The Choice is Yours… Choose Wisely
Joshua 24:14-24 & Matthew 25:1-13
One of the greatest abilities that separates humans from the rest of God’s creation is our ability to recognize alternatives, to weigh options and their possible consequences and then to make a informed decision. As we look back over our lives, we’ve made conscious and informed decisions about if and when we’d attend college. About what career path we’d follow. We’ve made decisions about where to seek, or to accept, employment. We’ve made decisions about whom to marry, where to live, cat or dog, whether to rent or purchase, how to prioritize and budget our money and time… and the decisions go on and on! And whatever big decisions we have made in our life, one thing is true – they have formed us to be who are today.
Now, not all decisions are as life changing as education, careers, friends and life partners! Yet, we can’t deny that our daily lives are a series of choices made and then followed through. Some days it is easy to make choices and other days, it’s all I can do to decide if I want unsweet tea or diet Dr Pepper when I stop at Sonic. I’ve often joked with Josh that we should open a restaurant that is called “I Don’t Care, You Decide” – because most nights that is where we’d eat. By the time we get to dinner – we are both tired of making decisions and choices! And yet the options keep coming! Wouldn’t it be great to occasionally have someone else that could step in and make all your decisions… (especially if they always made the RIGHT decisions).
Fretting over making the “right” or the “wise” decision is what makes making choices so exhausting.
From the beginning of Creation, people have had to make decisions. And we haven’t always made wise ones! We all remember Adam and Eve’s decision to go against the will of God – don’t we? Since then - throughout all of earth’s history - people have chosen foolishly. We have made choices that lead us away from God. Choices that are outside of God’s will for us. Choices that go against God’s teaching.
In our Old Testament reading this morning, Joshua looks out at the congregation of Israel. And he sees all the men and women and children of God’s “chosen people” – some of whom have chosen to follow God with all their heart, with all their soul and with all their mind and live faithful lives of service to our Lord. But he also sees some who say they have chosen to follow God, but their actions deceive them. And he sees still others who have chosen to lay aside the God who delivered them from slavery, choosing to worship the powerless idols of the peoples of the land. But it is to this combined group of those who have been called to be faithful that Joshua says, “Choose this day for yourselves whom you will serve.”
Choosing who or what we serve is the most important choice in our lives. When we choose to lay aside the gods of the world and serve the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer of the world, then our lives are no longer lived for ourselves. Choosing to serve God changes the way we think and it changes the way we live our lives day in and day out. Choosing to serve God is not a choice to be taken lightly nor is it a choice to be entered into carelessly nor is it a choice to leave up to someone else.
Choosing to follow God is a choice we must each make. And according to one reading of Joshua it is a choice that we make daily.
That has always struck me as odd – the idea that we have to choose God each day. But the more I think about it, the more truth I see in it. Each day I am faced with decisions that I must make based on my commitment to live the life God desires for me. To profess God with my mouth and then betray him with my actions - is not choosing to faithfully serve God.
Making choices is absolutely central to our lives! When you make one choice, it ends the potential of other choices in that particular area. Whenever we say ‘yes’ to something, we are also saying ‘no’ to other possible choices. Saying “yes” to God is saying “no” to all other ideas, philosophies and actions that go against the teachings of Christ.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words. It is expressed in the choices one makes. In the long run, we shape our lives and we shape ourselves. The process never ends until we die. And the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.”
The bridesmaids in today’s parable had to take responsibility for the decisions they made! Five of them made the decision to take extra oil. And five of them chose to take only the oil in their lamps. When the bridegroom was delayed, all ten fell asleep. And when the knock came on the door to begin the bridal procession only the ones who had taken extra oil were able to participate in the celebration.
Now, much has been made of this parable. Questions about what the “oil” represents; questions about why the five who had oil didn’t share with the five who didn’t; questions about why the bridegroom didn’t show mercy to the five without oil, since it was him who was delayed causing the bridesmaids to run out. But when we start picking this parable apart, we miss the main point of it! This parable is teaching us to make the choice to follow God and then to live lives prepared for Christ’s bidding!
The message of this parable is not as allegorical as some of Christ’s other parables! The message of this parable is simple – Be prepared! Don’t think you can put off until tomorrow the choice to live for Christ today… because you can’t! The kingdom of God is near and none of us knows the day nor the hour of its full arrival. But until the glorious return of Christ, we are to be ready at a moment’s notice to join the bridegroom in the wedding procession!
We are to choose wisely to have our lives in order and to be prepared to serve God. Joshua’s message to the Israelites reminds us to choose this day to serve the Lord with all faithfulness, throwing away the gods and idols of the world. The parable reminds us to choose to serve God and to be prepared for the long hull – if necessary.
If you think back to the Israelites’ time in the wilderness, they turned to idolatry when they felt the Lord was not acting quickly enough (or powerfully enough) in their lives. Why did they construct the Golden Calf? Because Moses had been delayed on the mountain of God and they feared that they were without a leader and a God. This is just one of the many times in the wilderness that the Israelites lost focus on God and made choices that were foolish.
The bridesmaids weren’t punished for not having enough oil. They were punished for losing focus and foolishly not being prepared for Christ when he came.
Are you ready? Are you ready for Christ’s return? Have you made wise choices in your life that have prepared you for the kingdom of God? If Christ came today, would you be prepared – or have you put off until later the choice not only to serve the Lord, but to serve him faithfully?
During one of his expeditions to Antarctic, Sir Ernest Shackleton left some of his men on Elephant Island with the intent of returning for them and carrying them back to England. But he was delayed. By the time he could go back for them the sea had frozen and he had no access to the island. Three times he tried to reach them but was prevented by the ice. Finally, on his fourth try, he broke through and found a narrow channel.
Much to his surprise, he found the crewmen waiting for him, supplies packed and ready to board. They were soon on their way back to England.
Once safely on their way, he asked them how they knew to be ready for him. They told him they didn’t know when he would return, but they were sure he would. So every morning, the leader rolled up his bag, and packed his gear and told the crew to do the same saying, “Get your things ready, boys. The boss may come today.”
What a great message - Get your lives in order, Christ may come today! Live today as if Christ is knocking on your door and bidding you to come. Live today, making wise choices that shape your life to be a faithful servant of God. Live your faith today – for today may be the day of God’s Kingdom.
But be prepared. How many days did Shackleton’s soldiers gather their gear together, waiting expectantly on the shore, only to have night fall and no rescue? But yet, all those days of being prepared and not being rescued finally paid off on the one day that was the most important – the day of Shackleton’s return.
It’s easy to become discouraged. It’s easy to lose heart. It’s easy to begin to question God’s existence in those times when God feels so distant. It’s easy to slip into a routine of unpreparedness. It’s easy to slip into a lifestyle of foolish living – thinking well, there’s always tomorrow to do the work of the Lord. Or there’s always next Sunday to get back to church.
Brothers and sisters, the time is now. The Kingdom is approaching. Be prepared! For the Bridegroom stands among us, beckoning us to follow and to join in the celebration of God’s Kingdom on earth. Choose this day whom you will serve.
The choice is yours… choose wisely.
