Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church-Friedheim
Celebrating our 167^th Year

A 21^st Century Parish with a 1^st Century Faith
Acts 2:42

Last Sunday of the Church Year
November 20, 2005
Matthew 25:1-13
The Necessity of Faith

+++

The Savior in His love for us told this parable to warn us against the fatal foolishness and to call us to an abiding faith in Him.

Two reasons why:

1.                  We do not know the time of His return.

A.     It could happen on any day at any hour. The foolish are those who will not be ready, because they do not honor the divine Bridegroom and have no desire to celebrate with Him the things that are important to Him – victory over sin and the devil’s kingdom. He is the only hope for salvation for transgressors but they do not repent of their misdeeds and look to Him for spiritual healing. They may no longer believe that there will be a judgment day, or may have the deluded hope that they will escape condemnation because of their good lives. The fact that the time is unknown, and the need for readiness always urgent, must be stressed to them.

B.     The fact that the time is not known causes no alarm to the wise, because they know that they are completely dependent on Christ’s death and righteousness for a favorable verdict in the last judgment. They have confidence that when He comes, He will bestow on them all the blessings and benefits which He earned for them and, indeed has already begun abundantly do so. Therefore, they are living out their faith in Him now, serving God with a deep sense of gratitude for this gracious provision of salvation.

2.                  Only the one who trusts in the Savior can joyfully anticipate His return.

A.     The wise are those who joyfully look forward to the great day when Christ will fully reveal His now hidden majesty and bestow glory and eternal joy on those who hope in Him. They long for His coming to remove everything that opposes His reign. For they are disgusted with their own flesh and weakness and saddened that the kingdom of God and His Word meet so much opposition this perverse world. The excitement of faith and the sure hope with which the wise wait for these marvelous things to happen are not and cannot be shared by the foolish who have lost their faith that Christ is going to come and bring these things to pass.

B.     We believers need the renewing, strengthening influences of the means of grace, by which God keeps our lamps of faith from going out, and must under no circumstances neglect to use and draw life from them. His Word brings to us believers the Gospel of the Kingdom, impressing upon us that He has been merciful to us sinners, for the sake of Christ and that this means that the Redeemer is coming to give us a crown of glory that will not fade away. In Holy Communion we receive the body and blood of Christ given and shed for our sins, and our trust in His sacrifice and grace is renewed and built up. Thus we proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

+ Soli Deo Gloria +