Matthew 25:8-12

“But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ “ vs. 9

We have to look hard to find any kindness or grace in the parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids. The wise refuse to share their oil and the door to the wedding banquet is locked tight when the foolish finally arrive. Fortunately this is not a parable about life in the kingdom of God. Instead it reflects the world’s standards, and in the world we see again and again that when people make foolish decisions they will not be bailed out. They will simply have to bear the consequences of the choices that they have made. It’s one of the hard-nosed arguments that politicians use against the welfare system. And it’s true! Our lack of preparation in any number of areas will often mean that we will miss out on material benefits. The other truth used in this parable is that sometimes when we finally get wise, too much time has passed, and doors are locked against us. That’s one of the lessons that is taught in the school of hard knocks, an academy that is all too familiar to some of us. The good news is that life in Christ is not based on the truths that are used in this parable. As Paul put it, “God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom,” and in Christ the wise will share with the foolish and the door of the heavenly banquet is never locked.

Thought for the Day: Times when I’ve been foolish.

Matthew 25:1-8

“When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.” vss. 3-5

First century Christians believed that Jesus was going to return to earth and complete the work that he had begun. As the years went by and that didn’t happen, it was simply assumed that he had been delayed, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t eventually come. For that reason Matthew concluded the teaching portion of his gospel by recounting three parables of Jesus that dealt with his delayed return. In the first, ten bridesmaids have been charged with the task of welcoming the bridegroom with lighted lamps. Five had brought extra oil, five had not! As they waited both the wise and the foolish fell asleep–there was nothing to distinguish one group from the other. We know that scene! Generally it is not known whether we are wise or foolish–to the untrained eye all people look pretty much the same. It’s only when a crisis comes that our wisdom or foolishness is revealed. In that moment of need it becomes obvious that some have fuel reserves while others don’t. The result is panic and confusion for the foolish and calm acceptance for the wise. Blessed are those who have learned how to live prudently and who have accumulated spiritual treasure for themselves! They will be ready for anything!

Thought for the Day: Why is prudential living so difficult?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever.” vs. 17

Some people love the image that Paul chose to describe the great reunion of the living and the dead with the Lord. When taken literally these verses call to mind stories of the rapture that we’ve read about in popular novels about the end times. And if we allow our imagination free reign we have a wild vision of dead folks flying out of their graves and soaring into the sky along with all living believers snatched from their neighborhoods. As they rise through the clouds all these saints will meet the Lord coming down from heaven, and be joined with him forever. We don’t know where Paul got his information but it’s unlikely that he intended anyone to take his words literally. It’s just too bizarre! What he was trying to do was assure his readers that there was life beyond death, and that they didn’t need to worry about those who had died. They would be included in that new creation. We can’t blame Paul for his image or his choice of words. It’s hard for any of us to describe the life that is to come and all of our beloved images break down in the face of rigid literalism. But that’s okay! The truth is that there is life beyond death–and if it’s indescribably wonderful, all the better!

Thought for the Day: Why are people fascinated by end-time imagery?

1 Thessalonians 4:13-15

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.” vs. 13

Paul seems to have believed in the imminent return of Jesus, (it’s a common theme of his early letters), and that he would not die before that happened. But as the years passed, people in the congregations he had started began to die, and their loved ones wondered if they were going to miss out on new life with Christ. To reassure them Paul tells the Thessalonians that there is hope even for those who have died. Just as Jesus died and was raised, so they too will receive new life on the day of his return. Now, some 2000 years later, we’re still dealing with the problem of Christ’s delayed return. Some insist that it’s going to happen soon, but in spite of what our ancient creeds affirm, most believers aren’t really expecting it to occur, at least not in the way Paul imagined. But we’re still asking the same question as the believers in Thessalonica: what happens to our loved ones who die? And amazingly, Paul’s answer still applies, and it still brings comfort! We dare to affirm, with Paul, that just as Jesus died and was raised from the dead, so will all his brothers and sisters. In Christ, death is not the end, but a doorway to a new beginning.

Thought for the Day: What do I believe about the Second Coming? 

Psalm 70

“But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!” vs. 5

Sometimes we get tired of waiting for the Lord! It’s nice to say to ourselves and to others, “Oh, I have plenty of time, and God has given me the gift of patience, so it doesn’t matter when my deliverer shows up.” That’s a good attitude to have, since it seems we spend most of our lives waiting. But it’s not okay when we don’t have anywhere else to turn, and we’re frantic to get a response from our Shepherd. In those moments, uncertain and running out of options, we can’t help but imitate the psalmist. It’s awful to be in that situation. Sometimes all we can do is stand there and cry. Weeping and forlorn we pray for deliverance, often for our own needs, but many times too for a friend in a crisis. It’s interesting that the psalmist doesn’t give any encouragement. The psalm ends with his plaintive cry for help, and we’re left wondering if God came through for him in his moment of need. Often that’s how it is for us. Our desperate call for help turns out to be the end of the story. Even though people tell us that God will always come through, that’s not always true, and like Jesus on the cross, we feel alone and forsaken. We might not like this, but sometimes that’s just the way it is! 

Thought for the Day: What do I do when God doesn’t show up for me?

Amos 5:21-24

“Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” vss. 23-24

During Israel’s golden age, the time of its greatest prosperity, Amos came out of the wilderness of Judah with a message from the Lord. To put it bluntly, there was nothing that the people were doing that was pleasing. They were cheating the poor, indulging the rich, and their sacrifices were a stench in the nostrils of the Lord. And what passed for worship in their sanctuaries was a waste of time. No one in the heavenly places was listening! But there was a way to touch the heart of God, and Amos was concise! These are some of the most impressive words in all the Hebrew scriptures, “Let justice roll down like water, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” This verse sums up the teaching of every prophet of every age. This is the heart of the prophetic message, and a brilliant summation of Jesus’ message when he began his ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Even though the religious don’t much like to hear it, social justice is the very center of every congregation’s mission!

Thought for the Day: What justice issue is dear to my heart?

Amos 5:18-20

“Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord? It is darkness, not light; as if someone fled from a lion, and was met by a bear…” vss. 18-19a

When Amos came out of the south and into the prosperous north with a word from the Lord, he wasn’t going to a people who were unfamiliar with the traditions of Israel. There were religious leaders and active worship centers–these were people who were well-acquainted with rituals and sacrifice. Evidently some of them were looking forward to the day of the Lord and the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel. And Amos mocks them!  When that day comes, he tells them, it’s going to be a time of destruction worse than they could imagine. Hidden in Amos’ words we can catch a hint of what happens for those who have gotten smug and comfortable in their faith. It can even occur among us. If we believe the coming kingdom has any connection with our religiosity and empty traditions, we’re going to be sadly mistaken. We’re not talking hellfire and brimstone here, just the general emptiness that can grip the people of God when their religions become a charade, and they wander away from the plan and purposes of God. As Amos puts it so well, at those times our songs of praise become only repetitive noise to the Lord, and our well-phrased sermons like the drone of a well-traveled freeway. God is not impressed.

Thought for the Day: What’s the point of worship in my congregation?

Matthew 5:7-12

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 10

Jesus has already mentioned that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness sake will be blessed, but sometimes we forget just who those folks are. It’s the word righteousness that throws us off. We generally think of that in moralistic terms, but really these are the people who yearn for justice. They want the poor to be lifted up, they want an end to abuse and exploitation. They want the rich to stop taking advantage of the poor. We know who these people are. Some of us have applauded their efforts through the years. Others of us have considered them to be a nuisance. They’ve been called every name under the sun. Jesus knows that some of these disciples are going to be abused too, so he says “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.” They’ve got a special place in the kingdom. Working for social justice in our world is dangerous. People don’t mind it if we feed the hungry and clothe the naked, that’s charity, and that’s a good thing to do. But if we start marching or striking, or standing with victims, if we get involved in justice issues it starts getting controversial. We can get abused on social media, our families can be threatened, and we can lose a ton of friends. Jesus says, “Don’t worry, that’s what they did to the prophets. And it’ll be wonderful if they do it to you too!”

Thought for the Day: Why is working for social justice controversial?

Matthew 5:1-6

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” vs. 3

On this All Saints Sunday we’ll be remembering in a formal way all those we’ve been thinking about this week. Many of those loved departed ones will be mentioned during prayers–sometimes their names will be printed in the bulletin or appear on a screen. They are the saints of our hearts, and not necessarily of the stained glass variety. Of course some of them will have had deep and profound faith–but not all. The first people Jesus mentions in his beatitudes are the poor in spirit, and that opens the door for a whole variety of folks. We can’t be exactly sure what he meant by “poor in spirit,” but it could be he was thinking of those who have never been able to get their spiritual houses in order. We all know people like that–and maybe that’s how we’re feeling too. We see believers in our congregations and families who seemingly have it all together. Doubt is an infrequent visitor, and their trust is unshakable. That’s a wonderful thing, and such people really are an inspiration. But the truth is that a lot of us really struggle with issues of faith and many experience what can be called “spiritual poverty.” If Jesus called such persons blessed, well, that leaves hope for us all. Even the rascals among us have a place in the kingdom! Nobody gets left behind! 

Thought for the Day: What is spiritual poverty?

1 John 3:2-3

“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is.” vs. 2

John leaves room for mystery in our future. We don’t yet know what we one day will be, but what we do know is that right now, today, we are God’s beloved children. For most that will be enough. We have plenty to do in the present and it feels good to know that we have a loving and intimate God connection. With that knowledge we can deal with whatever comes our way in the course of daily living, even on the days when it seems like the garbage is piling up. As far as the future goes and we finally make our transition from the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant, John simply says that the God connection continues and we will become one with Christ. To put it another way, we will be as Christ is! Of course details are lacking, there’s no way with our limited experiences and vocabulary that we could ever describe that perfect Unity. In one sense it is good that it is a mystery. This way each of us can ascribe whatever images and pictures we want to that glorious reunion. All we need to know is that it will be better than we can even imagine, and certainly better than a dream!

Thought for the Day: How do I imagine becoming one with Christ is like?