What Does a Watchful Christian Look Like?

24th Sunday after Pentecost, 11/12/23 Matthew 25:1-13 What Does a Watchful Christian Look Like? I. They are faithful. II. They are prepared. What does a sports fan look like? Let me sharpen that question just a tad. What does a football fan look like? Well, they might wear their team’s colors, perhaps even an official-looking jersey. They might have other team apparel. Their team’s games might be the highlight of their weekend. They might even spend a good deal of money to attend a game. But looks can be deceiving. Perhaps they received the team apparel as a gift and don’t care at all for the team. Perhaps they’re sitting in the stands at a game, but it’s only because it’s a social or work outing. Here's another one: What does an employee look like? They might be wearing the required uniform. Or maybe the shirt they’re wearing has the company logo on it. Maybe their name is printed on a badge, a desk, or even a door. Those are all good indications that such a person is an employee, but they don’t tell you how dedicated they are. Maybe they’re just putting in their time. Maybe they’re good at finding everything but work to do. Sad to say, they might even be engaged in activity detrimental to the success of the business. What does a parent look like? Well, we hope it’s one who loves their child deeply and is constantly watching out for the good of their child. But you know that isn’t always the case. It’s sad when we know or hear about parents who are no longer fit to parent their child. Just because they are legally the child’s parent doesn’t mean much. Are you wearing the name “Christian”? I hope so. And if so, what does it mean to you? How does it affect your life? When others see you, do they immediately recognize the Christian jersey you’re wearing, and, is it obvious to all the connection between your name and your life, or is it just a jersey you’re wearing because someone gave it to you and you feel like wearing it that day? What does a Christian look like? Our worship theme this morning makes one characteristic obvious: They watch for the bridegroom, Jesus Christ, to return. That’s what this parable in Matthew 25 is all about. Watching for Jesus. But just what does that mean? What does it look like? What does a watchful Christian look like? Let’s listen as Jesus helps us answer that question this morning. Part I. Consumer marketing has any number of guidelines, rules, and/or tactics which are designed to enhance the marketing of a product. In retail sales, one of those guidelines is to offer a prospective customer something to get them in the door the first time and then continue to offer them something to keep them coming back. Repeat customers/loyal customers are the golden goose of retail sales. Christianity has nothing to sell you, and it’s not in the business of monetary profit (at least it shouldn’t be), but keeping Christians engaged in their faith is one of the ultimate goals of the Christian church on earth. The Lord Jesus wants you to enjoy and appreciate the gifts he gives you so much that you keep coming back to him for more. I realize that some of the details of the Parable of the Ten Virgins can be confusing. How terrible that some of the women miss out on the banquet! Why? And why does the bridegroom, who is Jesus, shut the door on them when they try to enter? And why does he end this parable with these harsh words, “Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.” Wow! That hurts! Jesus speaks this parable for a couple main reasons, and one of them is that Jesus not only wants people to become connected to him, he wants them to remain connected to him. In other words, he wants—better, he requires—faithfulness. And that, my friends, is the first characteristic that Jesus looks for in a watchful Christian. Listen again to the opening words of this text, “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.” If Jesus is looking for faithful Christians to be watchful, at first it sounds like this parable introduces us immediately to ten of them. But the very next sentence we read inserts a distinction. Five were wise and five were foolish. And Jesus immediately informs us on what basis that distinction is made. The wise ones brought extra oil while the foolish ones did not. We could spend a good deal of time discussing what Jesus means, but let’s cut to the chase. Here’s what Jesus means. He’s not just looking for his people to say, “Yes, Jesus, I do want to be with you and I will watch for you.” He’s looking for follow-through. He’s looking for commitment. He’s looking for faithfulness. That means he’s looking for his people—Christians—not only to profess being Christians but to follow through with it in their daily lives. He's looking for people who are in this for the long haul—however long it takes—until the Bridegroom shows up and the heavenly banquet begins. And that takes commitment. Unwavering commitment. Commitment even in the face of ungodly pressures to relax our commitment to him, at least for the time being. Commitment to resist the thinking that we can come back to Jesus in fuller measure when we aren’t so busy or have nothing better to do. Really? Is that really such a huge problem? Do some Christians really struggle with being faithful to Jesus? Do I really need to help you answer that for yourself? I’m not a betting man, but if I were, I would lay big money on the bet that every single one of us knows someone close to us that used to be close to Christ and isn’t anymore. Am I right? And if it’s happened to someone close to us, what makes us think we’re immune to it? I don’t think any Christian ever woke up one morning and stated, “I’m going to start drifting further away from Jesus today.” It doesn’t happen that way! Instead, Satan lulls us with spiritual drowsiness. That’s why Jesus spoke this parable—as a warning to his people. He wants every one of us to be watchful. But just what does a watchful Christian look like? They are faithful. Raise your hand if you are absolutely confident that your faithfulness to Jesus is flawless. That’s what I thought. I didn’t raise my hand either. I’d like people to think my faithfulness is flawless, but I know better. The sinful choices I make in my life are the screaming evidence that I’m not always committed to Jesus. Like yours, my faithfulness to Jesus ebbs and wanes. Like a roller coaster ride, it’s full speed ahead one moment and barely moving the next. Jesus knows that. It’s why he shares this parable with us. He wants us to recognize and confess the fact that our faithfulness to him isn’t what it should be a single day of our lives. And our watchfulness for our Bridegroom suffers. But isn’t it wonderful to hear about his forgiveness? Isn’t it comforting to know that he removes our unfaithfulness and replaces it with his holy faithfulness by faith in him? What a relief to know that the same Jesus who sacrificed himself for us, lives in us and empowers us to be faithful in watching for him to return! Part II. In this parable, Jesus is urging us to be prepared for the future. And we take pride in doing so. None of us wants to be caught unprepared. We spend a good deal of time with professionals receiving financial advice, employment advice, retirement advice, health advice, so that we are prepared for what may come. But how can you prepare for the return of the Bridegroom, Jesus? If you think you’re prepared right now (you’re sitting in church, after all), how can you be sure you’ll be prepared tomorrow? Next year? Twenty years from now? For the answer to those questions, let’s go back to the details of the parable. The wise women took extra oil for their lamps. So, what does the oil in the parable represent? There are several good answers, but I think the most complete answer to that question is what the Holy Spirit wants to do for you every day of your life on earth. The oil is his work in you. In his Explanation to the Third Article of the Apostles’ Creed, Martin Luther wrote (say it along with me in your hearts and minds if you recall it), “The Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.” Do those words ring a bell? In short, Luther stated that the Holy Spirit not only wants to bring you to faith in Jesus, he wants to keep you in that faith. That faith is represented as the oil. Five of the women still had it when the Bridegroom arrived. The faith of the other five ran out. They lost their faith. They were shut out of the banquet. How did that happen? They didn’t keep connected to Jesus through his means of grace—his word, and his sacraments. So, how will you make sure your faith doesn’t run out before the Bridegroom returns? Keep hearing and reading the word of God. If you’re not baptized, be baptized. And then keep receiving the Lord’s Supper. Pretty simple, isn’t it? What Jesus wants from us—to be prepared—he supplies for us through his word and sacraments. What does a watchful Christian look like? They are prepared The trend in modern society is for people to consider their spiritual lives to be very personal and private. Someone else’s spiritual life isn’t my business and mine isn’t theirs. We’re accountable to no one but ourselves. But that’s not what we’re all about as a congregation of Christians who are committed to the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. We’re in this together. We need each other desperately. The path to heaven is simple—by faith in Jesus alone—but keeping in that faith is a daily battle against the forces of hell and our own sinful nature. You are prepared for the Bridegroom by faith in Jesus—confessing your sins and trusting in him for forgiveness and eternal life. Now make sure the person next to you is prepared. Think of your loved ones. Think of your friends and acquaintances. Do what you can when you have the opportunity to help them in their spiritual lives. And all the while recall this question: What does a watchful Christian look like? They are committed to Jesus, and they are prepared by faith in him. May the Lord accomplish that saving goal in each and every one of us! Amen.