“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day
or the hour.” (Matthew
25:13)
It
was a brisk October day in 1844. All over Upstate New York and New England
thousands were devoting themselves to prayer. They were keeping themselves
awake mentally and spiritually. Some had sold their farms. Many had paid all
their debts and even paid debts owed by friends and relatives. They had
forgiven those who’d trespassed against them. They were ready for the Big Event
of October 22nd.
These
pious, devout believers had been followers of a Baptist preacher named William
Miller. Miller had been a Deist in his youth. He believed God had created the
universe but was no longer active in its day-to-day running. But, while serving
in the infantry in the War of 1812, Miller had a conversion experience. Having
been saved from almost certain death, the young man began to see God’s hand in
everything. He converted to Christianity, became a preacher, and spent seven
years studying every word of the Bible in minute detail. He found, he believed,
an interconnectedness within the Scriptures which led him to a startling
conclusion: Jesus Christ would return to earth on October 22, 1844[i].
As
you may have noticed, Jesus didn’t show.
The
result was that thousands left the Millerite cult, and thousands left the
Christian faith altogether. The event became known as The Great Disappointment.
In
the gospel lesson from the Revised Common Lectionary for Pentecost 24, Year A
(Matthew 25: 1-13), Jesus tells a story about ten bridesmaids who are sent to
greet a bridegroom in a wedding procession. The groom is delayed[ii] in coming. The girls keep
waiting. Eventually all ten fall asleep. Five of them, however, are prepared
for the delay and have brought extra oil for their lamps, but five of them
haven’t supplied themselves with the stuff they’ll need when the thing they’re
waiting for doesn’t happen.
Have
you noticed how much of our lives are spent waiting for stuff to happen? I hope
that we, unlike the Millerites of yore, aren’t sitting around waiting for the
Second Coming. I was asked recently if I believed in the Biblical prophecy of
the End Times, and I had to reply that there is no Biblical prophecy of the End
Times. Yes, the Bible predicts war, devastation, mass starvation, and a host of
other very disagreeable things. All of which have happened, are happening now
as you read this, and, sadly, will continue to happen. The Bible is our guide
and inspiration, but we’d best be on our guard against the William Millers of
this world who want to turn it into a crystal ball and make it say something
its writers never intended.
This
gospel passage challenges us to have enough oil in our lamps to go forward
after our own Great Disappointments. Have you ever been disappointed? Is there
some “Bridegroom” out there you’ve been waiting for who just doesn’t show up
when he’s supposed to? Are you looking to see the stars align for you, and they
stubbornly refuse to do so? You’re not alone.
The
life of a Christian is always one of waiting. Of now but not yet. Now we are
baptized. We live in the promise of God’s love. We’ve been told about a Savior
who was born in poverty, made to become a refugee, worked for a living, was
humble enough to be baptized by a fellow who thought himself unworthy, was
temped by the devil, taught, healed, blessed, forgave, made friends and
followers by the thousands, fed multitudes, calmed storms, relieved fears, raised
the dead, and was crucified, died, and rose again. We live in the “now” of
knowing God sent God’s love into the world for us, and yet the world still
seems to be an awfully screwed-up place. So, we keep waiting.
What
is the oil with which we’ve supplied ourselves? Martin Luther would remind us
it’s faith in God’s grace. Yes, we’ve seen how rotten, lonely, and
disappointing this world can be. But we’ve also seen God’s mighty acts of
healing again and again. Catastrophes have led to compassion. Hunger has
inspired generosity. Moments of fear have led to lives of strength when the
fear has passed. Uncertainty has led to courage. Injustice has brought about a
rage for righteousness. Even sickness and bereavement have led to insight for
the afflicted and inspiration for those who love them.
How
has the Lord been present in your life? Have you ever written down on a piece
of paper the number of times you’ve been rescued from trouble or despair? Have
you recognized the angels God has put in your life? Have you ever been given an
unexpected blessing while you were waiting for something else?
The
world is still scary and cruel. We wait in anticipation and with longing for
the Kingdom of God. But we wait supplied with the knowledge of God’s mighty
acts on our behalf, with the scriptures, the sacraments, the hymns, and the
love of one another. We have plenty of oil to get us through the night.
Keep
your lamp burning, my friend. Let me know if there’s something you’d like me to
discuss, and I’ll do my best. God bless you.
[i]
Actually, it was another former scoffer, the journalist Samuel Snow who was
influenced by Miller’s calculations, who fixed the October date. Miller gave
the Second Coming a ballpark figure of sometime between March 1843 and March
1844. You can read the whole story at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Disappointment
[ii]
Just FYI, I can tell you as an ordained pastor for the better part of 30 years
that there has probably NEVER been a wedding in recorded history which has
started on time.