Readings:
Wisdom of Solomon 6: 12 – 20
Matthew 25: 1-13
We pray: Gracious God, give us ears to hear, minds to
reflect and hearts to respond to your word for us today. In Jesus name. Amen,
Peace, remembrance
and wisdom and foolishness. Quite the
cauldron of meaningful and yet quite contradictory concepts for our
consideration today, none of which line up in any kind of obvious harmony.
On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th
month in 1918 all hostilities ceased on the western front – the beginning of
the end to the great war and all wars,
they hoped. We do remember all those
caught up in the chaos, the willing, unwilling, the naïve, callous, passionate,
implacable, deeply uncertain, or following orders – we do remember them.
But we live for
peace – as Christians we stand up against violence and war and everyone pretty
much understands the futility of war. But they still happen – whether it’s
country against country or ideologies or ethnicities – wars continue.
And then there is
wisdom and foolishness – probably everyone has a different interpretation of
those words. It is foolish to think that
this government will make a difference
The only wise
thing to do is to look after yourself.
She is wise to sell her house now.
He’s a fool, he doesn’t take anything seriously.
Today’s readings
look at foolishness and wisdom – firstly from Song of Solomon where we meet
Sophia, the personification of wisdom essentially being marketed to the
people. Seek and follow wisdom, easily
recognisable by her radiance and faithfulness.
She is found in instruction and law, she is the path to God.
And then we have
Jesus using the then as now turbulent and emotionally charged wedding scenario
to explore the meaning of living in wisdom or foolishness as we wait to the end
of the age.
Think back to
those people in the early church – sure and certain that Jesus would come again
in the near future, probably within their lifetime. Soon to be realised anticipation was a focus
and a reality in their lives in a way that it is not in ours. And when they realised that perhaps the
grooms arrival might be later than expected, the teaching turned rather more to
how to wait expectantly and hopefully for what might be a longer time. It changed the focus and challenges our
understandings of what Christ asks of us as we wait – and I think that it is
something that we as a church have struggled with throughout time.
Because Jesus, in
this parable of the wise and foolish bridesmaids (standing for us as members of
the church), is wanting to make something quite clear. He wants us a avoid assuming that we have
enough in our lamps right now. He
challenges our assumption that it is enough to simply be here, that turning up
with what we think is adequate oil for the lamp is as good as it gets and that
only minor lamp trimming is required.
He’s trying to
shock us into realising that rather than sitting and waiting, sure of our
entrance credentials for when they are needed, this parable is about how we do
our living in the time of not yet. It is
an important distinction.
And so the
question for us is not about just believing that Christ will come again but how
we live into that time as we wait. How we shine the light of Christ in the
world now when it is desperately needed – for, as a commentator pointed out,
there will be no need for lamps when the banquet (however that might look)
begins.
What are the
struggles then, for us?
One of them
relates to back where we began the sermon, where something like violence
(whether officially sanctioned or not) is still so pervasive in our world. It requires of us a stand, a voice in the
market place that wisdom so powerfully occupies in our first reading. It demands of us that we offer radically
peaceful alternatives to war, that we live in ways of peace and reconciliation,
not just preach it. It is not enough
that we keep silent and wait. And it is
certainly not right that we justify God on our side as we beat the opposition
to a pulp. All those who in the name of
‘God on their side’ justify violence on the weak and the vulnerable may find
that their oil has not only run out but what they had has turned putrid in the
waiting.
I notice some
thought is now being given to the correlation in the States between those
carrying out these mass shootings and their histories of domestic violence – it
seems there is a strong connection. Are
we surprised? Our continuing sometimes tacit acceptance of putting one part of
our society onto the top of the status heap and the rest underfoot feeds
directly into this kind of behaviour. We
have churches who practice exactly this kind of dominating behaviour – to
women, to children, to the different, to other cultures or colours. They are of the belief that not all human
beings, in all our wonderful diversity, are equal before God.
How we live into
the time of not yet also had impact on the way we live as church
community. I think that over time the
western Christian church has played around with the belief that an act of
commitment is what is needed and then you are sorted for the end time. That was a good part of what the reformation
was about – a desire to put living in the way of Christ a priority rather than
paying for entry into the kingdom.
There is a sense
also that people see the singular act of baptism as all that is needed rather
than understanding that we renew our baptismal promise every day. Or that church is an attendance habit well-formed
over the years or a cultural imperative.
I do think that we see a great deal less of that these days – people who
are part of the church family in NZ these days are here against the odds not
because it is socially expected of them – but it is still a challenge to, in
the midst of all else in our busy lives, give our focus to a life lived every
day in faithful community.
And then there is
the doing, the engaging with the present and the future in a useful and
relevant way that honours the past yet is right for the needs of now – again we
talked about this last week.
Actually during
the week I came across this brilliant cartoon in of all places a ‘Self Help
Cookbook’ from the 1930’s. If you can’t read the words it is ‘Hat’s off to the
past’ and ‘Coats off to the future’.
Says it all really.
The other thing
that this week has given me serious food for thought is the way in which some
of the world is getting to grips with just and ethical ways of living perhaps
better that the church is. If any of you
get the Listener you might have seen in the current one the article titled
‘Greater Good’ which explored the growth in business’s that are intent on
benefitting community rather than maximising profit. They are taking off as people come up with
ideas that tackle social, cultural or environmental issues, provide work for
the marginalised and value justice and sustainability and equal opportunity. I’m not saying we should suddenly go into
business but where is that energy, whatever it might look like in our
communities, that speaks of our commitment to shine the light of Christ into
the needs of our world now.
It provides some
challenging thoughts that we at Opoho will continue to explore and delight in.
I want to finish
with words of hope from a rewriting of the 23rd Psalm for us for
today by Thom Shuman. One of the psalms of wisdom. It is a psalm that has sustained and
comforted and encouraged for centuries – may it do so now for us.
Sinking in a sea
of stress and success, you buoy me with your living waters until I am at peace;
running down
endless corridors to never-ending meetings
you detour me to
the pathways leading to your joy;
stumbling through
the thorn bushes of a culture which seeks to tear my soul to shreds;
you prepare a
picnic in the garden of grace;
famished and
peckish from wandering the shadow of sin and death you fill me with sweet
tasting hope;
fleeing the very
life I convince myself I am seeking
you slow me down
so goodness and mercy can catch up with me
and push me into
your heart.
Margaret Garland
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