November 10 Thirty Second Sunday of the Year Mt. 25/1-13

Background

As has been observed before in these notes parables have only one point. Attempts to interpret the details of a parable so that it becomes an allegory tend to distract from that point (though allegories have been with us almost as along as there have been parallels). This story is not about wedding customs or about charity or even about staying awake at night. Rather it is about being ready when Jesus comes, either in some one who needs our help, or at the time of death, or at the end of time. It is one of the parables of urgency, a parable which urges us not to waste the opportunities that are offered us, a parable which in the terms of the beer ad reminds us that we only go around once and that we ought not to pass up our chances.

Story

Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a terrible basketball team called the Bulls. They were a dull and uninteresting team, a perennial loser in a town which knew only perennial losers. The arena in which they played was at the most one-quarter filled when they played home games. Almost no one came to their home games. Season tickets were so inexpensive that they were almost given away. Management did in fact give a tickets for some home games. Even then few people bother to attend. Dullsville. One day in that time long, long ago, a commodity trader approached a friend when the bell had rung at the end of a trading day. Have I got a deal for you, he said. Four season tickets for the Bulls. On the floor. Right behind the scorer. Guaranteed same price for ten years. You can’t beat. Why would I want to go to the Bulls game, the friend replied. They’re losers just like everyone else in this town. Yeah, said the first trader, but I hear they’re going to draft that kid from North Carolina that’s supposed to be really good. Who’s he, said his friend. Michael Jordan, was the reply.

Michael who?