Sermon  Dec. 10, 1997  Text:  Matthew 25:3-4   "Fuel the Fire!"

How shall we prepare a place for the Lord?  And where?  This Advent we look
at some of the simple materials which surrounded our Lord at His birth.  We
hope to find lessons there which will prepare us for His coming.  For this
service our focus is on oil.

Like the straw last week, this material, oil, is not reported in the Bible
as being present in the account of Christ's birth.  It was probably not
mentioned because it was utterly basic to everyday life in Bible times.
The people would have been unprepared without oil.  See, olive oil was a
stable, one of the basic necessities of life.

It was used for fuel in lamps.  When Jesus talked about not hiding your
light under a bushel, His hearers would have pictured an oil lamp.  Perhaps
the most familiar example from the Scriptures is the parable in our Gospel
reading tonight with the ten bridesmaids.  Five of them were wise enough to
bring extra oil for the wait and the other five were so foolish to have
forgotten the extra, essential oil.

Oil was used in cooking and baking in addition to being a fuel for lamps.
It was used like butter, shortening, or even our use of oil today.  The
poor widow in Zarapheth, in whose home the prophet Elijah sought lodging,
was so poor that she said she only had enough flour and oil to make one
last meal.  When you are out of oil, you are out of the essentials.

Besides being used for fuel and food, oil was used medicinally.  It was a
soothing salve, an ointment.  In Jesus' famous parable, when the good
Samaritan came across the mugging victim who had been beaten and left for
dead, He treated the poor man's wound with wine and oil.  The alcohol in
the wine would serve as a disinfectant.  The oil would serve as a salve to
soothe and protect the wounds.

Perhaps the most important use of oil in the Bible is in anointing.
Anointing means to choose and set apart for special service, most often to
God and God's people.  Kings and priests were anointed with oil.  The 23rd
Psalm speaks of God anointing us, when it says, "You anoint my head with
oil."  Not only does this carry the concept of God setting us apart with
oil, but also the concept that the good shepherd cares for His sheep with
something which is soothing to our wounds.

Oil is a return to the basics.  Light, food, and care.  In our Christmas
preparations, perhaps we have gone astray in our worry over the frills.
Are we consumed with the nonessentials such as decorations, entertainment,
parties, what to wear, what special delicacies to serve, what to buy.
There is so much to do and so little time in which to do it.  Yet much of
our time is devoted to the inconsequential, the frills and the
nonessentials.

Instead of a basic concern about light, we are concerned with lights on a
string, colored and blinking,...and tangled.  Instead of a concern about
the basic food like the widow of Zarapheth and those who go hungry today,
we are worried about cookies, stollens, fruitcakes, and party trays.



                                     1






Instead of a basic concern for health and well-being, we worry about
makeup, hair styles, and fancy clothes.

In a way, we might be like the town of Bethlehem 2000 years ago.  It may
well be that they were concerned about taxes, the census, crowds and so
forth.  All this concern over the frills caused them to miss the one basic
event in human history, God was drawing near to dwell among us!

The words of the prophets had so clearly pointed the way to the coming
Savior, as said our reading from Second Peter.  Like oil, our Savior can
get us back to the basics.  He provides the basics for us, starting with
food.  He said, "I am the Bread of life."  Did you know the name
"Bethlehem" literally means "house of bread" in Hebrew.  Jesus also said,
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. for they shall
be filled."  Our Savior brings us back to our basic need for food.

We are also brought to the basics of care.  Care in the same way as the
good Samaritan offered care without the concern for repayment.  As Mary and
Joseph cared for their special child.  As that child, the Christ-child
cares for us.  He provides our basic needs of life, health, and care for
this life.  Even more important, He provides for our eternal life.

The Savior takes us to the basic of light too.  He is the one who Second
Peter referred to as the morning star and the dawning day.  We are urged to
let that day dawn in our hearts.  This light is the "true light that gives
light to every man" as records John.

This light is the opposite of darkness.  The darkness of our sins.  Into
our fallen world came the light.

This light of the world comes to us, but some foolishly refuse the light.
They are like the foolish maidens who did not bring along extra oil for
their lamps.  The foolish ones do not bring along their Savior.  The wise
ones know the gifts the Savior provides.  They return again and again to
receive from the Savior.  They make sure they are prepared by coming to the
Lord to be anointed by oil over and over.  They take as much oil as they
can, from the Word of God, His sacraments, divine services with fellow
believers and prayer.  The one who knows their Savior returns for more oil
to keep their cup overflowing.  The Lord is overflowing with gifts to
share, and the follower of the Lord is one who will never refuse to receive
from the Lord.

The one who was anointed the Christ has come to anoint us.  He wants to
provide us with the "oil of gladness."  This gladness comes because The
Anointed One removes all our darkness of sin.  The light shines removing
our guilt and opening up for us eternal life.

Like oil, our Savior comes to be a salve for our wounds, the wounds of sin.
The ultimate healing comes from the one born into surroundings which
included oil.  Into this setting was born our morning star and dawning day,
Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus.


                                     2