On Getting Rid of God

On Getting Rid of God

The first thing I’m going to ask you to do is read this parable that Jesus told.
And before you do, I’d like to ask you to take this question along with you as you read it: “Who said that anybody needed trimmed lamps in order to meet the bridegroom?”
Ok, let’s have some fun.
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.
25:2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
25:3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;
25:4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.
25:5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.
25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
25:7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'
25:9 But 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.'
25:10 And 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.
25:11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.'
25:12 But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'
25:13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

Please listen to a word about God from Robert Capon:

“God is not our mother-in-law, coming to see whether her wedding present china has been chipped. He is [rather] a funny Old Uncle with a salami under one arm and a bottle of wine under the other. We do indeed need to watch for him; but only because it would be such a pity to miss all the fun.”
(Kingdom, Grace, Judgment, Robert Capon, 2002, p. 501)

We think this story in Matthew 25 of the 10 Virgins that Jesus tells is about the mother-in-law checking up on us and we need to be attentive and watch out for her.
It’s actually about the funny and fun Old Uncle coming over who is the life of the party.

But how is that? How is this story of 10 Virgins that seems to tell us that God is like the Bridegroom arriving and if you are not ready….and “ready” means believing correctly that he is God and behaving nicely to everybody and in everything…..if you are not ready you get condemned…..how is this a story about God as the Old Uncle wanting to throw us a party and not the mother-in-law coming to inspect?

Think about this. All ten virgins are invited to the party in the first place. They are all in the wedding. Everybody is in before anybody is out (you might want to notice that this is a theme, a principle, and mode of action or whatever you want to call it that runs through all of Jesus’ stories…especially all of these in Matthew 25 that we so easily dismiss as saying God is in the business of kicking people out of his presence).

Everybody here is in. Everybody in the story is invited. Everybody is in the presence of God.

Now then. Why are the five so-called “foolish” left out in the end?

Try this: maybe the foolishness was that they thought they needed oil in order to see the Bridegroom. You remember the story: they ran away from their waiting in order to get more oil because they ran out of oil. But why did they need oil? Well, now, everybody knows you need oil when trimming your lamps and lighting them up! Yes, but did they need a trimmed and full lamp to greet the Bridegroom? Who made up those rules? Can’t the Bridegroom decide who gets in based on what he thinks and not on what they do? Can’t they just be there, just as they are, all empty and untrimmed lamps and all! Of course not….not according to reasonable propriety! They need to be “ready!”

Friends, there is judgment. But the judgment on us is self-inflicted. It is not a condemnation from God upon us because we won’t do well or believe correctly. It is a separation we create by refusing to let God decide who gets to stick with God. The judgment is thinking and behaving as if what really matters is what we do and say rather than what God does and says. Living under constant threat of condemnation by God is a false reality that we have made reality (the “real world”!) because we can’t stand what happens if we don’t live with it. If we can’t change our relationship or standing with God by doing good things or believing the right things….then what are we left with?! Oh my goodness! We are left with the only thing we can do….depend on God alone! And who wants to leave everything up to God!? Can’t we have any say in the matter!!!!?
And don’t think this is just something that so-called religious people think about or deal with. Non-religious people don’t like God calling all the shots because that would mean all their wonderful plans really are contingent after all. Religious people don’t like God calling all the shots because that would mean all their wonderful faith really gets them nowhere. Non-religious people don’t want to depend on God alone because that would mean there is more than flesh and blood now and forever. Religious people don’t want to depend on God alone because that would mean they are no more than flesh and blood now and forever.

Listen closely.
What God wants is us, not our “trimmed lamps.”
He wants you with your troubled mortgages and your slumping businesses that are causing you not just sleepless nights but a damaged future. He wants you with your misbehaving and underperforming children that you try so hard to turn around. He wants you as is. He doesn’t want you running off to get pretty. You don’t have time for that. He doesn’t have time for that. The time is now. He is here now. Are you ready?

Listen closely again.
Jesus’ message was not that God would arrive someday in the future and judge. His message was that God had arrived then and there and judges. “The Kingdom of God is near…repent, and believe the good news!” (Mark 1). Or, as I like to put it: “God has come close to you and he wants to do stuff!” Jesus is telling us that God is here….now…and his very presence brings a judgment on us.

And what is God doing….here?
Oh my goodness…..he is throwing a party! Break out the salami! Pour the wine!
Enjoy!
“Peace I give to you,” Jesus said. “Not as the world gives do I give to you! Let not your hearts be troubled! Believe in God and believe also in me!” (John 14).

And what is the judgment? Not that he throws you out….but that you and I…we throw him out!!!!

But……watch how difficult this enjoying the party really is….watch how difficult it is not to throw God out!....as if you need to be told! You and I live it everyday!

God is present….and all is well, right? Yes, but you have just lost your retirement savings in the stock market crash and you have lost your job or your business or your health….

See?

See how easy it is to throw God out! Who wants a crazy Old Uncle showing up when all of this is coming down!

Wait until things improve….wait until you feel better…..wait until you are ready for a party….then maybe you can let Old Funny Uncle in.

But no. Don’t you see? Your time is up. You can’t go and get ready. He is here now. And if you don’t let him in….you will MISS OUT!!!!

Will you trust him now….in your broken world and broken spirit? ‘Cause if you don’t, you throw him out. Again, let me say that…slowly: you…throw…him…out!

Don’t miss out…on how wonderful it is to simply let him in when your lamps are untrimmed and you are falling apart and have nothing to offer. Things might be so bad that you can’t even offer your belief. No matter. Please let him take you in.


So….God is blessing and healing the world….and when we get it, when we get that, we have this cool thing to do: join in!
Let me tell you today that when you give to God and his mission of throwing parties for broken people….forgiveness and love at cost to God and not to us…..you are recognizing that there are THOUSANDS of people who need to hear and know that the funny Old Uncle has arrived in their life and he’s got the salami and he’s got the wine. Now. Not later. Now.
You have received the generosity of God and now you give in the generosity of God!
There are too many people missing out on the good news of Jesus Christ.
There are too many people who think that Jesus Christ is bad news and not good news!
We give because our purpose in life of sharing this good news is too vital to let slip away.
We don’t miss out…Thanks be to God. We give!
And we don’t want others to miss out.
We give!
Thanks be to God!