Waiting for God – Matthew 25:1-13
/Lectionary Readings for Nov. 08, 2020 23rd Sunday After Pentecost, Year A
Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25 v15 “choose today whom you will serve. … But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Psalm 78:1-7 v4 “we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 The Hope of the Resurrection
Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
Peace Quotes
“There is no way to peace, peace is the way.” ~ A.J. Muste
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” ~ William Arthur Ward
Every ordinary day, in all of the ordinary events and conversations of our day, we have the extraordinary opportunity to open ourselves to receiving God’s love AND to sharing that love with others.
That God gives us such awareness and potential is extraordinary when we look at the rest of God’s amazing creation. May gratitude be your guide this week as you share the peace of God’s love with yourself and with others.
Any time I preach or lead a group, regardless of age, I start the same way. I’m going to say three short sentences. Please repeat each sentence, with enthusiasm.
God made me. God loves me. God has plans for me.
Preface to Today’s Scripture Reading
Today we will hear Jesus tell us what the Kingdom of God is like. When we hear the phrase “the Kingdom of God,” those of us who have grown up in church are somewhat conditioned to immediately think of Heaven – some faraway place we’ll go after we die.
But when Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God, He describes it in more immediate and personal terms. He described the Kingdom as a way of living we can create here on Earth. It is extraordinary to think that God invites us to be part of His ongoing process of creation!
When we say the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13 and Luke 11:2-4) later in today’s service, you’ll recognize the phrase “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus taught us that, by choosing through our free will to work with God, we can create a heavenly environment around us where we and others can experience God’s loving nature: grace, mercy, forgiveness as well as excitement, joy, creative expression, and hope just to name some of God’s attributes.
OK, great; but what does that look like, sound like, smell like? What Jesus offers us is not an architectural plan nor a bureaucratic governmental structure. This week kicks off a three-week series during which Jesus shares three stories that challenge our thinking.
Let’s open our ears, minds, and hearts as we read today’s Scripture.
Read Matthew 25:1-13.
I hate waiting for anything. My wife was telling someone the other day how much I hate waiting in line to check out of ANY store. Let me go get the car. Let me step outside to make a phone call. Let me keep shopping while you wait in line; I’ll catch up with you before you finish checking out. Anything but waiting, because waiting feels like I’m doing nothing.
Perhaps I’m a product of our culture. As children, we discover the anxiety of waiting to learn our grades. Waiting to learn if we made the cut for a sports team. Waiting to learn if we were accepted into a college. Waiting to learn if we landed our first real job.
Adults often dread calling customer support because of how long they’ll have to wait on hold. There’s waiting in the doctor’s office, or in an airport, or waiting for election results to be finalized. Some of you may be waiting for me to get to my point.
And that is the point Jesus was making: the Kingdom of God involves waiting… in a good way. Recall God’s messages to us 3,000 years ago in the Psalms: “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10) and “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14). Nevertheless, we get impatient waiting for God. As Christians, we share at least 4,000 years’ worth of waiting for God.
Here are a few highlights. As I share them, notice the common theme of active waiting, using “down time” to prepare for what’s next.
Who knows how long ago, Noah was stuck on a big boat with a bunch of stinky animals for an entire year before they hit dry land and he could go for a long walk (Genesis 8:1-9:17). While he waited, Noah sent birds to test for dry land. As much as the rainbow reminds us of God’s loving restraint, I think it can also remind us of the waiting we must sometimes experience before we can move onto the next phase of our lives. The next time you see a rainbow, I encourage you to consider how long you’re willing to wait for God prepare the world for your next move.
Roughly 4,000 years ago, the Israelites were totally stressed out waiting for God and Moses to rescue them from the rapidly approaching Egyptian army. While he waited, Moses prayed. The Red Sea miraculously parted just in time (Exodus 14:10-22). The next time you’re in a real jam, can you wait for God to reveal the next step?
“Be still, and know that I am God!” Centuries after Moses, the ancient prophet Elijah had to wait through the drama of a tornado, an earthquake, and a firestorm before he could hear God’s whispering voice (1 Kings 19:11-14). While he waited, Elijah stayed alert, listening for God. Are you willing to wait for life’s storms to pass before you actively and anxiously strain to hear God’s soft voice reaching out to you?
In just a few weeks, we’ll enter the season of Advent. It’s our season of waiting with a pregnant, young teenage mom named Mary as she anxiously waits for God’s promise of a miraculous baby to be born. While she waited, she sought the wisdom and support of her cousin Elizabeth. While you wait for God’s promises to you to be fulfilled, are you willing to find and wait with people who care about you, who will support you, and who will wait with you?
None of this waiting is easy. But God does not call us into what is easy. God calls us into moments and seasons of growth, of service, and of waiting. As much as we must trust God when we’re called into action, we must also trust God when we are called into alert waiting as we prepare for what’s next.
We are called into this active waiting as individuals and as a congregation.
How will our church actively wait for God to reveal the next move?
How will our church actively wait with others in our community?
As Advent approaches, how will our church actively wait, preparing for God to birth new life through us?
Can we – as a church – follow the directive in Psalms, “Be still, and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)?
Can we – as a church – “Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)?
I anxiously await what God has in store for our congregation. As we wait for the Covid-19 virus restrictions pass and as we wait for cold winter days to pass, let us all actively wait in prayer and fellowship so that we’ll be attentive and prepare for God to speak to us and lead us into the next chapter of our lives, individually and as a congregation.
Amen? Amen!