Keep watch

Here is yesterday's sermon. I'm not particualarily happy with it because I think I didn't manage to tie in everything so that the sermon would be coherent. Also, it's always a problem if you have issues with the text and I do. I mention them but that doesn't take away the fact that the perspective offered in the other readings of the Sunday is lacking. The other readings talked about God's time and the fact that for Him a thousand years is like a day. But here she is with her flaws and all. Written with love and a desire to give food for thought and nutrition for the soul.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Keep watch

The theme for this Sunday is in the Lutheran Church of Finland “stay awake” or “stay alert”. This is basically the theme of all of the readings preceding First Advent which is now a Sunday away. The passage choices are preparing a way for the arrival of God’s Son, Emmanuel, God with us.

Today is also Father’s Day. At first glance I thought the theme of this Sunday and the fact that it was Father’s Day were going to make for a difficult equation. Bridegrooms of course do quite often end up as dads but you would be right to say that your pastor hasn’t quite gotten the point of the parable if I took that route. So, I won’t.

However, parenthood does have much to do with expecting and with staying alert. First there’s the period of hoping for a child, then there is the period of expecting the child and then after the baby is born, well, then there are both the challenges of truly staying awake but more importantly of staying alert, keeping an eye on your child or children so that they will be safe. That’s what all daddies and mommies do. That’s what all caretakers do. They keep watch.

Parables
Parables were the way Jesus taught his disciples. He knew that stories are what people remember easiest. The fact that this parable is in the Bible is proof of that. This particular parable has been interpreted to refer to the end of times, to the time when Jesus comes back. The last words “keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour” certainly speak for that interpretation. We are to keep watch so that when Jesus comes we will be ready.

Now, I don’t know about you but I have issues with the phrase “Jesus is coming, are you ready?” I’m quite sure the question whoever came up with it and with the idea of campaigning with it was meant as a loving reminder of the fact that we are called to live lives of expecting Jesus. At least I hope so. However, expecting with no end in sight is in itself challenging. And moreover the problem is of course that for many the question is not a gentle reminder but outright a threat. Something which I think must sadden God.

God's parenthood
This is where I want to turn the tables around a little. God is our Heavenly Father. For those who have bad experiences with their fathers or other males in their lives this particular expression is sometimes very difficult. Weather it helps to call God our Heavenly Parent I’m not quite sure. But that is of course what is meant.

Our New Testament is nearly 2000 years old and in the context of its time calling God our Heavenly Mother would have been quite extraordinary and Heavenly Parent probably would not have entered anyone’s mind.

The basic point is nonetheless that God is a parent. He has a Son; Our Lord, Jesus of Nazareth. It doesn’t end there, either, He is through and because of Jesus also our parent.

God, as our Father, parent, is keeping a watchful eye on us like every caretaker does. Like every caretaker He doesn’t do it to condemn us or to judge us but in order to protect us, guide us and teach us through His Holy Spirit. And sometimes parenting also means that God will intervene and show that we’re on the wrong path.

Breach of etiquette
Now then, back to the parable. This is not the only place where Jesus calls us to stay alert. And if you recall the last days of His life this story comes to life in the drowsy disciples waiting for Jesus in the Garden of Getsemane.

Now in this story the setting is that of a bridegroom’s procession which was a big deal in Jesus time. It was a great honor to be a part of it and it really did usually take part in the night hours. The bridegroom was usually also late and I don’t know about you but I didn’t know weather to laugh or cry when I found out why. The delays were common because the bride's relatives haggled over the value of presents given them telling the groom and his entourage just what a great bride he had chosen.

As a result all ten virgins should have anticipated a long wait. To not have enough light would have been embarrassing to the groom and would have been seen as ruining the whole procession. In other words, to not be prepared meant that you insulted the groom and the bride and all of their relatives as well; a breach of etiquette of the worst kind.

And, then, of course, here is where we come to the part that is difficult for many. As a result the foolish five were not let in because they had failed to do their part.

Brimstone

What I think we should take with us is this: faith needs to be nurtured. Faith, Christian Faith, is among other things also about love and trust. Love grows, trust grows and both are, because they are emotions, something that change. We can either nurture them or then we can do the opposite; that is, to take them for granted. With that latter choice we run the risk of loosing them and this is what I think Jesus is referring to.

But I don’t want to run from the difficult question of hell here either even if what I just said is more my understanding of what this parable is about.

Now, I love Jesus – it hasn’t always been like that, but today that is how it is. I love they way the taught. I love how He encountered people with compassion and at the same time authority. I love what He chose to do for all mankind. I love how human He was and most importantly because of Him we know for certain that God is love.

I even love that Jesus hated sin and evil so much that He got cross and used strong language to condemn its manifestations but in all honesty what I have a hard time with are the passages where there are brimstones, gnashing of teeth and fire and ultimately the threat of hell. Movie makers and other artists love these but, me, not so much.

The question of hell

Ultimately, though, no matter how you react to the passages about hell the basic thing about them is not that we should live our lives in fear of hell. The reason is this; if God is love and this is what Christianity and Jesus most strongly do claim and if perfect love will take away all fear which is what the Bible teaches us as well then fear of hell cannot be what Jesus wants for us.

Hell I guess exists in some way. Weather it means that we encounter it in our lives like we also encounter heaven or weather it means that it is, well, the trash can where everything impure and evil ends up, I don’t know. To say it doesn’t exist seems, however, impossible if you are to stay true to the Bible.

The main point is, though, that whatever hell is, it is not what we are called to obsess about (nothing is) and being afraid of it is not a part of our calling nor is it good for us.

God loves us and moreover He loves so much He sent is Son to die for us. In the creed we say that Jesus “descended to the dead” and “on the third day he rose again”. In my limited understanding not even hell can be the same again when Jesus’ light has burnt there. Therefore the hell Jesus talked about during His time on earth and the hell there possibly is are not necessarily the same thing, but this logic is not without its flaws so feel free to disagree with me, too.

Take watch because of love
Regardless, this is what I think is important: take watch not because of fear but because of love. Take watch because you want to live lives that will give pride and joy not only to God but to your loved ones. Take watch because ultimately our lives are most fulfilling when we are awake and lead lives filled with compassion, love and a desire to serve. So, take watch because of love.