8
9
10 Leo the Great, Bishop of Rome, 461 was an Italian aristocrat, and was the first pope to have been called "the Great". He is perhaps best known for having met Attila the Hun in 452 and persuading him to turn back from his invasion of Italy.
11 Martin, Bishop of Tours, 397 was Bishop of Tours, whose shrine in France became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognisable Christian saints
12 Charles Simeon, Priest, 1836
13
14 Consecration of Samuel Seabury, First American Bishop, 1784
15 Francis Asbury, 1816, and George Whitefield, 1770, Evangelists


OLD TESTAMENT:  Joshua 24: 1 - 3a, 14 - 25  (RCL)

Josh 24:1 (NRSV) Then Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to She'chem, and summoned the elders, the heads, the judges, and the officers of Israel; and they presented themselves before God. 2 And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Long ago your ancestors--Te'rah and his sons Abraham and Na'hor--lived beyond the Euphrates and served other gods. 3 Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Ca'naan and made his offspring many.

14 "Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. 15 Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Am'orites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
16 Then the people answered, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods; 17 for it is the LORD our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; 18 and the LORD drove out before us all the peoples, the Am'orites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the LORD, for he is our God."
19 But Joshua said to the people, "You cannot serve the LORD, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. 20 If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good." 21 And the people said to Joshua, "No, we will serve the LORD!" 22 Then Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve him." And they said, "We are witnesses." 23 He said, "Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "The LORD our God we will serve, and him we will obey." 25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at She'chem.


Wisdom of Solomon 6: 12 - 16  (C of E, Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)

Wis 6:12 (NRSV) Wisdom is radiant and unfading,
and she is easily discerned by those who love her,
and is found by those who seek her.
13 She hastens to make herself known to those who desire her.
14 One who rises early to seek her will have no difficulty,
for she will be found sitting at the gate.
15 To fix one's thought on her is perfect understanding,
and one who is vigilant on her account will soon be free from care,
16 because she goes about seeking those worthy of her,
and she graciously appears to them in their paths,
and meets them in every thought.


Amos 5: 18 - 24  (alt. for RCL, alt. for C of E) (an alternative for the Wisdom reading)

Amos 5:18 (NRSV) Alas for you who desire the day of the LORD!
Why do you want the day of the LORD?
It is darkness, not light;
19 as if someone fled from a lion,
and was met by a bear;
or went into the house and rested a hand against the wall,
and was bitten by a snake.
20 Is not the day of the LORD darkness, not light,
and gloom with no brightness in it?
21 I hate, I despise your festivals,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
22 Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals
I will not look upon.
23 Take away from me the noise of your songs;
I will not listen to the melody of your harps.
24 But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.


PSALM 78: 1 - 7  (RCL)

Psal 78:1 (NRSV) Give ear, O my people, to my teaching;
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known,
that our ancestors have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
5 He established a decree in Jacob,
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our ancestors
to teach to their children;
6 that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and rise up and tell them to their children,
7 so that they should set their hope in God,
and not forget the works of God,
but keep his commandments;


78

Part I   Attendite, popule    (ECUSA - US BCP)

1      Hear my teaching, O my people; *
     incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

2      I will open my mouth in a parable; *
     I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.

3      That which we have heard and known,
and what our forefathers have told us, *
     we will not hide from their children.

4      We will recount to generations to come
the praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
     and the wonderful works he has done.

5      He gave his decrees to Jacob
and established a law for Israel, *
     which he commanded them to teach their children;

6      That the generations to come might know,
and the children yet unborn; *
     that they in their turn might tell it to their children;

7      So that they might put their trust in God, *
     and not forget the deeds of God,
     but keep his commandments;



Psalm 70   (alt. for RCL, alt. for C of E) (used with reading from Amos)

Psal 70:1 (NRSV) Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
O LORD, make haste to help me!
2 Let those be put to shame and confusion
who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
who desire to hurt me.
3 Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!"
turn back because of their shame.
4 Let all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, "God is great!"
5 But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O LORD, do not delay!


70   Deus, in adjutorium    (ECUSA - US BCP)

1  Be pleased, O God, to deliver me; *
   O Lord, make haste to help me.

2  Let those who seek my life be ashamed
and altogether dismayed; *
   let those who take pleasure in my misfortune
   draw back and be disgraced.

3  Let those who say to me “Aha!” and gloat over me turn back, *
   because they are ashamed.

4  Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; *
   let those who love your salvation say for ever,
   “Great is the Lord!”

5  But as for me, I am poor and needy; *
   come to me speedily, O God.

6  You are my helper and my deliverer; *
   O Lord, do not tarry.


Psalm 63: 1 - 7  (Roman Catholic)

Psal 63:1 (NRSV) O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6 when I think of you on my bed,
and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.

Note: Verse numbering is one greater in Roman Catholic Bibles


Wisdom of Solomon 6: 17 - 20   (C of E, alt. for RCL) (as a canticle with the other Wisdom reading)

6:17 (NRSV) The beginning of wisdom is the most sincere desire for instruction,
and concern for instruction is love of her,
18 and love of her is the keeping of her laws,
and giving heed to her laws is assurance of immortality,
19 and immortality brings one near to God;
20 so the desire for wisdom leads to a kingdom.


NEW TESTAMENT:  1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 18  (all but Roman Catholic)
                                     1 Thessalonians 4: 13 - 14 (15 - 18)   (Roman Catholic)

1The 4:13 (NRSV) But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who have died, so that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have died. 15 For this we declare to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will by no means precede those who have died. 16 For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel's call and with the sound of God's trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air; and so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

h/t Montreal Anglican

Paul has just urged his readers to live a godly, ethical life “because the Lord is an avenger” (v. 6). When? According to Wisdom, the wicked will be punished at the Last Day. This brings up an important question (“we do not want you to be uninformed”, v. 13, is Paul’s way of saying this is important!): we know that the destiny of the faithful who are alive at the end of time is to be with God, but what about those who have already died?

We want you to understand, he says, about the faithful (“those”) who have died (literally, are asleep), so that your grieving will be limited to what is natural upon the loss of a dear one; that you not share in the pagan belief that the dead are caught up in nothingness (“grieve as others do”). Christians have a certain hope: because we believe in the crucified and risen Christ, through him, God will bring those who are asleep into his company (v. 14). Those who are alive at the End will have no advantage over those who have died. (He includes himself among those who will still be alive.) Vv. 16-17 express a basic truth in terms of the cosmology of the day (with heaven above and the earth below): at the time of the second coming, God will descend, those who are already dead will rise, then we who are alive will ascend, joining those already dead. Thus we will all be with God for ever.

In Greek, this passage is four sentences, each of which forms a section: vv. 13, 14, 15-17, 18.

Verse 13: “those who have died”: Literally those who have fallen asleep: thus the NRSV footnote. The Greek word is found in the Septuagint translation of Psalm 13:4. See also Matthew 9:24, Jesus’ explanation of the state of the daughter of a leader of the synagogue: “for the girl is not dead but sleeping”. See also John 11:11, where Jesus says “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to awaken him.” Asleep is a common New Testament description of physical death. [ NOAB] [ NJBC]

Verse 14: “we believe ...”: A longer credal formula is found in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7.

Verse 14: “God will bring with him ...”: The Christian is united with Christ in his death and resurrection. See Romans 6:3.

Verses 15-17: Paul explains v. 14.

Verse 15: “by the word of the Lord”: i.e. by authorized revelation, not Paul’s personal opinion. [ NOAB] See also 4:2 (“... you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus”); Luke 14:14; John 5:28-29.

Verse 15: Comments: He includes himself among those who will still be alive: That he expects to still be alive when Christ comes again suggests that this letter was written before that to the Philippians, for there he wonders whether he will be put to death before the second coming. See Philippians 1:22-24. [ CAB]

Verse 16: In Matthew 24:30-31, Jesus says “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other”. [ NOAB]

Verse 16: “with a cry of command”: See also Matthew 25:6 and Revelation 22:12 (“‘See, I am coming soon ...’”). [ CAB]

Verses 16-17: God will take the initiative. [ NJBC]

Verse 16: “with the archangel’s call”: See also Jude 9 (the archangel Michael). [ CAB]

Verse 16: “with the sound of God’s trumpet”: The sound of the trumpet heralding the end of time is found in the Old Testament in Isaiah 27:13; Joel 2:1, 15; Zechariah 9:14 and also in the New Testament in 1 Corinthians 15:52; Matthew 24:31; Revelation 11:15; 14; 17; 19; 20. [ CAB]

Verse 16: “will descend from heaven”: In Mark 13:26, Jesus says: “‘Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in clouds’ with great power and glory’” and in Luke 17:24 he says: “‘For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day’”. [ CAB]

Verse 16: “the dead in Christ”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:18. [ CAB]

Verse 16: “will rise first”: The resurrection hope as expressed in 1 Corinthians 15:12-28; 14:14. [ CAB]

Verse 16: “first”: Apocalyptic descriptions usually portray the end-time victory as a procession.

Verse 17: “we will be with the Lord forever”: The reality of ultimate salvation is being with the Lord. See also v. 14 and Matthew 25:46; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 5:10. [ NJBC] [ CAB]

Verse 17: “clouds ... in the air”: In apocalyptic literature, the usual avenue to and from heaven. Telling of a vision, Daniel says in Daniel 7:13: “As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being coming with the clouds of heaven ...”. The Aramaic translated as “human being” literally means son of man.

Verse 18: A call to mutual encouragement is also found in 5:11. [ NJBC]

GOSPEL:  Matthew 25: 1 - 13  (all)

Matt 25:1 (NRSV) "Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, "Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 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.' 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. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, "Lord, lord, open to us.' 12 But he replied, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The foregoing verses ( 24:45-51) are a parable about a master who leaves his household for a time, and suddenly returns. If, while he is away, his servant lives a godly, ethical life, he is “blessed” when the master returns. On the other hand, if he, realizing that the master is delayed in returning, misbehaves and lives a life of debauchery, he will be condemned upon the master’s return. In fact, he will be caught in the act, because the master will return when he least expects. Jesus is speaking in another way (in an allegory), about the relationship between how we live now and what our fate will be at the Second Coming; the master stands for Christ.

Our reading is also a parable about the end of time, the Second Coming. For the bridegroom to be “delayed” (v. 5) was normal at Jewish weddings, but vv. 10b-12 would be surprising to Jesus’ audience. Each of the wise bridesmaids has made her preparation; she is prepared spiritually but preparedness cannot be transferred to others, so their refusal to give oil to the foolish bridesmaids may be intended to show that each one of us is expected to make our own preparation – by living a godly, ethical life. Two surprising events, the door being shut (v. 10) and the failing to recognize the foolish bridesmaids (v. 12), are probably another way of saying that the unprepared will be refused entry to the Kingdom – just as the wicked servant will be punished. We are to be prepared at all times for the end of the age, the Second Coming of Christ. (In v. 13, the Greek translated as “Keep awake” can be rendered as be prepared.)

Nuptial imagery, used in Song of Songs, was applied by the rabbis to the relationship between God and his people. See also 9:14-15 and 22:1-14. [ NJBC]

Verse 1: “bridesmaids”: The Greek word, parthenos, literally means virgins. Considering that the bride is never mentioned, the ten may well be brides. If so, polygamy is in view. To NJBC, the represent the disciples and/or expectant believers: Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 11:2: “I feel a divine jealousy for you, for I promised you in marriage to one husband, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ”.

Verse 1: Jesus also advises preparedness for the kingdom in Luke 12:35-38 and Mark 13:34.

Verse 1: “the bridegroom”: He is a natural symbol for God, stemming from the Old Testament concept of God as the husband of his people. See, for example, Isaiah 54:4-6; Ezekiel 16:7-34; Hosea 2:19. [ Blomberg]

Verse 2: “foolish ... wise”: These labels recall 7:24-27 (building on rock rather than on sand); 23:17, 19; 24:45. The wisdom in view is a practical one about salivation. [ NJBC]

Verse 8: “oil”: Oil is a frequent symbol in earlier Hebrew literature for joy and for anointing a priest or king. In this parable, it likely represents anything an individual must do in order to be ready to meet the Lord. Preparedness, like oil in this parable, cannot be shared. [ Blomberg] To NJBC, the oil stands for good works (an idea found in many older commentaries); they are not completely transferable.

Verse 10: Revelation 19:9 says: “... the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb’”.

Verse 10: “the door was shut”: Admission is not automatic. [ NJBC]

Verses 11-12: Jesus presents the same idea in also Luke 13:25 and Matthew 7:21-23.

Verse 13: Jesus also advises being prepared for his second coming in 24:42; Mark 13:35; Luke 12:40.

Verse 13: “Keep awake”: The Greek is gregoreo.

Blomberg offers three main points of the parable:

    Like the bridegroom, God may delay his coming longer than people expect.
    Like the wise bridesmaids, his followers must be prepared for such a delay – discipleship may be more arduous than the novice suspects.
    Like the foolish bridesmaids, those who do not prepare adequately may discover a point beyond which there is no return – when the end comes it will be too late to undo the damage of neglect.

The principal point seems to be the third.

Verse 10: “the bridegroom came”: The Palestinian custom was that the bridegroom fetched his bride from her parents’ home to his own. [ NOAB]