Did You Miss the Wedding?

Devotional Reflection, Monday, July 15, 2024

Proper 10, the week of the eighth Sunday after Pentecost

The Rev. David W. Perkins, Th.D.

Key phrases for reflection from today’s reading:

10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

You will find the full text of today’s Gospel at the end of this reflection.

Daily Office Lectionary Readings (BCP, 975)

AM Psalm 25; PM Psalm 9, 15

Joshua 2:1-14; Rom. 11:1-12; Matt. 25:1-13

David’s Reflections

Yankee Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra once quipped, “You can observe a lot by watching.”+ The parable in today’s Gospel is all about watching, being alert.

Can you imagine Jesus' original telling of this story to a mixed audience of disciples, religious leaders, and other fellow Jews. The marriage feast serves as a metaphor for the coming of God's Kingdom. Just as the bride and bridegroom have been united in marriage, so the Messiah was expected to come as Israel’s bridegroom.  From what little we know of Palestinian wedding customs, after the wedding, the bride and groom would return to his father's house for the marriage feast. So, Israel and the Messiah would celebrate the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in a great wedding banquet of salvation.

In Jesus’ story, the ten maidens await the bridegroom's arrival at his father's home with oil lamps. Five of them have brought reserve oil. We are probably to think of various groups and individuals within Israel who were waiting eagerly for Messiah's coming. When the arrival of the bridegroom and bride got delayed, the maidens slept. Then, suddenly, the bridegroom drew near. The maidens awakened and trimmed their lamps, but five discovered that all their oil had been consumed.  They were forced to scurry off to buy more, but meanwhile the bridegroom arrived and the feast began. When they returned, the door had been shut and they were not admitted.

Verse 12 reminds us of Matthew 7:23, another eschatological judgment scene.  As with the five maidens, many in Israel had not prepared well for the delay. When Messiah arrived, they were preoccupied with concerns other than his arrival, and they were in danger of missing the moment with all its significance. Once that opportunity had passed, it could not be recovered. Salvation history was taking place right before them, and the window of response time would only be open for a limited moment.

How often does Jesus' presence, the presence of the Kingdom of God, draw near us? How many times in a day are we confronted with Jesus' presence in a person in need (Matt. 25:31-46)? How many unrecoverable moments come for loving service? How many relational windows open but briefly. I think of my two children, now 46 and 43, the younger, Katie, now married to John and, with him, parenting Lyra (16) and Jonas (14).  The older son, Ben, and his wife, Jenny have a son, Will (12).  The moment of Ben’s and Katie’s childhood has come and gone, and within that larger moment were folded many smaller moments, unrecoverable if lost, moments for knowing them, for loving them, for celebrating their presence and Jesus' presence in them. How many “wedding moments” have I missed? How many more might present themselves?

The toughest challenge for Christian faith may be to stay awake and alert in those parentheses where not much significant seems to be happening. The everyday routine can become an epiphany of Christ's sudden presence.  Only as we become more "epiphany-sensitive" will we miss fewer of those “wedding moments.” Perhaps our prayer should be, "Lord Christ, appear as you will and let me be ultimately watchful today. I want to dive into every significant moment. Please keep me with my feet on the edge of the pool prepared to plunge in at any moment. Help me not to miss the wedding.”

Yogi had it right. “You can observe a lot by watching,”+

+Yogi Berra, The Yogi Book. (New York: Workman, 2010), p. 123.

Collect of the Day, Proper 10, the eighth Sunday after Pentecost

O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of your people who call upon you, and grant that they may know and understand what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.  (BCP, 231)

A Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (BCP, 99)

A Prayer for Seeing Others as Community

Gracious God, thank you for the diversity of human beings that surround me on every side. In the ideas, in the hopes, in the dreams, and in the struggles of those who share this earthly life, let me find that through a community of human beings I am made fuller and more alive. Let the fullness given by community give me the courage to offer my own unique self with humility to the lives of others. As we all share in the life that you have so graciously given us, may we be the lights of your love to one another. Amen.

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http://www.explorefaith.org/prayer/essays/communitypray.html

A Prayer for Light

Grant us, Lord, the lamp of charity which never fails, that it may burn in us and shed its light on those around us, and that by its brightness we may have a vision of that holy City, where dwells the true and never-failing Light, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 110)

A Collect for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP, 100, 257)

Daily Office Gospel, Matthew 25:1-13

25:1‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” 10And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Daily Offices in the Book of Common Prayer

Morning Prayer, Rite 2, page 75, The Book of Common Prayer

Noonday Prayer, page 103, Book of Common Prayer

Order of Worship for Evening (Vespers), p 109, Book of Common Prayer

Evening Prayer, Rite 2, page 115, Book of Common Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer), page 127, Book of Common Prayer

Daily Devotionals, page 136, Book of Common Prayer