where is the return of Jesus? Why is he delaying? Surely he’s not returning!“ The Apostle Peter responds to such mockery, writing: »Beloved, do not overlook this one fact: with the Lord 1 day is as 1000 years, and 1000 years is as 1 day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some regard slowness, but He is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance« (2. Peter 3,8-9). »If you are insulted for the Name of Christ, then you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rest upon you. If anyone suffers as a Christian, then do not be ashamed but glorify God in the Name of Christ« (1. Peter 4,14.16). 

  8. We are waiting for Christ to fulfill His promise to return for us, and when He does return we will receive the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells. Let us watch and wait for Christ’s 2. advent in preparedness to honor Him when He returns in glory. We prepare by repenting of our sins, by perseverance and courage strengthened through the Scriptures, by a willingness to suffer for the Name of Christ (Gibbs 1323). Our time together on Sundays worshipping Christ, hearing His Word and receiving the Lord’s Supper all prepare us to welcome Jesus with glory and honor. 

9. Let all who love the Lord be blessed. »Μαρανα θα; our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.  Amen. (1. Corinthians 16,22-23). 

10. Let us pray. O Lord, the Path of eternal life; send forth Your holy angels to guard over us and strengthen us to remain vigilant and prepared for Your 2. advent, so that we may rejoice at Your long expected arrival and our fellowship with You for all eternity.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand. 

Gibbs, Jeffrey. „Matthew 24,37-44“. Concordia Journal. https://www.issuesetcarchive.org/articles/bissart8.htm 

Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 21:1 – 28:20. Copyright 2018 Concordia Publishing House.