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Sunday, November 6, 2005

Sermon: “Power Nap”

Scripture: Matthew 25: 1-13

Reverend Larry Gerber

 

The power nap.

Fifteen quick minutes in the late afternoon can battle back the post-lunch weariness of the busy executive, the stay-at-home parent or the student facing a term-paper deadline. It’s no siesta, but it’s enough to restore vitality for the final push of the day. But, a power nap of 10 minutes at this juncture of the worship service will net you a loss of todays message. Keep your lamps burning!

If you really want to talk about effective snoozing, look no further than the black bear. Recent research is beginning to unpack the amazing slumber skills of these animals. They hibernate for up to four months during the winter, without ever waking up to eat, drink, relieve themselves or exercise. And while the catatonic inactivity of hibernating bears may drop their heart rate to as low as six beats per minute, they still burn an amazing 4,000 calories per day!

But what is truly amazing about these power-nappers is the ability to emerge from hibernation at almost the same level of physical strength and stamina as when they started their season-skipping siesta. Through daily regimens of muscle stimulation and contraction, bears are able to both maintain their constant body temperature and keep their massive muscles in working shape.
 
Four months off and good as new. That’s a true power nap.

Now researchers are hoping to learn the science behind the regenerating-while-napping black bear, hoping to apply their findings to the bedridden or to those with degenerative neuromuscular diseases. But while the deep sleep of hibernation is great for bears and may one day impact medical therapy, not all slumber is equally beneficial.

Fall asleep on Jesus, and you may not emerge feeling so rested and refreshed.

When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, he used parables with illustrations from everyday life to make his point. In Matthew 25, he tells the story of 10 single virgins who go out to meet a prospective bridegroom. But the groom is running late, and so they all nod off for a while ... a power nap before the courting begins.

Eventually the Bachelor arrived, but not every Bachelorette got a rose that night. While all were eager for the opportunity to meet a potential quality mate, only five were eligible and invited to the party.

Now we know that Jesus was able to nap, even while frothy seas stormed around him (Luke 8:23). And the issue in this story is not the fact that the bridesmaids napped as well, because all 10 did so. The issue is that only five woke up prepared and ready to go in the middle of the night. Jesus is warning against bad kingdom catnaps; hibernating without remaining strong and ready to go.

Evn though the coming of the bridegroom was delayed, it was still an eventual reality (25:5-6). As Christians living 2,000 years after the first coming of Christ, might it be too easy to forget that his second coming could happen on a day when we do not expect him and at an hour we are not aware of (25:13). Winter will change to spring, and then there will be no more time for sleeping.

Unfortunately, our day goes by and we assume Jesus has not come.

True: There have been no apocalyptic fireworks, no trumpets sounding, no clouds parting. No parousia.  None of that.

But here’s the good news: Jesus came today, and it’s possible we were so asleep that we didn’t notice, and if we were awake, our lamps were so dim that we couldn’t see him.

Jesus was here today. Jesus was here yesterday. And Jesus is going to be here tomorrow.

So where will we find him?

If we’re awake and alert, if our lamps are trimmed to shed some light, we’ll see Jesus in the prisons, along the highways, in our schools, in our neighborhoods, at the food bank, in the soup kitchen, at the office, and in the hospital. We will see Jesus in the person sitting next to us.

But if we’re lazy, if we’re sleepy, if we’ve lost muscle tone — there’s no chance that we’ll ever see Jesus.

 Jesus warned against not being ready when he comes.

Five of the virgins were un-bear like. They emerged from their hibernation and they weren’t prepared for the advent of the bridegroom. They had to run off to the market to buy oil in order to prepare their lamps for meeting him.

So how prepared are we for the coming of the Lord? Can we awake during this delay prepared to meet him, or must we still scramble to get pretty and party-worthy?

To do so, we’ve got to keep the lamps trimmed. Putting our spiritual lives in order is not something to be put off till a later day. The day to be ready for the bridegroom is today and not tomorrow.

So what is the oil we are short of? How might we scramble around to get ready for confronting Christ today?

Oil in Scripture is often a symbol for the Holy Spirit. Perhaps we try to spring into action without submitting our work, our intentions, our purpose to the Holy Spirit so that God’s Spirit can fill our deeds with power and effectiveness.

Or perhaps we’re short of the oil of kindness and compassion. There’s no way we’re ready to meet Jesus in the person of the unloved and unfortunate lacking the essential oils of compassion and mercy.

Perhaps we’re short of the oil of patience and long-suffering. Without such oil, we’re ill-equipped to deal with Jesus who comes to us in the form of a person who needs long-term love, extensive patience and guidance.

Perhaps we’re short of the oil of education and instruction. We’re not adequately trained to be of service where we have the natural skills and the interest to minister. Perhaps God is calling us to take our expertise and skills to another level in order to more adequately meet Jesus when he comes to us.

To be prepared for the party, we’re to trim our lamps daily. In hindsight, all 10 virgins would have had oil ready on that evening, and the five who didn’t would lament about just how unsatisfying the unprepared life really can be.

Finally, there is a somber ending to this warning against slumber. The opportunity to be included as a member of God’s kingdom eventually comes to an end. That is why the previous lesson of being prepared has such import.

But aren’t we used to plenty of second chances? Kids cry out “do-overs” if they don’t like the outcome of a game played with friends. High-school students can retake the SAT to improve their scores. The delete key on our computers quickly offers the chance to “ficks meestakes” that an old typewriter never could. In fact, the love and grace of God offer plenty of second chances ... even seven times 70 chances if necessary.

But there is an eventual end point at which these second chances are no more. Lazarus knew it. One of the thieves on the cross knew it. And Jesus obviously knew it as well (25:11-12). When the bridegroom does return, the opportunities to prepare for him are no longer presented.

Jesus sounds a loving warning: “Live a spiritual life that is already prepared for my return.”

How then do we respond to this parable?

We might take a spiritual inventory of our lives. What areas can we see that would be like the untrimmed lamp? What oil do we need to go and buy now? In our devotional lives ... in our workplace ... in our friendships with pre-Christians ... in the way we treat our families ... in the choices we make when nobody else is looking?

And aren’t there interesting implications for our loved ones as well? The point of the story is not the relationship between the five prepared and the five unprepared virgins. However, is it not also true that the most loving thing the former could have done for the latter would have been to bring enough oil to share with them?

As those who are prepared, we know that the “Groom” is coming and that the “Groom” is already here and will present himself on any number of occasions every day of our lives. What more loving thing can we do for others than to help them be prepared, calling them from their sleep and helping them find oil to trim their lamps? The “Groom” wants as many guests as possible to enter his party, and we can lovingly help prepare others for the feast.

And finally, we must remember what we are preparing for. It is a wedding banquet. A party. Not something woeful. And this reality should speak to our motivation in the spiritual life. Be prepared.

When the busy week is over and we are getting ready to go to a party at a friend’s house, that is a good thing. It is fun anticipation. There is no motivation of panic or obligation. We look forward to the community of friends we will be with and we anticipate the festivities that we are getting ready for.

Jesus is coming, in fact he is already here. The table is ready. Come and feast. It will be a banquet of unending satisfaction.  Even better than a power nap, or even a power bar: the bread and the cup of Jesus Christ. A feast of renewal…..please read with me, the Prayer of Humble Access, as printed in your bulletin: ……………
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