The Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

The Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Pentecost 

Matthew 25:1-13 

 

How many of you have been through a hurricane in Savannah? The earliest memory I have of a hurricane is 1979, Hurricane David. Previously a category 5 hurricane, it made landfall just south of Savannah as a minimal hurricane. Then, ten years later, came the hurricane that I was most afraid of hitting Savannah – Hurricane Hugo. The Weather Channel told us it would make landfall in Savannah. This was going to be a big one. But, the hurricane changed course, Savannah was spared, and as a category 4 storm, Hugo made landfall just north of Charleston, SC. It was devastating to the area. For both of these hurricanes, a lot of preparations took place.  

I remember when Kurt and I first got married, as soon as there was a hurricane warning, we’d run to the store and stock up on gallons of water, cans of Dinty More stew, and batteries for our flashlights. The storms always seemed to spare us. The gallons of water sat in the bottom of the pantry, waiting to be used. The Dinty More stew sat on the shelf waiting to be eaten while on the next camping trip.  

Today, Kurt and I sit in the living room, watching the weather on TV. We hear there’s a storm coming and we open the door to our pantry to see what’s on the shelves. We look at one another and both think at the same time, “We’re good.”  

The parable in today’s Gospel reminds me of our lack of preparation. Except that this parable is about a wedding reception and not a storm. During this time, weddings were huge events. They were one of the greatest festivities. The party went on for a week. What would happen is that the groom would go from his house to the house of the bride, where the ceremony would take place. The bridesmaids would stand outside and watch for the groom to come. They would meet him and join in the procession to the bride’s home for the wedding. But the exact time the groom would arrive was not known. The bridesmaids did not know how long they would have to wait for the groom to arrive. As he would get closer, someone from his party would go ahead of the group and hail the bridesmaids so they would know he was coming.  

In Jesus’s story, there are 10 bridesmaids, and all are prepared for the waiting they must do. All have brought oil lamps, in case the groom comes at night. If he comes at night, they will need to see where they are going. But of the 10, only five brought extra oil. Only five entertained the thought that it may take a while for the groom to get there, and that they may need more oil. In the end, it was the wise bridesmaids, those who had extra oil, who made it to the wedding…to the great celebration. The other five did not have enough oil to make it to the wedding.   

I have to be honest with you, as I read and studied this scripture this week, I had more questions than answers. I did a lot of dwelling on the 5 wise women. I was dwelling on the “what if’s” much more than I should have.  

What if the women had given some of their oil to the other women? Then, would any of them had enough to make it to the feast?  

What if the groom had come during the day, instead of at midnight, when the shops would have been open? Then the foolish women could have purchased more oil. Or, it would have been light enough that they didn’t even need their oil lamps.  

What if the groom came a day later? Would the wise women have had enough oil?  

I had a lot of questions.  

None of the women had really done anything wrong, had they? All of them slept during the night. That’s a natural thing to do. All of them brought a lamp of oil…to be prepared for the journey to the celebration. They were all as prepared as each thought they should be.  

When Kurt and I hear of a coming hurricane, we don’t sit idly. We check the pantry. It’s not bare. We make sure our one gas can is filled for the generator. We have enough to last a few days. But Chatham Emergency Management says we should have a “stay-at-home” kit with enough supplies to last two weeks. It’s a massive list of recommended supplies – soap, toilet paper, toothbrush, medical records, aspirin, scissors, trash bags, first aid kit, batteries, pet supplies – and the list goes on and on. They also say we should have an “evacuation kit” that should last three to five days. But Kurt and I have prepared so many times in the past. We’ve waited for what seems like an eternity, for the storm to come, and it always seems to skirt by us. We’ve become complacent. Are we really ready if a hurricane were to come through Savannah?  

And what if it did? What if a hurricane came through and we lost power or we couldn’t get to any stores? What if it did and Kurt and I had two pieces of bread because we had somewhat prepared, and my neighbor had none? Would we be willing to split the bread with them? I don’t know.  

What does this passage say about us spiritually?  

We are waiting in anticipation for the return of our Savior. But are we ready? Are we really ready? Do we continue to prepare, or do we sit idly? What does it mean to be ready? The bridegroom said to the five foolish women, “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”    

Jesus is telling us how important it is to be prepared and to be alert.  

Has there been a time in your life when you have felt you have walked upon a closed door, spiritually? In what areas of your life do you feel the need to be more prepared and vigilant spiritually? How can this story inspire a deeper commitment and personal growth in spiritual preparedness?  

What does that mean for us?  

As I continued to dwell on those earlier “what if” questions – what if the groom had come a day later or what if the women had shared their oil, I realized that this is not what this story is about. It’s the last line of this passage that we need to focus on. “Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”    

This story is not about having the right amount of faith. It’s about practicing our faith every day. It’s not about just going through the motions. It’s not about being forgiven of your sins on Sunday morning. It’s about leaving here on Sunday morning rejoicing that you’ve been forgiven of your sins. It’s not about coming to this table and receiving communion. It’s about coming to the table and acknowledging the precious gift you have received in the body and blood of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It’s about carrying a lamp, over-flowing with oil, every single day. It’s about living a life of joy because we know of the coming celebration.  

In a storm, we prepare for the worst. But when it comes to God’s kingdom, we are preparing for the best. Keep your lamps lit and keep your fire of faith in Jesus Christ and the hope of the everlasting kingdom.  

Amen.