Have you ever felt abandoned by God?
The Problem: Waiting
Matthew 25:1-13
The groom was late, very late. He didn’t show up for the wedding until midnight. Some of the bridesmaids were foolish and assumed that he wasn’t going to show up at all. They thought very little of the groom and that it wasn’t worth their time to be prepared. Maybe he just wasn’t going to show up at all. Why bother bringing extra oil for the lamps. That is why they didn’t have any extra. This is the parable from Matthew 25:1-13. What if the groom in the parable is Jesus, and Jesus’ bride is the church? The foolish bridesmaids then, would be people who doubt that Jesus will ever show up to fulfill his promise. They are the doubters.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Believe it or not the early church was so focused on the imminent return of Jesus that it was a surprise when Christians died of natural causes or old age. Sure there was martyrdom, that is, believers dying because of their faith. But when Jesus didn’t come back right away and older members started dying of natural causes the new church wondered about what was going on. Paul addresses this issue in his letter to the church in Thessaloniki. He encourages them not to give up hope. The dead will rise like Jesus rose form the dead and they will be a part of God’s kingdom. It’s okay to be sad, but don’t lose hope. That was Paul’s message to the church. Jesus will come, and when he does we will meet him in the clouds and be part of his entourage into the earth. These good words and good news give faith to all who hear them.
Amos 5:18-24
The Solution: Wisdom
Matthew: being prepared because you have faith that God will come
Faith is what keeps you going when you have to wait for God to act, to save, and yes to come back to save us. Faith is believing that God will be true to the promises made. Faith keeps you going through uncertainty. It is like oil that can be burned in a lamp. Even though the night is long and dark; oil is a wonderful thing like liquid sunshine that burns and gives hope in the darkness. Faith is a gift of God that does just that.
You are saved by grace through faith and not by your works.
So What: Save
One way to practice your faith is to save and prepare. The five bridesmaids who are wise also have faith. They believe that the groom will show up. The believe that Jesus will come back. They are so certain of this that they have purchased extra oil to keep with them so that they can welcome the groom at whatever hour he comes. Faith isn’t about sitting around doing nothing, faith is about taking your responsibility seriously because God will show up at any moment, and we want to show that we are ready to serve our Lord.
So what does this have to do with stewardship? Stewardship is about how we manage the resources God has give you; your time, your money, and your life. When it comes to money God wants you to be wise and to save. Yes you should give money away, but you should also give money to yourself. God wants you to be wise and prepared like the five wise bridesmaids. They were savers. They were ready for the long night. Are you ready for a rainy day? Are you ready for the long night?
Financial experts suggest having enough savings to pay for at least three months of expenses, but really six months is the goal. Do you have enough savings to live for six months: your rent or mortgage, utilities, food, etc? If you don’t then it’s time to start saving! Stewardship is about more than the money you give to God at church. God wants your whole life to be an offering. That means being prepared to take care of yourself when the night is long, or when the rain falls, or when any of life’s uncertainties happen.
Now what about the five foolish bridesmaids and how they ask for the oil. Some have asked me that isn’t the Christian thing to do, share? What if the five foolish bridesmaids had enough money and time to get oil, but they really just didn’t have faith in the groom. They only asked for oil at the very last moment, when the groom came. In that situation the Christian thing is to say, “no.” It’s having a boundary. It’s letting the five foolish bridesmaids take responsibility for their actions. That’s part of stewardship too.
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