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.

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.

The Last Sunday in the Church Year

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

The Parable of the Ten Virgins is about the church. All ten are virgins, that is, they are pure. In the case of the church, we have been made pure. We are the ones amid the great tribulation, who have washed our robes white in the blood of the lamb. The virgins of the church are those who have been baptized, who hear the Word of God, and who receive his Sacraments.

However, there are five foolish virgins and five wise virgins. The foolish virgins are those who have been baptized but despise their baptism. The foolish virgins have heard the Word of God but refused to be instructed. They have received the Body and Blood of Christ without faith.

The wise virgins have been baptized and daily return to that baptism. The wise virgins read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest the Word of God. They receive the Body and Blood of Christ because they know that within this Sacrament are forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The wise virgins also submit themselves to the Will of God. They recognize their sins for what they are – deserving of hell. The wise virgins recognize God for who he is – God is Love. They trust that because God has said he would forgive their sins, their sins are forgiven. Though they cannot yet see it, eternal life belongs to the wise.

Both the foolish and the wise are waiting outside the wedding hall. They are like the bridesmaids who have quickly traveled from the church to the reception, only to be told to wait outside for the Bride and Groom to finish taking pictures before they may enter. All ten virgins have encountered the Bridegroom and are awaiting his return. The wise brought lamps and extra flasks of oil. The foolish brought lamps but no oil. In waiting for the Bridegroom, all ten virgins grew tired and fell asleep.

The time between the wedding of Christ and his Bride, the Church, and the consummation of this wedding, the Last Day, is where we currently find ourselves. We are the virgins awaiting the return of the Bridegroom. We are eagerly waiting for Christ to return. Like all ten of the virgins, we have also grown tired.

The tiredness of the virgins is temptation. “If you do not do well, sin lies at the door. Its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”[1] Everyone in the church experiences temptation. No one is above temptation. This is not the specific temptation to steal or lie, but the temptation to fall asleep. It is the temptation to ignore God and his Word. It is the temptation to divert your attention away from God and toward the passions of your flesh.

On the night when he was betrayed, our Lord took three disciples to a garden on the Mount of Olives. He charged Peter, James, and John with keeping watch while he prayed to the Father. Three times, our Lord found the disciples asleep at the watch. “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”[2]

The sleeping disciples had sinned. By this sin, they had not lost all faith. What they did was abandon diligence. They “rested on their laurels.” They believed that their faith was strong enough to carry them through and so they could give into temptation. Thanks be to God that Jesus was near at hand to continually awaken Peter, James, and John or else perhaps they would’ve fallen asleep for eternity, the sleep of eternal torment.

You, like the disciples, are tired. You come to church. You hear the Word of God. You do devotions at home. So what if you don’t find a church while on vacation? So what if you miss a Sunday here and there? So what if you stop giving to the church for a while because it seems like the church is stable? So what? So what if you take a break?

Realize what this leads to – you are taking a break from God! Skipping church on vacation soon becomes the Sunday before vacation and the Sunday after. Sleeping in every other week soon becomes weekly. Skipping devotion this morning or tomorrow evening soon becomes twice, three times, seven times skipped each week. Ceasing to give leads to greed. The occasional glance at another woman becomes freedom to flirt but not touch, which becomes the freedom to touch, which becomes much more. Sin breeds sin, no matter the scale of where it starts. Sin is crouching at the door of all our houses. None is immune.

“What then,” you might say. “There is none righteous, no, not one…There is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”[3] This is no excuse for lack of diligence, for falling asleep on the watch. It is true – the foolish virgins, the wise virgins, the inner circle of Christ’s disciples, all fell asleep on their watch and so will you. Temptation will overwhelm you and you will sin.

The difference is in the preparation. Are you prepared for when you sin? Are you prepared for when Christ returns? Do you diligently await the return of Christ?

To be prepared for when you sin is to know the law of God. To be prepared for when you sin is know how to confess your sins and how to strive against temptation. Are you tempted to sloth? Recite Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for dust you are and to dust you shall return.” Then recite Galatians 6:9, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Then recite the Ten Commandments and set about your work according to your station in life.[4]

Are you tempted by ignoring God’s Word? Recite John 6:63, “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” Then recite the Ten Commandments and the Apostles’ Creed, call your pastor and set up a time for a visit.

Are you tempted by lust? First recite 1 Corinthians 6:18-20, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” Then turn to your spouse, tell her you love her, kiss her, and hold her tight. Do this even if you don’t feel like it. Do this especially when you don’t feel like it.

Are you prepared for when you fall asleep? When temptation overtakes you and you slip into spiritual unconsciousness? When you do this, confess your sins. Call your pastor, schedule a time, and come in for private absolution. Turn to the Word of God. When you see your sin for what it is, confess it and have the burden of guilt lifted from your soul.

In this way, you are also preparing for the return of Christ. The wise virgins trimmed their lamps and prepared spare oil. They would only bring spare oil if they believed the Bridegroom was certain to arrive but would take longer than might be expected. They trusted the word of the Bridegroom but also prepared for the time it would take for him to arrive. This oil is faith. This oil is reading the Word of God and committing it to memory. This oil is receiving the gifts of God. This oil is what sustains you until Christ returns. You must have abundant oil because you know neither the day nor the hour of Christ’s returning. You are tired, so be prepared.

The foolish virgins did not bring additional oil. They either didn’t trust the Bridegroom would actually return or that their preparation for the Bridegroom was unimportant. “The fool despises wisdom and instruction…Scorners delight in their scorning and fools hat knowledge.”[5] The hypocrites in the church either don’t believe Christ will return or that the manner in which they live has no impact on their faith. Persisting in sin will breed more sin. More sin will harden your heart. A hard heart will cause the Bridegroom to respond, “Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.”[6]

The Bridegroom soon will call us. He will return and he will return soon. The watchmen of the Lord are sent out in the middle of the darkest night to proclaim repentance and the forgiveness of sins. This watchman is telling you that Christ is coming soon. Be prepared by diligent repentance and faith. Turn from sin and receive all that God has to give you in his Word – forgiveness, a clean conscience, life, and salvation.

“The light of the righteous rejoices, but the lamp of the wicked will be put out.”[7] The just judgment of the Lord is coming on the Last Day. There will be foolish virgins locked out of the heavenly Wedding Hall. Just as the fools who clung to the sides of the ark wished they had listened to the preaching of Noah, these virgins will wish they had clung to the ark of their Baptism and listened to the preaching of the watchman. The door is shut on both and both sent into eternal death.

But you, O wise virgins, awake, for the night of this world is quickly flying. Awake, virgin inhabitants of Jerusalem, arise! The Bridegroom is coming, take up the lamps of faith, God’s Word and his Holy Sacraments with great gladness. Prepare yourselves with the care of a virginal bride about to meet her beloved. Pray, “Come, Thou Blessed One, Lord Jesus, God’s own Son, Hail! Hosanna! We shall enter the wedding hall to eat the Supper at Thy call!”[8]

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Genesis 4:7.

[2] St. Matthew 26:41.

[3] Romans 3:10, 22-24.

[4] The list of temptations and passages to recite are inspired by Jason Braaten, Consider the Ant, https://www.gottesdienst.org/gottesblog/2021/8/1/bugenghagen-2021-keynote-consider-the-ant?rq=bugenhagen

[5] Proverbs 1:7, 22.

[6] St. Matthew 25:12.

[7] Proverbs 13:9.

[8] This paragraph is based on Wachet Auf as found in LSB #516.