A Day Late And A Dollar Short Series

Series: The Parables of Christ

Topic: A Day Late And A Dollar Short

March 10, 2002

Matthew 25:1-13

Introduction: Pop Quiz

A teacher’s ultimate torture

[use it, or lose it-my interview experience]

-tests how prepared we are, or how well we are preparing ourselves

In Matthew 24 Jesus teaches His disciples that the Day of the Lord is immanent and what signs to expect in preparation for that day. And, He concludes these lessons with four parables; each communicating the same warning: "Be Prepared".

"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour." Matthew 25:1-13 (RSV)

Explanation: Everyone loves a wedding. The pomp and stance. The decor and dress. The wonder of two people falling in love...

But in early Palestine weddings were much different. In our culture the bride is the center of attention. It is she for whom everybody awaits. But, in early Palestine it was the groom for whom everybody awaited. A day would be set for the wedding. And on that day the groom would go to the father of the bride and negotiate a bride price.

Eastern culture places great emphasis on the act of negotiating even today. It’s more about building a relationship than about the price. I’ve been told that to accept a merchant’s first offer is an insult, so great is the bartering tradition. For the groom to haggle the bride price indicated the value of the bride. If he was willing to haggle to great lengths it indicated his true love for her. For the parents to haggle to great lengths indicated their love for their daughter. Bartering could take hours, thus in our text the bridal party waits for such a lengthy time that they begin to fall asleep. And, the bridegroom doesn’t even show up until midnight.

So, Jesus uses this illustration to warn his disciples to BE READY. Just as the wedding party had to be ready at any moment, so too must we be ready for Christ’s return. But our preparedness is not to be a momentary thing, but rather a lifestyle. On ongoing readiness.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only...Watch therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming." Matthew 24:36, 42 (RSV)

I. Preparedness Requires Perception

Hindsight is 20/20. But to be prepared one needs a capacity to look forward with a great degree of clarity. Not that one can know the future, but it is possible to see the potential for an event down the road.

Foresight –to expect the unexpected; to anticipate the ‘not yet’.

To plan for retirement one must look into the unknown and create the future; building into this future events of notability: illness, Alzheimers, widowhood, perhaps even recession.

Perception is having the capacity to evaluate one’s present situation, one’s direction, and one’s objective/goal.

II. Preparedness Requires Planning

To have a party or other large event one cannot wait until the day and just throw things together. Haphazard planning results in a haphazard event.

Bayfest/ Buccaneer Days

Without planning:

Traffic jams

Restroom problems

Food shortages

Fights over location for booths

Utter chaos

No control over drunkenness/ lack of police protection

Requires planning:

Determine location

Anticipate participation

Determine parking

Reserve and place restrooms

Determine booth locations to avoid congested foot traffic

Food

*requires months of planning

Kingdom of God is no haphazard thing. Christ will return again.

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also." John 14:1-3