TIME IS RUNNING OUT. I’M COMING.
ARE YOU READY?
Wisdom 6: 12-16; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; Matthew 25: 1-13
I have some news for you - For some of you, it won’t be news at all, but for others it will be eye-opening and just might change your after-mass plans. Thanksgiving is in 10 days, 16 hours, 08 minutes and 07 seconds! There’s an app for that. Are you ready? Have you ordered your turkey from Ashley’s Market or qualified for a free turkey, turkey breast, ham or party-size Stouffer’s Lasagna at ShopRite yet? Or have you made a reservation at a restaurant? Time is running out! The relatives are coming! Are you ready?
I have some more news for you – Some of you will be delighted by the news (especially if you’re under ten years of age), others will be depressed. Christmas is in 42 days, 16 hours, 7 minutes and 33 seconds! There’s an app for that. Are you ready? Have you made out your Christmas list, begun your shopping, started watching the Holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel or listened to Christmas music on Sirius Radio yet? Time is running out! Santa is coming! Are you ready?
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives us similar news: Time is running out! HE is coming! Are you ready?
I have to tell you that when I read today’s Gospel last week as I began preparing my homily, I got a little depressed as it occurred to me that I think Jesus had a better social life than mine. I don’t know why that should surprise me . . . EVERYONE has a better social life than me! But did you ever notice how many times in the Gospels Jesus is either at a party or talking about one? And that’s true about today’s Gospel, Jesus talks about a wedding. He tells us about waiting for the bridegroom to arrive so that the wedding feast could begin. In the male dominated society of Jesus’ time, it was the groom who was the center of attention. These days it’s the bride. Everyone waits for her arrival. Even if she’s late, sometimes really late, everyone is gracious and waits patiently because today she is the bride. When she arrives, every movement of the bride is photographed. Everyone stands when she enters the church. Everyone stares at her beautiful dress. The groom is just the guy sweating next to the priest or deacon. He’s the lucky one who has won the love of the beautiful woman walking down the aisle.
But in Jesus’ day, it was the groom for whom everyone waited with bated breath. It seems that often the bridegroom was delayed because he negotiated with the bride’s family about a gift to give to them in return for their daughter. Often, the negotiations would be delayed by the bride’s parents as a way of communicating that they thought their daughter was worth much more than what the groom had offered by his initial gift.
In Jesus’ parable, the bridesmaids are waiting through such a delay. But even though the groom was delayed, they were to be ready for his arrival and escort him into the wedding feast. Five of them, however, were not ready. They hadn’t prepared themselves for his delay. They fell asleep. And when the groom arrived they had to rush off to the merchants to buy more oil. The problem was that when they returned and sought entrance to the feast, they were considered no different than other uninvited wedding crashers. The feast had begun and the doors were locked. It was too late.
So . . . in this story, steeped in Jewish tradition and history, what’s there for us to learn? Three things:
First, Jesus, the bridegroom, is coming. This story, along with the rest of Scripture, leaves us in no doubt that Jesus is coming again. We don’t know precisely when he will come again but he is definitely returning. This may not be the most popular idea in our material and pleasure-centered culture, but like it or not, that’s the fact of the matter.
Second, it’s clear that Jesus’ return has been delayed. It might seem like a long time between his first and second coming but in God's eyes 2 or 3 thousand years are nothing. The Bible, as well as some of the saints and mystics of our Church, tell us that without a doubt we are now living in the last times before Jesus will come again.
Third, this parable of Jesus is all about waiting, being ready. Jesus is telling us that God has graciously given us this time of waiting. Why?
- Jesus is delaying so that everyone who has never heard of his dying and rising to life will be given a chance to know their Savior.
- He’s delaying to give all those who have heard but have rejected what he’s offering or have left taking him seriously until another day, another chance to get ready.
- He’s delaying so that no one can have the excuse that they didn’t have time to get ready for his return.
- He’s delaying his return to give the church, you and me, time to give every person in our family, in our community, in our place of employment a chance to hear about Jesus and to respond to the Good News.
St. Paul expresses something of the urgency in all this when he says in his letter to the Romans, "It is time to wake up. You know that the day when we will be saved is nearer now than when we first put our faith in the Lord. Night is almost over, and day will soon appear" (Romans 13:11-12). And in his second letter to the Corinthians he says, "This is the hour to receive God's favor; today is the day to be saved!" (2 Cor. 6:2).
Be ready, Jesus is saying. How?
- By taking his teachings seriously.
- By honoring God above all other things.
- By seeking Jesus' forgiveness.
- By getting to know God and his plan for our lives through reading and studying the Bible, and through diligent prayer.
- By helping and caring for those who need comfort, help and support.
Or to use the imagery of the parable – keeping our lamps lit and ready, waiting for the inevitable coming of the bridegroom. There will come the day when Jesus will return. The dead will rise and enter eternal glory. The door will be shut. Then it will be too late. Those who are not ready will be left outside. Then the dreadful sentence will ring in our ears, "I do not know you." He doesn’t say, "I do not love you." "I haven't called you." "I do not draw you to myself." He only says: "I do not know you - because you never bothered to know me."
This is a hard hitting parable because it’s a parable of judgement; it strikes at the core of our half-heartedness and lukewarmness. It hits hard at how uncommitted we are to Jesus and his Church. It strikes out at all those good intentions we have but never get around to fulfilling them. Good intentions like –
- One day I’ll follow the teachings of Jesus and the Church. But right now I just want to have fun.
- I’m just too busy to go to church. Sunday is my one day to sleep. Maybe when things slowdown in my life.
- Someday I’ll get around to setting a time aside to spend with God in prayer. I just don't have the time now.
- When I retire, I hope to devote more time to church activities.
Being prepared isn’t just for bridesmaids and boy scouts. It’s for all of us. We’re called to live today as if Christ is coming tomorrow. The words of Jesus in this parable shout at us saying that leaving everything to one day in the future may be just too late. "Watch out because you do not know when I will return."
Time is running out! Are you ready? Jesus is coming! When? . . . There’s no app for that.
