The Angel's Call

The Thessalonians were troubled. They, with all the first Christians, believed that Jesus’ return would be in their lifetime. As the community grew older and members began to die, there was a concern about what would happen to them. Would they miss out on sharing the reward promised to them by Jesus? While Paul had also believed that Jesus would come in their life-time he was not concerned about those who died and, in his letter to them, told the Thessalonians that not only will the dead arise first and then those who are still alive will be caught up in the cloud with those who were dead and together all will meet Jesus.

I don’t know if you noticed but all of our texts today talk about that time when we will be caught up in heaven. That is because, as we end our Christian year at Christ the King Sunday, the pericope(1) texts talk about the parousia(2) – the end times. We will continue this trend through the last Sunday in November. While we all look forward to that time when Jesus will come again, our texts are not as comforting as one would think.

Amos comes right out and asks why we want the day of the Lord. He tells us it is not what we expect. Instead of light it is darkness. It is a bear waiting for us as we flee a lion; a snake hiding in the wall. Who wants that? Some will tell you to read this in context. They will tell you that Amos is talking to the Israelites who have abandoned the covenant and God is warning them that they will be punished. We, who are Christians, have no worry because Jesus has paid the price for our sin. Although, as we started our worship today with a confession, we admit that we do not do those things God desires and do those things that God abhors. Amos is calling on God’s people to repent.

Jesus’ parable of the ten bridesmaids should also give you pause. While we believe that we are saved not by works but by the grace of God, Jesus is telling us that we need to be prepared for the time Jesus returns. Those who did not bring extra oil asked those who did to share but they would not. Would not sharing be the Christian response? We are called to share the gifts God has given us with others. Why is not sharing a good thing here? What would have happened if they had not gone to buy oil and waited, would the Lord have let them come in? Would he have locked them out anyway? Finally, Jesus tells us to keep awake because we do not know the day or the hour.

I know that this is only a parable and usually Jesus uses them to make a single point, and I have delved deeper into it than what Jesus meant for us to do. Matthew may be the one who added that last phrase to it trying to tell others what it meant. If we are saved by faith and we cannot earn our salvation, what does it mean to be prepared? What does the oil for the lamps symbolize?

The oil may stand for those things that God has given us: ourselves, our time, and our possessions. And we are called to prepare ourselves to use that oil, those gifts, in bringing justice and righteousness to the world. You begin that preparation right here at this font of justice and this table of righteousness and you continue your preparation with daily Bible reading and prayer. Do not worry about what will happen to yourself when the parousia comes. Instead prepare yourself by sharing your oil with the world working for justice and righteousness so that, through you, the world can see the light of Christ.

(1)Pericope from Greek peri meaning “perimeter” or “around” and cope meaning to “cut.” Here it means a part of the whole (book of 1 Thessalonians).

(2)Parousia from the Greek meaning “presence” or “arrival.”