The Ascension of our Lord

 The Ascension of our Lord – May 29, 2025

Psalm 47; 2 Kings 2:5-15; Acts 1:1-11

St. Luke 24:44-53

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Ascension of our Lord is one of the chief feasts of the Christian Church and ought to be considered as standing right beside Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter. Every time we confess the Apostles and Nicene creeds; we confess that Christ ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. It is the capstone of Christ’s activities for your salvation. Tonight, we seek to answer two questions regarding Christ’s ascension: 1) to where did He ascend; and 2) why did He ascend.

The Ascension of Christ took place in an actual upward motion, a gradual rising up of Christ, until a cloud received Him and He passed from human sight.[1] We can’t say much about His motions after being received into the cloud because Scripture doesn’t reveal any details on this point. As for where Christ ascended, we can give two answers. The first answer is to the paradise of the redeemed, that place where those who are His dwell with Him forever. St. Paul speaks of this place in Philippians 1 when he says, I have a “desire to depart and be with Christ.”[2] Christ also speaks of this place when He tells the thief on the cross, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”[3] This is the place we usually call “heaven,” though it is also called the “intermediate state” since it is somewhat temporary, being replaced by the new heavens and the new earth in the Resurrection on the Last Day.[4]

Of all that could be said about this intermediate state, the part that overlaps with the Ascension is that Christ dwells with those in glory as both God and Man. He ascends to the Father in His flesh and so dwells with His beloved in that same flesh. He still bears the marks in His hands, feet, and side as a testament to the saints in glory that their victory over sin has been won in His risen flesh. His flesh in glory is also a promise of the resurrection in that those who are His will follow in His train. “We shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”[5]

The second answer to the question of where Christ is going is the right hand of the Father, but this is not so much a place as it is an office. Christ “ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.”[6] “The right hand of the Majesty on High”[7] is that office of Christ as Lord and Messiah over all creation. In a sense, Christ’s ascension is His coronation into the full use of His authority over all heaven and earth as both God and Man. Christ is King. He is the ruling Monarch of the universe, seated on His throne of power, as He reigns over all. On Pentecost, St. Peter preaches from Psalm 110, “the Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool,” applying these words not to David but Christ, saying “God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” [8]

This leads us directly into our second question for this evening, why did Christ ascend? In the first place, it was to assume His seat on the throne of God’s power at the right hand of the Father, that is, to assume His office as King of the heavens and earth.

In the second place, it was to transition from His local presence to His illocal presence. That is, He is no longer in one place at a time such that we can draw a line around His body, but is present in all places. If Christ had not ascended to the Father, even if He was present in all places at all times, which is His divine right, our human minds would find it incomprehensible. Imagine, for a moment, that Christ was still present, in His local body, sitting in every pew. There would still be space in between each of these bodies and would lead our minds to wonder, ‘Is Christ in those spaces, too?’ Or our imaginations would run wild, beginning to think that there were multiple Christs, some better than others. And when we recede into our own minds, because we could see Christ standing next to us, we would begin to wonder if He could really know our hearts and minds, if He really understood the depth of sin hiding in my heart or the pain and sorrow I feel deep in my soul.

By removing His local presence, Christ is, in fact, demonstrating His glorious final words of promise, “Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”[9] As He becomes hidden to our eyes of flesh, He becomes abundantly clear to our eyes of faith.

He is especially present for us sacramentally in His Word and Sacraments. The flesh of Christ cannot be separated from His Word and the Word cannot be separated from His flesh. He is the Word that was in the beginning, was with God, and is God.[10] So, too, are His Body and Blood given from this altar and the altars of every faithful congregation throughout the world. We needn’t be deceived by our eyes because His Body is not visibly present in other places. We can firmly believe His Words because He has said, “This is My Body,” and where His Word is, there is His flesh.

In the third place, Christ told His disciples that He would go before them to prepare a place for them in the house of His Father.[11] This promise is fulfilled in the Ascension. Christ ascends to the Father in His flesh, meaning that a man sits on the right hand of the Father. He ascended in His flesh to make way for the flesh of all His beloved in the heavenly mansions of His Father. His flesh paved the way for your flesh to dwell eternally with Him. Through His ascension, He is elevating the flesh of man.

Finally, Christ ascends to the Father to prepare His Church for His return. Now ‘return’ is not the most accurate way to describe what Christ will do on the Last Day because it implies that He has been absent throughout the time between the Ascension and the Last Day. A better word is His ‘revealing’ or ‘revelation’ on the Last Day. I hope by now you understand that Christ is not absent after His ascension, rather His mode of presence has simply changed. And He has promised to reveal Himself on the Last Day just as He was removed from the sight of the disciples at the ascension. He ascended into a cloud and will reveal Himself descending on a cloud. By ascending in this manner, He has given the world the very sign by which we will know His return. He will not be born again, lowly and in a cattle stall, but will descend on a cloud to the sound of heavenly trumpets. All eyes (those of flesh and those of faith) will see Him descend and every knee will bow before the King of all Creation.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Acts 1:9.

[2] Philippians 1:23.

[3] St. Luke 23:43.

[4] Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1.

[5] 1 John 3:3.

[6] Ephesians 4:10.

[7] Hebrews 1:3.

[8] Acts 2:34-36; Psalm 110:1.

[9] St. Matthew 28:20.

[10] St. John 1:1.

[11] St. John 14:2-3.

The Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 24, 2024

Psalm 39; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

St. Matthew 25:1-13

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the end of the year, it is helpful to take stock of how things are going. Businesses do this every year. They must review not only the budget but see how sales went over the last year and based on last year’s trends, they must decide whether to stock more or fewer goods for the coming year. Athletes must take stock of their performance and make decisions on how to adjust their training to meet new challenges, see greater improvement, or manage an injury. Individuals do this when they start making resolutions for the new year. They find a vice they want to stop doing or set a new goal to improve over the coming year.

This is a helpful practice even for Christians. This, the Last Sunday of the Church Year, is a good time to reflect on your own faith and spiritual disciplines. This isn’t for the purpose of feeling bad about what you have failed to do or the sins you’ve committed over the last year, those I’ll address those in a minute. Rather, such an exercise is for the purpose of being honest with yourself. How has your prayer and devotional life been? If it hasn’t been consistent, now is the time to recognize that and renew your effort to engross yourself in Scripture and prayer. How has your attendance at the divine service been? If it hasn’t been great, now is the time to consider what has gotten in the way and renew your efforts to be in the Lord’s House and to be here with joy.

How about your acts of charity toward others? Not just financial charity but simply kindness, conversation, and mutual consolation of the brethren? Now is the time to make an effort to seek out the lonely and offer the right hand of fellowship. Now is the time to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned. And more importantly, now is the time to consider how you might make a consistent practice of these blessed activities.

Lest you think this is just a list of things to do, remember that this is the purpose of the parable of the virgins. Our Lord admonishes us, “Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Manis coming.”[1] That word, “watch,” means to take careful notice of or carefully examine, or the phrase I used earlier, “take stock.”

Now the parable of the virgins is a parable concerning the church, specifically the church on earth. We know that it is the visible church on earth because five virgins are wise and five are foolish. All have been invited to the wedding feast of Christ and all are in attendance but five have taken great care of the faith that has been delivered to them and five have not. The five foolish virgins are hypocrites, that is, they have all the outward trappings of Christians, but they do not attend to the flame of faith that was born within them in Holy Baptism. They do not retain the faith once delivered. They are more interested in the outward show of faith. They have all the outward good works of Christians. Perhaps their lamps even shown more brightly than that of the wise, at least at the beginning of the night.

But when the herald’s call comes, they are found without oil, that is, they are found without the faith by which their works are made good before God. They must run to those who sell—in the middle of the night, no less—and try to draw the attention of men, thinking this will also get them attention before the Bridegroom. Even at this last hour, they have deceived themselves into thinking that what impresses man will also impress Christ. This fatal mistake leaves them outside the wedding hall.

In the days of Noah, mankind was given 100 years to repent. Noah preached the Word of God to all around him and built a giant ark, a physical preaching of the Word, and yet the world refused to listen. They shut their ears against God. Then there came a day when all the animals, Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives boarded the ark for the last time. And God shut them in, sealing the side of the ark against the sins of the world. So too, when the Bridegroom comes, the door is shut against the sinful world. The five foolish virgins are left outside the wedding hall in the darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Lord has great patience and is willing to delay the return of the Bridegroom for the sake of the faithful but even His patience has an end. He has clearly stated that there will be a last day, and no one knows the day or the hour.[2] It will come as a thief in the night and the Bridegroom will return as quick as lightning flashes from the east to the west.[3]

“Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Manis coming.”[4] If, in taking stock of the last year, you find there are sins that burden your conscience, or even the idea of reviewing the last twelve months is a burden on your soul, then flee toward the things of God. Repent of your sins and receive the Holy Absolution. Do not slumber and sleep on your sins. Come to your pastor for confession and absolution. This blessed gift of God will help you to unburden your soul. Conversation with your pastor can help you sort out the confusions regarding your spiritual life that are weighing down your soul.

And you, beloved in the Lord, are not in darkness. You know of the coming of the Lord even if you know neither the day nor the hour. In fact, as you daily pray the Lord’s Prayer, you pray that He would come quickly, that He would return and gather you home.[5] “You are all sons of light and sons of the day.”[6] The coming of the Lord is a joyous occasion for the wise virgins and all the elect, those who endure unto salvation. As those wise virgins, the Lord is encouraging us and admonishing us to remain vigilant, “putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation.”[7]

Whenever we consider the Last Day, we must remember that it is a joyous occasion for Christians. It is the culmination, the consummation of our faith. It is the day when all that we’ve hoped for comes to fruition. Even the blessed saints who have fallen asleep in Christ look forward to that day because their souls will be reunited with their bodies made glorious. The sometimes terrifying descriptions of Scripture are to be used as warning, lest you should fall into the deception of the foolish virgins. The terrifying aspects of that Last Day are terrifying for the unbeliever, the apostate, and the sons of darkness. For the sons of light, they serve as a call to vigilance, but vigilance for the sake of receiving your eternal reward, your eternal inheritance as sons of the Father and brothers of Christ.

After the floodwaters receded, even faithful Noah fell into drunkenness and sinful sleep. His faithful son, Ham, fell into even worse sin. Yet Noah was called back into the fold, back into faith, and repented of his own sin. He remained vigilant in the face of his own sinful flesh, attending to the Word of God and guarding the oil of his own faith. In like manner, we too, will fall to temptation. The Old Adam was drowned in Holy Baptism but is a great swimmer. So we, like Noah and the wise virgins, must watch, take stock, and guard our hearts and minds against sin. We must turn our thoughts, words and actions toward Christ that we too, would be found faithful, vigilant, and heir of the eternal glory that is made ours in Christ.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] St. Matthew 25:13.

[2] Isaiah 65:17; St. Matthew 24:36; St. Mark 13:32.

[3] 1 Thessalonians 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10.

[4] St. Matthew 25:13.

[5] “Thy kingdom come;” “Deliver us from evil.”

[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:5.

[7] 1 Thessalonians 5:8.

Populus Zion (Advent 2)

Populus Zion (Advent 2) – December 4, 2022

Psalm 80; Song of Solomon 2:8b-14; Romans 15:4-13

St. Luke 21:25-36

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Lord is coming, and he is coming soon. Today we heard of the cosmos groaning in anticipation of His return. The sun, moon, and stars will be darkened. The sea and the waves will roar. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. St. Paul likens the groaning of the earth to a woman in labor.[1] Her contractions are increasing in intensity and frequency. The pain is reaching its peak just before the child comes into the world. So too creation itself is groaning louder and louder. Pain and suffering are increasing until the day when the child of the Virgin returns.

When a person grows old, his feet shake. As the world grows old, the foundation pillars of the earth shake, and we experience earthquakes, upheavals of the earth. Everything will eventually come crashing down like poorly constructed buildings. Sometimes fluid builds up in our joints and we experience painful inflammation. So too do the seas and their waves roar and roll when the earth is nearing its end.^[2]

When God finished creating the entire cosmos, crowned by His beloved man, He declared everything to be “very good.”[3] God created the cosmos and everything in the world to love and serve Him by serving the rest of creation. The trees praise God by providing shade, beauty, and fruit. The soil praises God by being fertile and aromatic, giving nutrients to the plants which feed the rest of God’s creation.

In the fall of Adam, creation itself was rent from perfect service to the creator. Trees are now forced to shade the wicked as well as the righteous. Their fruit rots. Their branches fall in storms. The soil dries hard and must be forced into submission before it is willing to give up food. Because of the Fall, all of creation longs to serve the purpose for which it was made – to love and serve God by serving the rest of creation.

Creation grows weary in awaiting the return of Christ. So too, do the hearts of man grow weary. “Men’s hearts fail them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth.”[4] We grow weary of hearing about wars and rumors of wars. We grow weary from earthquakes and roaring seas. We grow weary of plagues, pandemics, vaccines, and death. We grow weary and are tempted to focus our fear, love, and trust on the passing things of this world, on the creation which is dying.

Repent. Repent of idolatry. Repent of your misplaced fear, believing the wrath of God against creation is meant for you, His beloved. Fear causes us to shrink away from action. ‘Things are bad and might get worse if I do something, so it is best to do nothing.’ ‘If I keep quiet, maybe the persecution will pass me by.’ Repent and lift up your heads.[5]

When Christ ascended to the right hand of the Father, the Apostles stood, staring into the heavens after him. Then two angels said to them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”^[6] The Apostles were focused on counting the signs so they wouldn’t miss the return of Christ. Yet the Angels admonished them. The return of Christ will be sudden and a surprise, but no one will miss it. Every eye shall see, and every knee will bow at the return of Christ.

Place your fear, love, and trust in God alone. He bids you to lift up your heads on that last day, to see your King descending upon the clouds. The heavens and the earth, all of creation will be destroyed on that last day. They will be burned in fire and a new creation will arise.[7] God will bring forth a new creation, free from the corruption of sin and once again, declare it “very good.”

This idea of “new creation” has already come to you, beloved of the Lord.[8] In Holy Baptism, the Old Adam, the Old Creation, is drowned and dies. He is buried beneath the Red Sea with Pharaoh and his chariots. From this flood arises the New Man, the New Creation, a beloved child of God. This child has nothing to fear from falling stars, darkening suns or moons. This child of God sees the budding of the fig tree, that is, the signs of the end in creation, and lifts up her head toward Christ. Surely, heaven and earth will pass away, but the Word of God will by no means pass away.

The Word of God is the most precious gift given to man. The Holy Sacraments—Baptism, the Eucharist, and Absolution—are that precious gift wrapped in physical means. Why would you ever neglect this precious gift of God for a few extra minutes of sleep? For a few extra minutes of television? For an extra helping of jell-o salad?

And when you have conquered the Old Adam and brought yourself into the House of God, why would you ever spend that time distracted by other people; distracting others, especially children; or thinking of your tasks for later in the day? Rejoice that you have come into the House of God. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.[9] I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go unto the house of the Lord!’[10] Lord, I love the habitation of Your House, and the place where Your glory dwells![11]

Why is the Psalmist so glad to be in the House of the Lord? Because that is where he receives the Word of God. That is where he dwells with God. That is where he will be for eternity. Heaven and earth will surely pass away. Jell-o salad, sleepiness, coloring books, crackers, football, and housecleaning will pass away. The Word of the Lord endures forever. The Word of the Lord alone endures forever.[12] Only those who are sustained by that Word of the Lord will endure forever in bliss. All others will endure forever in hellish torment.

The enduring Word of God communicates with his people. He is not silent. This communication is driven by His mercy. The prophecies of Christ regarding the final judgment are a warning. They are a warning so that you might be prepared. They are a warning so that you would know to repent of your sins and seek the Lord where He may be found.

“Behold the days are coming” says the Lord. “[When] I will send you Elijah the prophet… [who] will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction”[13]. This Elijah, this prophet, is fulfilled in John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way of the Lord through the preaching of repentance.[14] This Office of Prophet is now filled by all men called into the Office of the Holy Ministry. Pastors are called:

To give knowledge of salvation to God’s people
By the remission of your sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God,
With which the Dayspring from on high,

[Christ the Light of the World,] has visited us;
To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To guide your feet into the way of peace.^[15]

Because of the enduring Word of God and the proclamation of the Gospel, the return of Christ for the final judgment is no surprise. But the precise timing will be a surprise. The Father has reserved knowledge of the day and hour of Christ’s return for himself.[16] This is another mercy of God. If we knew when Christ planned to return, we would wait until the last moment to repent… and we would probably miss it. The nature of the heart of man is to find a loophole in the law and exploit it. This never works out well.

So, the Father keeps us from knowing the day and the hour. God desires that all men would be prepared through repentance and faith. He sends his messengers before to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins so that we would always be prepared. Advent is to prepare us for the year when there is no Christmas; for that day and hour when Christ returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Romans 8:22. Cf. St. John 16:20-22.

[2] This paragraph is based on Johann Gerhard, Postilla, Vol 1, trans by Elmer M. Hohle (Malone, TX: The Center for the Study of Lutheran Orthodoxy, 2003), 15-16.

[3] Genesis 1:31.

[4] St. Luke 21:26.

[5] Psalm 24:7; St. Luke 21:28.

[6] Acts 1:11.

[7] Isaiah 65:17.

[8] 2 Corinthians 5:17.

[9] Psalm 84:10.

[10] Psalm 122:1.

[11] Psalm 26:8.

[12] St. Luke 21:33.

[13] Malachi 4:1, 5-6.

[14] St. Matthew 11:14.

[15] The Benedictus, Luke 1:77-79

[16] St. Matthew 24:36.

The Last Sunday in the Church Year

The Last Sunday in the Church Year – November 20, 2022

Psalm 39; Isaiah 65:17-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

St. Matthew 25:1-13

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Wisdom requires effort. The wisdom of the five virgins consists of both knowledge and the ability to put that knowledge into action. We’ve all heard the platitude, “you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.” The Book of Proverbs begins with a similar exhortation, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction;”[1] that is, the receiving of knowledge and wisdom includes effort, the willingness to bring wisdom into your heart, knowledge into your soul, and produce change. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”[2]

This is the wisdom of the virgins. They do not have secret knowledge that is unavailable to the foolish virgins. The foolish virgins have simply despised wisdom and instruction. The foolish virgins believe there is nothing they must ever do to enter the wedding feast. They know who the Bridegroom is and that is enough. The rest of their lives is spent in sloth—being lazy because nothing is expected of them.

The wise virgins have received the knowledge and wisdom of the Bridegroom and put it into practice. They have allowed this knowledge and wisdom to transform their hearts such that they are now new creations. They believe that when the Bridegroom says is true and they act accordingly.

Before you begin to think that you, or the wise virgins, are brought into the wedding hall by the Bridegroom because of your actions, merits, thoughts, or worthiness, stop. That is the thinking of the foolish virgins. They want to know the lowest common denominator. They want to know the easiest way to salvation. If that means a certain type of works, fine. If that means knowing a certain formula, fine. The foolish virgins want to know the lifehack that will guarantee success; the shortest route between where they are and where they want to be.

Such foolishness can even parade as gaining knowledge. This is the pursuit of facts without any idea of how such knowledge affects the world, your neighbor, or your heart. In our world, this is the proliferation of trivia. Social media, especially forms with video, are constantly moving toward shorter and shorter clips. Things like Youtube and Tiktok want you to believe that it is important for you to know a little about a lot of things; and when they say “things,” they mean everything from current geopolitics to the origin of a viral dance. The question we ought to be asking of such platforms is, “Does this knowledge help me or my neighbor? Does it affect the world that actually exists or only the world created by this knowledge itself?”

The wisdom of the wise virgins is quite simple. The Bridegroom has said that He is coming. From these words, the wise virgins believe the Bridegroom is coming, though they don’t know when. They then draw the conclusion that if these words are true, then it would be important to bring extra oil. If the Bridegroom is delayed, we might run out of oil. Therefore, we should bring extra. When the foolish virgins ask for their oil, the wise virgins again exercise their wisdom. “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you.”[3] They are not being rude, mean, or withholding. They are exercising wisdom. If there is only so much additional oil, and the Bridegroom is near but still delayed, we could all run out of oil. Therefore, we need the extra oil for ourselves.

The thought, and action, of bringing additional oil is not what saves the wise virgins. The Word of the Bridegroom saves them. The extra oil is only a consequence, a working out of that promise. Thus, the wisdom of the virgins originates in the Word of the Bridegroom that then transforms their minds such that their actions would prove the truth of that Word.

What then of you? What consequence does this parable have for you? In one sense, it is a call to wisdom. All ten virgins are Christians in the earthly sense. They are all members of the Church on earth. They are all probably baptized. Yet some are called foolish and some wise. All have received the same promise of Christ: He is returning to gather His people into the eternal wedding feast. Jesus is the Bridegroom and the Church is His bride. These virgins stand, somewhat mysteriously, as both the attendants to the Bride and the Bride herself, since the Church, the Bride, is the saints God gathered to hear His Word and receive His sacraments.

The foolish believe that since they have received Baptism, since they have been present when the Word of God was read aloud, they are then entitled to receive a seat at the banquet hall. Nothing more is required. They have despised wisdom and instruction.

A name recorded on the membership list of a congregation is not a “get out of hell free” card; nor are a clerical collar, vestments, a position on a church board, or a family name on the founding documents. Holy Baptism is not a “get out of hell free” card. Holy Baptism bestows the very faith which also receives this most holy sacrament. It is a beautiful gift of God, a true miracle every time it occurs. Yet wisdom is required even of the Baptized. “Those who believe and are Baptized shall be saved. Those who do not believe shall be condemned.”[4]

The faith given in Holy Baptism must be nurtured and fed by the Word of God. This Word must be received throughout the life of the Christian, not just heard. When it is received, it will enter the heart of the Christian and transform his mind. It will renew his soul such that he desires to act in accord with the Word of God. His actions will then prove the truth and beauty of the death of Jesus, which has saved the Christian from his sins and bought him a seat at the eternal wedding feast.

This transformation involves wisdom. Wisdom requires effort. God clearly states, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”[5] God does not state when it is appropriate for a child to have her first cell phone. God does not state whether children should ever have a cell phone. The wise Christian must put in the effort to receive God’s Word, let it transform her mind, and then draw the appropriate consequences therefrom. The Bridegroom did not tell the virgins how long to wait. He did not tell them how long oil lasts in a lamp. He told them He was coming. Wisdom said they should bring some extra oil.

Another consequence of this parable for you is to console your heart. All ten virgins fell asleep. All ten lamps went out. Why do the virgins have lamps in the first place? They are waiting at night. There are no streetlamps. It is dark. It is so dark, should the Bridegroom arrive, He would not see their faces. If He does not see their faces, He cannot know who they are and will not bring them into the wedding hall.

And yet all ten virgins become drowsy, fall asleep, and let their lights go out. Clearly, all ten virgins fall into sin. All Christians sin. All Christians sin daily and much. Your lamp goes out every time you sin. Temptation besets all Christians and when you give in to those temptations, you are ignoring the Light of Christ, that which God Himself has placed within you. You are turning your back on your Redeemer, choosing that which is easy and provides immediate pleasure. But the pleasure of sin is fleeting. It causes you pain in the long run. Sin leads to more sin. More sin leads to greater sin and soon, you are not even able to kindle the small light of a lamp anymore.

 Consolation comes first from the idea that there is no temptation, no sin, that you experience that is not common to man. You are not the first man to cheat on his wife. You are not the first woman to reject the authority of your husband. You are not the first child to talk back to your parents or outright disobey them. This consolation only goes so far. It provides you with comradery, but it does not remove the sin plaguing your soul.

This comes when the coming of the Bridegroom is proclaimed. The virgins are forewarned of His imminent arrival. The cry goes out, “Behold, the Bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!”[6] The virgins are roused from their sleep in time to light their lamps. The Bridegroom could have arrived in silence. He could have snuck past the sleeping virgins and left all ten in the outer darkness. He did not. This cry is the proclamation of God’s Word. It is the public reading of God’s Word in the services of the Church. It is contained in the printing dies which have made the bible available to you in every imaginable medium. The cry is sounded by those sent by the Bridegroom to raise awareness.

Me, speaking to you right now, is the cry heard in the middle of the night. Jesus Christ has promised to return, and He has promised to return at a time unknown by man. He will return suddenly but not without warning. You are hearing the warning right now. Such a warning is not strictly to inform you of danger, but to call you to vigilance. The Word you have heard proclaimed, the promise of the return of the Savior in judgement is true. The Body and Blood of Christ, given and shed for your forgiveness is a sign of His coming. The very clouds of the sky are a sign of His coming for He will return on a cloud, just as He ascended into heaven.

This is a cry of consolation because our Lord does not want you to be unawares. It is the opportunity to repent. It is the opportunity to light your lamp that the Lord of all will see your face as He enters the wedding hall. This is a cry of consolation because Jesus Christ loves His Church such that He would never sneak past her while she sleeps. He would never leave her in the outer darkness. It is only the foolish, those who refuse to receive the Word of God who will be left in the darkness.

Thus, the cry is the absolution of your sins, for having fallen asleep at the watch. It is the absolution for having put your word above His. It is also the call to wisdom. The call to take the Word which has been given to you and let it transform your mind. As your mind is transformed, then take the Word of God and put it into your members, that you would not be caught unawares, or worse, running around town looking for oil when the Bridegroom returns.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Proverbs 1:7.

[2] Romans 12:2.

[3] St. Matthew 25:9.

[4] St. Mark 16:16.

[5] Proverbs 22:6.

[6] St. Matthew 25:6.