Proper 27, Year A
My Nana, Unamae Speede Broderick, was my paternal grandmother. She was born in Jamaica, The West Indies. She lived in New York City for most of her adult life, and retired with her husband, Parkin Broderick, to the Speede family home in Long Bay, Jamaica. Nana was raised in the Pentecostal Church, but her name was on the roles of the local Anglican Church because the Anglican Church was the established religion for the island until 1962. By law, other denominations could offer services, but not enroll members. In spite of the legal and ecclesial restrictions, Nana was committed to the Pentecostal Church: regularly attending services, reading Scripture daily, and waiting upon the Holy Spirit to make decisions. When advanced age and health problems prevented Nana from going to church, church members came to her. They visited weekly for prayer and Bible study in her living room. True to her faith, Nana warned her children and grandchildren to be ready, because “da day of de Lord will come like a teef n de night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Papa, her husband, was not just on the roles of the Anglican Church, he was a dedicated churchman: attending church every time worship was offered, raising his children in the church, serving on committees and boards, tithing his income, and shaping both his work and personal life around church events. In the last years of Papa’s life he made a surprising change to his faith practice. He joined the prayer and bible study sessions conducted by the Pentecostal church members in his home. When I asked Papa why he made this change, he said, “I don’t know who is right, so just in case, I am doing what the Pentecostals and Anglicans do.” Papa was not taking chances. He doubled down on his religious preparations because as Nana warned, “da day of de Lord will come like a teef n de night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2).
Today’s Bible readings are focused on readiness: Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:1-13. Each lessons invites us to be willing and ready believers.
In the first reading, Joshua challenged the people of Israel to make a choice between worshipping idols or the God who called their ancestor Abraham, and freed them from slavery. Joshua’s challenge is one we must take seriously because daily life places claims on our time, money, and skills. The idols vying for our attention (work, school, politics, money, health care, or electronics) differ from those that captured Israel’s attention, but their challenges and ours are identical. Like Israel, we need to choose. Joshua said, “as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). Who or what are we serving: God or mammon? (Matthew 6:24)
Christians in Thessalonica were turning away from the faith because people they knew and loved were dying before Jesus’ return. The early Christian Community assumed Jesus’ return was imminent. As people died, they feared these people would end up in hell. Paul wrote to remind them of God’s plan: first God would gather their departed loved ones, and when Christ returned, gather the faithful people who were alive. Paul told the Thessalonians to share the Good News of God’s plan. He implored them not to allow death, disaster, and difficulty undermine their faith. Today, confidence in Jesus and God’s power are being undermined because believers are not sharing the Good News, and people outside communities of faith are not seeing the results from the Good News. The need to accept and share Good News is as urgent today as it was in Paul’s day. Sharing the Good News is not limited to standing on streets handing out religious literature or leading Bible study in people’s homes. Sharing the Good News happens when we sing carols in the street, call friends we have not seen, visit a neighbor who is homebound, caste ballots on election day, or deliver groceries and toiletries to food pantries. Are you willing and ready to accept and share Good News?
The parable in today’s Gospel likens the kingdom of God to wise and foolish bridesmaids. This story, like the other lessons, is about readiness. The job of bridesmaids was to announce the arrival of the groom to the bride’s relatives, prepare the bride, escort the groom into the ceremony, and dine with the bride and groom. In an era before postal mail, telegraphs, phones, emails, and social media posts, people waited and watched for guests. Five of the bridesmaids brought extra oil for their lamps. Five did not. When the groom arrived, the oil in the lamps was low. The five bridesmaids with reserve oil refilled their lamps and began executing their duties. The other bridesmaids asked to borrow oil, and when their request was denied, they left, at midnight, to purchase oil. By the time they fixed their planning mistake, the bridegroom had arrived, and the ceremony nearly over. Their failure to plan caused them to miss showing hospitality and participating in the celebration. If they had admitted their mistake, waited for the groom's arrival, and followed the bridesmaids whose lamps had oil, they would have discovered there was more than enough light and food for everyone in the hall.
Are you ready? Generous and compassionate people can share light and food with us, but we cannot claim their faith, acts of justice, or good stewardship for ourselves. Each of us must find ways to practice and grow our faith in God. We must resist the temptation of relying on others to save us. Sure bishops, rectors, or vestries, politicians and courts, billionaires, experts and influencers should do their jobs. They cannot do our work for us. God bestows blessings on each of us. Each us must assume responsibility for receiving and utilizing our blessings. It’s on us to accept and share Good News. Are you a willing and ready believer? When Christ the bridegroom arrives, will there be enough oil in the lamp of your faith? Remember my Nana’s warning, “da day of de Lord will come like a teef n de night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). If Nana’s warning does not move you, listen to what my father, a medical doctor said, “no one gets out of life alive.” Ready or not, Christ is coming. Are you ready?
