Welcome to the newest congregation in the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod!  When Carol paged me last Tuesday that the District Board had accepted us as a congregation, I was at the Salvation Army store, an appropriate place for a prayer of thanks!  To become a full-fledged congregation just seven months after our first worship service is a miracle from God.  Most missions take a year or more.  Thanks be to Jesus Christ for building His Church among us!

          Last Sunday someone asked me why I had written on the bulletin that it was the "Third Sunday of the Endtime."  I said it meant end of the Church Year, not end of the world.  Today is the Second Sunday of the Endtime, or second last Sunday of the Church Year, and next Sunday is Christ the King Sunday, the last Sunday of the Church Year.

          Our Church Year is divided into two parts:  the Lord's Half Year begins with Advent, the Sunday after Thanksgiving.  Those 26 Sundays deal with the events of Christ's life - His birth, His baptism and the major events of His ministry.  Those weeks include Epiphany Day (January 6), as well as events of Lent and Easter, and Ascension Day, and ends with Pentecost, the Birthday of the Christian Church.  After Pentecost comes the Church's Half Year whose 26 Sundays all deal with the teachings of Jesus Christ during His three years of ministry in Israel.

          The Sunday lessons we hear and read each week are selected on a three-year cycle, and show either the life of Christ or His teachings.  And please know there is no service pastors subscribe to where they all preach the same sermon each Sunday.  At least I haven't heard such a thing is available.  But many, if not most, do preach on one of the lessons appointed for that Sunday.

          Today's Gospel Lesson is a story Jesus told to help us be ready for the Endtime, the end of the world, or our own end.  It's a fundamental Christian principle that we should be ready for Christ's coming at all times, because the day and hour is known to no one except the Father.  Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."  Because we don't know the time, we must always "Keep Watch - Be Ready."  It's like the Boy Scout motto - "Always Be Prepared."  Christians would do well to adopt that motto.  Jesus told this story to help us always "Keep Watch - Be Ready."

          All of this is part of the language of marriage and family.  You see, in Jesus' day, when a man married, he didn't take his wife to an apartment or house.  He usually moved into his father's house.  Many of the homes excavated in Galilee have a courtyard with many rooms around it.

          It would be like this:  A man would marry in his 20's and his bride would be in her mid-teens.  The families would get together and agree to the match and also agree on the bride price the groom's family would pay.  The future groom would then go to his bride's house and tell his bride it was settled and that she had been "bought with a price."  He would then offer her a glass of wine.  If she accepted it, they were engaged.

          Then he would go away to prepare a place for her - a room to be added to his father's house.  He didn't know when he would return, because he needed to finish her place first.  But he promised to come back to get her as soon as he could.  This is what Jesus meant in John 14, "In my Father's house are many rooms ... I am going there to prepare a place for you ... and I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."

          The groom's father would supervise the building, and like today, the son would be anxious to get it done.  But the son would not know the day nor the hour it would be finished.  Only the father knew that, because, as Jesus said, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the Son, only the Father." (Matt. 25:13).

          Finally one day the father would say the room was finished, and the groom would take his friends and process to the bride's house.  Someone would blow the trumpet and they'd all gather outside.  The bride would hear his voice and come out all dressed and ready for him.  They'd go to his home for the marriage ceremony, and the reception might last several days.

          Here's where our text comes in.  As the wedding day approached, the bride's attendants would be waiting.  They needed to be always ready, because they didn't know when the groom would come.  When he did come, those who were ready went in to the wedding banquet.  Those who weren't ready were left out.  They, like us, had to be ready at all times for the wedding and banquet.

          Do you see why Jesus told this parable in our Gospel Lesson?  He is showing us He loves us.  He is the bridegroom.  He has come and confessed His love for us.  He has engaged Himself to us and says, "I love you and want you for my own.  You have been bought with a price" -- His own life.  "But first," He says, "I must go and prepare a place for you.  And when it's time, I'll come and take you there also.  I don't know when that will be -- only the Father knows -- but in the meanwhile, be ready and listen for my voice."  What a fantastic thing it is to know Jesus has chosen you and me to be His own!  It's the greatest love story in the universe.

          The Bible says Jesus loves each one of us with an everlasting love.  It's a sacrificial love, one that does not depend on our being lovable.  It's a love that is "patient and kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails."

          If those words sound familiar, they should.  They're the words of 1 Corinthians 13, usually read at weddings.  But the love of that chapter is not the love of man for woman, but the love of God for His people.  It's the kind of love we all need and want, a love that accepts us no matter what.  It's a love by which God has bound Himself to His bride, the Church.

          Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you."  We usually hear those words at funerals.  But they're really not about death, but about life and love.  They're about God's love for us and how He wants us to live with Him forever.  They're about living in our Father's House where there is no more crying or sadness, only joy and gladness.  By shedding His blood to pay the debt for our sins, Jesus Christ has bought us with a price.  He loves us enough to give His life for us.  He loves us enough to assure all who trust in Jesus will have life with Him after death.  Over and over, Jesus shows us He loves us.

          Someone said, "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times over, but always with the same person."  That's good to remember, both for husbands and wives and also you and me in our relationship with Jesus.  His love will last, but ours requires renewal and revival, over and over again.  A successful relationship requires falling in love many times over, always with the same person -- Jesus.

          Larry and JoAnn were ordinary people.  They lived in an ordinary house on an ordinary street and had ordinary struggles to make ends meet.  They also had ordinary squabbles.  At least until one day, when a most extraordinary event took place.  Larry said, "You know, JoAnn, I've got a magic dresser in my bedroom.  Every time I open a drawer, it's full of socks and underwear.  I want to thank you, JoAnn, for filling them all these years."  JoAnn stared at her husband speechless.  "What do you want, Larry?" she said.  "Nothing," he said.  "I just want you to know I appreciate that magic dresser."

          A few days later Larry said, "JoAnn, thank you for recording so many correct check numbers in our checkbook.  You put the right number down just about every time.  Thanks!"  Disbelieving what she'd heard, she looked up.  "You're always complaining about how I mess up the checkbook.  Why stop now?"  "No reason," he said, "I just wanted you to know I appreciate what you do for me."  "What's gotten into him?" she wondered.  "JoAnn, that was a great dinner.  Why, in the past 15 years, I'll bet you've fixed over 15,000 dinners for me and the kids."  And later, "Gee, JoAnn, the house sure looks nice.  You've really worked hard to keep it so clean."  And later again, "Thanks, JoAnn, for just being you."

          JoAnn was getting worried.  "Where was the sarcasm, the criticism?"  Her fears were confirmed when their 16 year-old daughter said, "Dad's gone bonkers, Mom.  He just told me I look nice.  With all this makeup and sloppy clothes I'm wearing, he still said I look nice.  What's wrong with him, Mom?"

          Whatever it was, Larry didn't get over it.  Day in and day out he said nice things, focusing on the positive.  And soon she grew used to it, now and then even saying, "Thank you."  One day she almost fell apart when he said, "I want you to take a break.  I'm going to do the dishes.  Please put down that pan and go sit down."  "Well, thank you, Larry, thank you very much!"  She was getting to like the new Larry!

          That might have been the end of it except the next time it was JoAnn who spoke, "Larry I want to thank you for going to work every day and providing for us all these years."  He just smiled and said, "I love you dear."  Larry never revealed the reason for his dramatic change and it will likely remain a mystery.  But their home was never the same.  I wonder if their daughter and son ever caught on.

          Never underestimate the power of love, my friends.  Jesus loves us ordinary people.  He loves us with an everlasting love.  He wants us for His own.  And now He's gone away to prepare a place for us, so that we can be with Him in our Father's house.  So "Be Ready - Keep Watch!"  He's coming soon!  Amen!

Copyright © 1999 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.