Pastor’s Page

“But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
- Matthew 25:12-13

I’m sure with Christmas fast approaching, it may not be too long before you next hear the song ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’. The lines, ‘He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows when you’re awake, he knows if you’ve been bad or good, so be good for goodness’ sake’, have been problematised by some as reflecting an image of Santa Claus which may be more frightening, rather than encouraging, for children. Unfortunately, I think we often take the same mentality towards God. Within that mindset, our motivation for our faith and good deeds is to spare ourselves from God’s wrath, rather than to enter into the goodness of abundant life which is offered through Christ.

It’s in this same spirit that the passage for this week, from Matthew 25, is often approached. In some ways, this reflects a truism – nobody does know the time or the hour of Christ’s return, but to use this teaching to justify fear and control of others flies in the face of the God of love. We can trust that God is in control, but not that God is controlling. God’s love brings us peace and offers us compassion.

So, what can we learn from the foolish and wise bridesmaids, especially considering the bridesmaids may have been wise, but they didn’t seem to be particularly kind or generous? Firstly, diligent planning can be prayerful and prudent. Sure, the apostle Paul teaches us do not worry, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t seek to discern faithfully our plans for the future. God is sovereign, so we are ultimately always at the mercy of divine love.

Secondly, we are people of the resurrection – right here and right now, even amidst the challenges and despairs of our everyday lives. This means that, even though we don’t know what God has in store for the future, even though it can seem like everything unexpected is negative, we are capable of building the kingdom. We can be, in the words of N.T. Wright, ‘Surprised by Hope’.

Blessings, Pastor Abbey Sim