TEXT: Matthew 25:1-13
Every time I read this parable of the ten bridesmaids, I get mad. And often when I read the interpretations of this parable by imminent scholars, I get madder still. The sometimes pious finger-wagging that sometimes accompanies this parable has been used to hurt others, to label others, to show that God's Commonwealth is, in the view of some, exclusive, and the parable as it is sometimes interpreted seems to suggest that we, too, should be pious and good in a self-righteous kind of way.
When I read this parable, I say to myself, I'd sooner be on the outside with those so-called foolish bridesmaids. If the doors are going to be locked, I think I'd sooner stand with those who aren't inside, but outside knocking.
And when I calm down, I realize again that this parable may be Matthew's recollection of a story that Jesus told, and he embellishes it a bit with some notes of judgement. This is in keeping for Matthew later tells the story of the sheep and the goats, which may, in turn, be a result of the fact that Matthew the gospel-writer experienced persecution for his beliefs in Jesus as the Messiah. Matthew, wanting to get even with his persecutors perhaps, embellishes a story of Jesus that points to our need to be prepared in general, but that shifts the emphasis to those who are locked out.
What leads me to this conclusion that Matthew has embellished a parable of Jesus, is that early in Matthew's gospel we hear the beatitudes, "Blessed are the poor, blessed are the peacemakers, blessed are the persecuted" and so on. In the Sermon on the Mount we hear a prescription for living life, loving our enemies, living by the golden rule, sharing our talents and gifts as fully as we are able. And in another parable of Jesus about weddings, we hear how Jesus tells the wedding attendants to go out to the byways and highways and bring everyone in; "everyone is welcome to this wedding feast," said Jesus. I have to confess, though, this parable in Matthew's gospel is again an exclusive telling of the story with the emphasis on judgement. When Luke tells the parable, the emphasis is on welcome, especially to those who were outcasts in society. I confess, too, that my bias is showing, but this is the Jesus I choose to follow, the one who welcomes and embraces, the Jesus who gives life and hope.
But then, maybe Matthew has served his purpose in retelling the parable, for here I am provoked by the parable to think about what I believe—the general purpose of parables. I believe in a Jesus who embodied love and openness and hope and who embraced all people, indeed all of life. I believe in a Jesus who leads us more fully to embrace our humanity so that we can discover the Godness within each of us. I believe in a Jesus who lived according to the Jubilee tradition of God's preferential option for the poor and suffering. I believe in a Jesus who embodied God's love in a way that pushes us to seek justice with love in our world and healing for all!
We all must forge our way in thinking about who Jesus is for us, who God is for us and how we will live our lives; how will I embody the love of God as I live the Way of Jesus? This is true for our confirmands this morning, but no less true for all of us no matter at what stage of life we might find ourselves. One of the gifts of the Church, is that we are encouraged to live a spiritual journey with the idea that it is OK to ask questions, to seek community with others, to not have everything figured out, to live with our imperfections and our mistakes because we are NOT defined by them, to come back to hope again and again. I think every parent in every generation since time began has probably worried about future generations. It may not be true that we have to worry, but I join that company of worriers. The world is becoming even more crowded—we just passed the 7 billion mark. We are in the throes of difficult economic times; our environment is in tough shape. I'm not happy with the way we, of my generation, have left the world. But, as I said, this has been a common shared concern as we pass the torch to our children and children's children.
Let me say that I have faith in you because I believe in the power of love. I believe in the power of God-with-us, whom we call Emmanuel—we are not alone! I have faith in all of us together finding a way to keep the flame alive. Like the Peter, Paul and Mary song, "don't let the light go out," as long as there are people who choose to live by a deeper set of values that are about love and hope, who choose to gather with others to keep the flame of justice alive, who put their lives on the line sometimes to make sure that this story in which we believe, a story of love, radical acceptance, justice and hope is carried with excitement and intentionality into the world. The world is not a hostile place; I do believe that at its deepest levels, it is a place of love and joy, but stuff happens and bad things occur and we need to make sense of those things and do our best to share love and peace, and to help the world realize the love and peace that lies at the heart of all life.
Well, I have offered my manifesto of sorts. Yours you need to discover and live out, but I have faith in youÑin all of us together. Live your life fully, lovingly and with justice and peace. And, as my friend has in a prominent place in his bathroom of all places, "dance like no one's watching and sing like no one's listening," for through our sharing of our lives, the world lives more abundantly and the Christ-light burns more brightly.
Amen.
