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The
First Sunday in Advent
The Collect.
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LMIGHTY
God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us
the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son
Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he
shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee
and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.
¶
This Collect is to be repeated every day, after the other Collects in Advent,
until Christmas Day.
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hen shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise,
and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a
cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those
virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise,
Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying,
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came;
and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the doorwas
shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Watch
therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man
cometh. (Matthew
25:1-13)
Advent heralds a great COMING of Christ - both as a baby at Bethlehem, and as
King of Kings returning at His second Advent to receive the saints and to judge
the world. But ADVENT also symbolizes another type of COMING - the coming of
believers to Christ and to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb of God.
As with all of the Parables of Christ, I love this one. The Words of Christ are
full of life! Each time I read the Gospels, and especially the Parables, a new
and meaningful insight presents itself as it does with all Scripture. Once,
again, the central theme here is of a marriage supper – an event extremely
important in imparting the importance God attaches to the estate of matrimony
as well as to His Church as the Bride of Christ. Only the closest of friends
and family are invited to participate in Marriage suppers.
We observe in today’s text two different kinds of character and two different
outcomes that ensue from each.
This is a Parable of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a picture, if you will, of
the existence in the Church of those who are burning and sincere followers of
Christ, and those who are only nominal Christians who make no preparation or
study to be accepted of God. These are the two different kinds of hearts that
are depicted. The lamps represent those hearts and the oil, the grace and love.
The virgins represent the purity of doctrine and faith in the church. The
Bridegroom, of course, is Christ. It is true that all of the oil in the world
will not benefit us unless we have used it to fuel the FIRE of our Light. There
is a subtle reference also to two doors – an open door, and a shut
door.
Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took
their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise,
and five were foolish. So far, we have ten virgins whose appearance
seem very similar, but those qualities not seen – such as wisdom and
fool-heartedness – do not appear by simple observation. Perhaps more than
50% (and most certainly so) of all professing Christian fall into the latter
category of being foolish. But they all subscribe to the same faith and truth
of the Gospel. They appear righteous. They are good moral people for they are
virgins. The church is comprised of both wheat and tares. The tares APPEAR to
be wheat. They grow where the wheat grows. In every way, the tares look like
wheat in texture, in color, and in size. So many Christians may have an
intellectual assent of Christ, but they lack the oil and fire of true faith.
They look like Christians. They talk like Christians. They attend church every
Sunday. But they are lacking the testimony, love, faith, and grace of a true
follower of Christ. The only Bible they know is that read by the minister or
Lay Reader. They have hearts, but nothing to fuel the fire of faith in those
hearts. Both the true Christians and professing Christians go forth to meet the
Bridegroom. But five have a problem.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.
Can you receive Christ in your heart but not love? These foolish virgins
(professing Christians) took their hearts to Christ, but they did not allow
Christ to enter those hearts. The oil that could have been purchased by Bible
study and faithful service is lacking. Those who seem to strictly keep the
commandments are often those whose hearts are the most devoid of love.
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. The wise
virgins had made preparation for this expected moment. They had purchased oil
and carried it in vessels to take with their lamps. We cannot follow Christ in
darkness. These wise virgins were not at all casual in their faith, but earnest
and sober.
While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. Note
that all ten virgins slumbered and slept while the Bridegroom tarried. Those of
mild conviction slept alongside those who took their faith seriously. We all
need sleep. Because of their lack of real faith, the foolish virgins were able
to sleep not expecting the Bridegroom. The wise virgins, because they DID have
faith, slept in peace because they had peace in their hearts toward God.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go
ye out to meet him. The custom in Israel was for a man to seek a bride
for his son. When a suitable bride was found, a meeting would be arranged for
the young man and young woman to meet. They would meet at the home, and with
the girl and her parents, of the young lady. There would be a cup of wine
prepared on a table around which the company gathered. The boy and girl would
chat a bit. After a while, if the boy found the girl acceptable to his liking,
he would drink from the cup. The girl, if she found the prospective bridegroom
acceptable, would drink from that same cup! That exchange of sups from the cup
formally signified the betrothal of the couple. The son would then go to his
father’s place and build a residence for his bride under supervision of the
father. This may consume a period of one, two, or more years. When the father
believed the provision constructed for the bride was acceptable, he would send
the son to fetch the bride.
The bridegroom would send his groomsmen to fetch the girl. The hour was usually
irregular for the sake of surprise, and most often at, or after, midnight. One
of the groomsmen would sound a trumpet near the girl’s home. This was the
signal the bridegroom had sent for her. She and her bridesmaids would need to
grab whatever bags and provisions desired and rush out to meet the bridegroom.
How like that is the manner in which Christ will return for His Bride! Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet
shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. (1
Cor 15:51-52)
The point here is that the true worshippers must be ready at all times to go
with Him. There will be no time to set our affairs in order once the trumpet
sounds.
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. See how
similar are the actions of both groups of virgins! They BOTH arose, and
they BOTH trimmed their lamps – the foolish virgins were going through
the motions still of being prepared, but they were NOT!
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps
are gone out. Those who are lazy and slovenly will always beg to enjoy
the fruits of preparation of others. But in actuality, the wise virgins could
not share their oil. There was only enough for themselves. That is true of
faith. The faith of the most faithful mother in the world cannot be granted to
a son to save him. We must all come to Christ by grace through that faith! But
the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you.
The wise will always ensure that their faith is sufficient to receive
sufficient grace.
…but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Buy
the word and sell it not! Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the
waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine
and milk without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1) The wise virgins
knew that it would be too late to purchase the oil and still meet the
bridegroom, but they answer courteously and out of sympathy. If they did share,
they knew that the oil would run out and both would be lost.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready
went in with him to the marriage. Only those who are ready will go with
Christ when He comes. It will be then too late to study, to nurture faith, to
love more, and to trust God. These wise virgins went into the marriage through
and open door. That door will open for those who are worthy through the imputed
merits of Christ. …..and the door was shut! The door was open for
those who were prepared and ready, but shut immediately behind them.
Now we come to the SHUT DOOR! Afterward came also the other virgins,
saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. How seemingly tragic that many
Christians will sit in church week after week and appear real and true
Christians. The church door ahs always been open to them but, now, the door is
shut in their faces at the end. They have put up a good front. They have
worshipped God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him. Who shut the
door? Was it the wise virgins? No, it was not. It was God who shut the door.
Man has not the authority to shut the door of salvation on any man, but only
God. Remember Noah and the Ark God commanded him to build. When the time was
come, the Lord commanded Noah, not to GO into the Ark, but to COME
into the Ark. Do you notice the important difference. Where God is, that is the
place of safety. Where the bridegroom is, that is the place of blessing. And
the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark;
for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. (Gen 7:1) So Noah
went into the place of safety – the Ark. Then, after Noah entered the Ark, what
happened? Did Noah shut the door of the Ark? No, man has no authority to close
the doors of mercy on mankind – that is the prerogative of the Lord. ….and
the LORD shut him in. (Gen 7:16b)
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
If we do not take the effort to know Christ very well as intimate friend,
Savior, Redeemer, and Sovereign, he will not know us either. For friends to be
close, each party must know the other intimately. How tragic will it be to hear
those words from the mouth of Christ!
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh. There are a lot of pseudo-prophets today attempting to
determine the exact day and time of Christ’s return. Why is it so important to
them? Perhaps it is the money they make in selling books with such sensational
predictions. But, perhaps a more important reason is that they do not desire to
serve God We presently. They prefer to hedge their bets and live
according to the lust of their flesh for now, and then, as their presumed day
arrives for Christ’s return, they will clean up their act, so to speak. It is
the will and intent of God that we know not the hour or day of His return. We
are to watch and pray our lives each day as if that were the day of His Coming.
I like what Horatius
Bonar, an old-time minister and hymn writer of the Free Church of Scotland, says
about this Parable:
“THE
oil is the Holy Spirit. Oil he is likened throughout all Scripture, though in
some places to fire and water, to wind or air. But it is as the light-giving
oil that he is specially spoken of here; and the lack of him, as such, makes
the difference between the foolish and the wise ; having not the spirit. (Jude,
verse 19.) Thus a man may be very like a Christian, and yet not be one. He may
come very near the kingdom, and yet not enter it. He may have all the outward
features of a Christian, and be lacking the main one. He may have the complete
dress of a saint, and yet not be one. He may have a good life, a sound creed, a
strict profession; he may be one who says and does many things excellent; he
may be a subscriber to all the religious societies in the land, a member of all
their committees, or a speaker at all their meetings, and a supporter of all
their plans; he may profess to be looking for Christ's coming, and going forth
to meet the Bridegroom, and yet not necessarily a Christian. He may lack the
oil the Holy Spirit. A religion without the Holy Ghost profiteth nothing. There
is the religion of the intellect, of the sense, of the fancy, of the flesh, of
the creed, of the liturgy, of the catechism, of nature, of poetry, of
sentiment, of mysticism, of humanity; but what are these without the Spirit.
Christianity without Christ what would that be? Worship without God what would
that be? So religion without the Holy Spirit what would that be? Go to them
that sell, and buy for yourselves. Not to men, or churches, or ministers, but
to Christ. Go to him. He is exalted to give it, and he will. Apply to him ere
it be too late. (Horatius
Bonar)
Do we possess this oil? Do we have fire to cause the oil to provide light?
Well, you may aver, "I have not received an invitation to this Wedding
Supper of the Lamb!" How can you believe such a preposterous claim? You
have received an engraved - no, GRAVED - invitation cut into the flesh of our
Lord - on His back, His brow, His hands, His side, and His feet by nine-inch
spikes. "But I cannot read that invitation" you claim! Really, now?
Have you not read: 27 All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man
knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the
Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. 28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and
I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and
learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your
souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matt 11:27-30)
Of
course, one must be fluent in the language of Heaven to understand this
invitation and passport to Heaven as a naturalized (adopted) citizen. To whom
will God the Father grant admission to the Marriage Supper of His only Begotten
Son? The mystery is hidden in the concluding clause of verse 27 above: " . . . .neither knoweth
any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." When we approach the Door for admission, we must be introduced
to the Father by the Son. Do you KNOW Him?
