Sermon: Keep Awake

 

I’d struggled and sweated over my MPhil thesis through many a long night and finally submitted. I’d kept awake.

I got on a plane back to the US and wrote the sermon for my best friend’s wedding on the 11-hour plane ride from London to Los Angeles. I’d kept awake.

I wrote my Best Man’s toast, and a speech for the bachelor party, on the plane from LA to Eugene, Oregon. I kept awake.

Kevin—my friend who was getting married—picked me up at the airport and took me straight to the bachelor party. I kept awake.

Everyone showed up at the house down by the river
—a bonfire was lit,
a few golf-balls carelessly hit into the Willamette River. Drinks were poured.
I gave my little speech about bachelorhood, brotherhood, and continued friendship. I kept awake.

The party was roaring, such a celebration. I began to talk to a friend who I hadn’t seen in several years. We sat down on a couch…

…Then I was woken up by someone vigorously knocking against my sternum, “Dude,” he said, “I’m glad you woke up. We’d shouted at you,
poured water on you
—I even slapped you in the face a couple’a times.
I can’t believe you slept through Kevin’s bachelor party, man.
I can’t believe you couldn’t keep awake.”

And that’s the bottom line for Matthew today
—Keep Awake!

Let us pray

As I’ve said throughout this year,
Matthew’s Gospel is the one that is most cynical and critical of the Church,
defining it as a mixed body
—filled with both saints and sinners.

Matthew is the one who writes about ONE flock,
filled with both sheep and goats.

He writes about ONE field,
filled with both wheat and weeds.

And, today, he records a parable about ONE wedding party
—10 bridesmaids
—all 10 have lamps, and all 10 are in the same place,
but 5 are wise and 5 are foolish.

The distinction between the two groups is that one set is prepared, the other is not.
And we are left with the admonition: “Keep Awake.”

 

            Keep Awake, do not presume you are
sheep, not goats,
wheat, not weeds…
(because friends we’re both)

            Think of Amos’ preaching—frightening words for those who rested firmly on their own righteousness and religious identity.

            He hears his people praying for the Day of the LORD.
They’re remembering back to the Conquest of Canaan,
when God was on the march and smote Israel’s enemies. They insist that God is on their side.

Amos warns, “I see your religious acts, and I have some bad news for you.
Most of it is pagan nonsense
—your worship literally stinks (verse 21).
Where, in form, you’ve managed to be orthodox,
I look beyond what you do in worship and onto what you do in life.
I see you have built a dam to shut up justice
and made righteousness into a second-rate irrigation ditch.”

You think you’re God’s people
—but you are sleep-walking into disaster.
You are expecting me to bring a blinding burning light,
so you can crush those you hate…
it’s going to be darkness for you,
those enemies will crush you
—one disaster after another.

            You dream that you’re insiders,
that God is on your side,
that you reside in righteousness and purity…
but you’ve put your trust in the wrong thing.

            This is a theme throughout scripture
—that the religious insiders fall asleep,
and manage to sleep-walk out into the wilderness.

In fact, that great Theologian of the Church, St. Augustine, coined a phrase about this, “Many who seem outside the Church, are actually within it; many who seem within the Church, are actually outside it.”

(Does that make sense? not all outsiders are outsiders, not all insiders are insiders.)

 

Keep Awake, awake to curiosity and awake to the possibility of redemption.

If the dividing line is not so clear,
if the tent is wider than you were taught,
or wider than you want it to be
—then be curious.

Awake to the possibility that God might be up to something among those strangers.

Awake to chances for reconciliation.
Instead of violence,
embrace gentleness.
Quoting St. Augustine again, “Christians do not destroy evil, we redeem it.”
If the enemy is truly an enemy, not merely an annoyance or inconvenience,
then love ‘em and pray for ‘em! As the Psalmist says, kindness is like heaping hot coals upon them.

 

            Keep Awake! And do not despair.

            This is Paul’s advice in his earliest letter
—addressing the poor Thessalonians

(they had hoped in end time prophecies…
prophecies that did not come to pass,
some had died before Christ’s return,
and the community was stricken to the heart).

            Yes, mourn for those in your community who have died or are absent,
but do not let it drag you into to disbelief,
don’t let the bottom fall out of your heart.
Trust that your loved ones who are dead are asleep in the Lord. They, like you, wait for Christ’s Triumph
—that’s what Paul is describing after all
—A Triumph:
a Roman Celebratory Parade after a victory
—an Emperor’s victory march…
for Paul, it is now an apt description of the faith.
March, trusting that the one crucified by Rome, is Lord.
The one whom the Emperor killed, is King!

            Jesus Crucified and Risen transforms defeats into victories,
despair into hope!
Be awake for those times when:
the Least is uplifted,
when the Last is first!

 

Keep Awake! Embrace steadfast trust.
Trust even if you’ve fallen asleep.
Even if, like me, when I returned to America, to celebrate that awesome wedding,
you’ve passed out from trying a little too hard. Keep Awake!
Even if you are one of those 5 young women who has found yourself shut out of the Wedding Feast… keep awake!
After all, at the Garden of Gethsemane the disciples too fell asleep,
Jesus asks: “couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour Peter? I see that the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak!”

God was still faithful to them…
and God will still be faithful to you,
to us!

Keep awake, do not presume,
but instead be curious.

Keep awake, do not despair,
instead trust the one who is faithful!

Keep awake!

Amen.