Invitation to Anticipation

Bega Kwa Bega Partnership Sunday              Matthew 5:1-12

Jesus said to the disciples: Then the kingdom of heaven will e like this. Ten bridesmaids… 

And Jesus goes on to tell a story that goes against most everything we’ve ever been told about who God is and who Jesus invites us to be…

We hear that half of the bridesmaids have enough oil and half do not – but do they share? No.

We hear that the five without oil go to get some – but are they let in the door? No. (in spite of other scriptures that reassure that when we knock, the door will be opened to us).

We hear that all these tired bridesmaids have to wait so long that they fall asleep – but what’s the message? Stay awake. Even in spite of everything you know in your body about humans’ need for rest and for all the many invitations God makes to enjoy Sabbath rest.

So what do we make of this parable? It is certainly not an allegory—a story where there’s a one-to-one match with Christ as the bridegroom, the church as the absent bride, and all of us trying how to be wise, have enough oil, stay awake… It is certainly not an allegory but what are we supposed to do with this story anyway? This story meant to invite, confuse, exaggerate, make curious… 

 

In her commentary about this strange, familiar parable, Susan Hylen invites this perspective—that followers of Jesus are shaped by the unknown timing of Jesus’ return.

However, she says, “the point of the parable is not constant readiness. “Keep awake” does not imply that the disciples should never sleep, standing vigil through the ages for Christ’s imminent return. In fact, all of the bridesmaids, wise and foolish, are asleep when the shout announces the groom’s approach.”

 

Then, she notices - 

It is difficult for many of today’s disciples to be anything like the bridesmaids, wise or foolish, because we have stopped waiting. We give little thought to Christ’s return, let alone what we should do to prepare for it. If we were to contemplate ourselves in relation to the end time, it might be easier to imagine ourselves as the slaves who work diligently while the master is away than as the bridesmaids whose primary job is to await the groom’s return

 

I mean who can blame us? Given what seems like such an absence, such a long wait, who can blame us for just moving into a sense that the world will never be right… that the kind of kingdom that Jesus is calling into being, the kingdom of heaven… will never exist.

Nevertheless, there may be something we can gain from the parable’s perspective.

The parable asks us to imagine ourselves as those who wait for the groom’s return. It invites us to imagine—however long the delay—that God’s good reign of justice and peace is just around the corner, that Jesus is about to enter, and to wait for it with eager anticipation. The parable invites us to prepare for the day, not as exhausted slaves, but knowing that because God’s promises are true, we can keep encouraging each other to eager, hopeful waiting.  

 

This is so much what I saw as I traveled with our partners in Masimike—a rural farming community in the Iringa Diocese in Tanzania. As we traveled by bus in the rainy season, there was excessive water and abundant green crops—corn and the wide-leaved false banana—there were abundant chickens and fruits growing on trees. And in each place we stopped, there were people gathered in eager anticipation to welcome us—strangers—who they treated as honored, eagerly anticipated guests. 

Our Tanzanian partners sang and waved branches as we got off the bus. They danced and invited us into the dancing. They helped us learn the steps and the tunes to the songs. They fed us and thanked us for all that we’ve accomplished together. In preaching point after preaching point, they pointed to a roofs that have been put up because of our shared support. Students and their parents came to me and thanked me, a representative of this congregation, for how much our support has meant to their families.

Now, you might be asking, how much do we send?
And the true answer is that there used to be members of this congregation who individually supported students. Also, the children’s jar offerings have been designated to go to support these students. But for many years, the funds kind of mysteriously made their way to the partnership accounts and there was always enough for all. Every specific request that came over time, we could always say, “Yes, the money is there. Please go ahead and use the money as you see fit.” Then in 2023, the money in the partnership accounts simply did not flow in its usual way. It might be that individual supporters have died or changed their designations… but for whatever reason, we find ourselves with an opportunity. The opportunity is to come together to fill those accounts once again so that our modest gifts can go and do such important, life-giving work. And all I can say is that I cannot adequately express to you how very well our modest gifts are used and multiplied by our partners in Masimike and now, by the second congregation that has been created as our Masimike constellation of preaching points grew so big that a new congregation was needed to organize all the gatherings. 

The kingdom of heaven is like this—and we have the opportunity today to contribute to give in a spirit of anticipation not only for all that God is doing and about to do in Tanzania, but for the ways that God is creating a culture of generosity right here.

There are so many things in our lives that make us cry with Amos—“let justice roll down like water and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

There are so many things in our lives where we are wishing for the presence of wisdom… “who is easily discerned by those who love her, who is found by those who seek her, who makes herself known, who appears, who meets them in every thought.”

Today, we are invited by Jesus to hopeful anticipation—whether our lamps feel full or empty, that we might become ready, hopeful, eagerly waiting for the light we need. Today, we are invited by Jesus to awaken to the needs of others. Today, we are invited to know that even though we do not know the arrival time of Jesus showing up among us, that God’s promises, justice and peace are true… and we are invited to live with hearts, minds, whole selves awake to all that God is still bringing into the world.