Then…this kingdom of God will be like this.

As Jesus says this, we prepare ourselves for something wonderful. Gates of pearl. Streets of gold. The problem; that’s not Jesus, that’s John…in Revelation. A very different picture is being painted here, and the clue is in the word ‘Then.’

The Revised Common Lectionary - that otherwise helpful guide to Biblical exploration - does us no favours today. We have come in at the end of a long and (frankly) terrible section of Matthew’s gospel.

Upon arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus has some very public arguments with religious leaders, then offers a series of statements that suggest to his disciples that the world must be coming to an end. Betrayal, persecution, great suffering - all this Jesus calls ‘the beginning of the birth pangs.’ (there’s another clue)

Three. follow two parabolic stories about watchfulness; one of which is an horrific story about a slave who chooses to murder staff when the master’s return is delayed. This is not a very pleasant portion of the Gospel. And finally - this morning’s reading.

The word ‘then’ is doing a lot of work here. But what kind of work? Is Jesus giving us chronology (first this, then that)? Or is he offering comparison (if not this, then that.)?

For the record, I think we have been led astray for a long time where this parable is concerned. We’ve been told (and not without reason) that we must hold ourselves ready. We’ve been told that God acts in mysterious ways, and that Christ’s return could come at any moment. The problem is - This isn’t a parable of the ‘second coming.’

In the chapters that come before, Jesus is clear that no one knows the timing - that readiness is essential where the kingdom of God is concerned. But remember, Jesus has been (throughout the gospel) describing a kingdom that is in the here and now (not some ‘pie in the sky by and by when you die’) He tells his disciples (and anyone who will listen) that the kingdom is already among them/within them

This is not a parable of the second coming.

Five are wise - lamps in hand, oil jars full and ready.

Five are foolish - no extra oil, and no sense of why they might need it.

In the context of this part of Matthew’s gospel, this is a parable about hypocrisy.

Jesus is scornful of those who play religious games - those who claim to know the mind of God - those who inhabit the office of religious expert with no regard for the responsibility that comes with that office.

More and more, the loudest voices in Christianity are happy to tell us what they know - and that only they could possibly know. Those voices disguise themselves in righteousness, and claim that their imagined persecutions are signs and signals that ‘we need to take our institutions back’ from secular forces. Thos voices claim to know God’s mind, and are happy to interpret for the rest of us. This turns out to be a particularly horrible strategy (at least south of the border) It is also the very thing that Jesus is warning against in chapters 23-25 of Matthew’s Gospel.

Public proclamation is essential, but it must come with a level of humility that is very hard to manage - especially if your goal is power and control.

The religious authorities come in for harsh treatment by Jesus because their goal was preservation of the status quo. Their positions were secure - their lives were comfortable. It was enough that they held the authority. What they did with that authority was the problem.

Five foolish bridesmaids carry lamps - they look the part - but they do not accept the responsibility of ‘light bearers. They imagine that their ‘appearance’ (look at my lamp) will be enough. It is not.

The task of bearing the light - the responsibility of bearing witness to the kingdom (on earth) requires effort, preparation, and the humility to ‘know what you don’t know.’

The wise didn’t know when the door would be opened - don’t know when the opportunity to bear witness might be given. They stay ready.

You don’t need me to tell you that the world is changing. Some will read thie section of Matthew’s gospel and tell you that we have finally come to that promised moment in time - desolating sacrilege, persecution, chaos and all that. Some will tell you that they have expected this, and are ready. Good for them.

For my part, I’m ready too - for the shift in the world that requires me - as a follower of Jesus - to act with compassion, to stand up against hatred - to welcome the stranger - to embrace the new thing that God seems to be doing (that looks nothing like what we though God might do)

My identity as a minister of the gospel is not enough to give me credibility. I need to be ready - we all need to be ready - to work for the change that brings God’s rule of love and grace to bear on the world we live in - the world God loves.

Christian symbols and Christian superiority (or Christian pearl-clutching) is not the sure sign of God’s rule of love. The exercise of Jesus way of sacred service - the generosity of spirit and the warm and open welcome of our shared humanity - these are signs of the kingdom. This is the light we must bear. This is how we show ourselves ready for anything.