Light Me Up!

Matthew 25:3. During my Zoom small group time with wonderfully wise women this past Thursday morning, I was smacked in the face with a vision of standing with oil in my lamp. We were discussing our homework and the question focused on Matthew 16:27-28.

I particularly like the ESV Version, "27 For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. 28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

The parable of the Ten Virgins is basically that 10 virgins went out to meet the Bridegroom (Jesus Christ) and half had not only their lamps but had extra oil and the other half - well not so prepared.

And then my mind goes to living in South Florida during Hurricane season. After many years of making sure we are prepared - just in case, we have a cabinet in our garage with lots and lots of batteries, led candles, Spare water like crazy and in our backyard shed - extra gas for our generator. Not only that, but we take our generator to get tuned up just in case. Not to mention we have shelf stable foods in our pantry for the entire hurricane season as well as extra food for our pets.

Back to the story.... ALL of the virgins fell asleep while they waited for the Bridegroom. At midnight He arrived. All of the virgins woke up and "trimmed their lamps." A lamp is trimmed when the wick is turned either up or down to regulate the amount of flame. If a lamp is empty of oil, it does not matter how much one trims it—the lamp will go out when the oil is consumed.

Okay so - - - I immediately ask myself at this moment in reading the parable, Will I be the wise virgin and my light will shine brightly? And question two, Will I share my oil with the foolish virgin beside me? Because the virgins (not sure how many out of the 5 with an oil shortage) did insist (rather pushily I might add) that the wise virgin(s) donate some of their oil. They did not ask basically.

The answer was, "No." The 5 virgins were more focused on the Bridegroom and not having their light burn brightly before their God. So the foolish virgins ran out to Home Depot to buy more. And as they were having their oil scanned at the Self Serve Checkout - Jesus arrived!

And boy did they miss a banquet worthy of a King! The door was shut. Ouch! Bunny trail - we also covered Isaiah 22:22 in my small group time this past Thursday which was truly a bow on this gift of the Parable of The Ten Virgins.

Isaiah 22:22  22And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. - ESV Version.

The door shutting is actually even more painful as I read that after the foolish virgins hoofed it back to the waiting place (and they must have knocked or yelled loudly - not sure which). The called out, "Lord, Lord" and asked Him to open the door to them. Jesus's response, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you." is quite surprising, no?

So the end of the story in this parable is the exhortation basically to keep watch because you do not know the time - the hour when Jesus Christ will return. So keep your lamp full, have extra in your Hurricane Cabinet and get ready to grab it! 

When I ponder my own life and ask myself if I am ready. I feel I am halfway ready. I have oil in my lamp, but not the extra jar. What I mean is, I am so focused on other earthly endeavors that often I am not 100% truly prepared for Jesus's return. I SO relate to those 5 who had to make the road trip to stock up. I mean, I would remember to bring my lamp and it would be full of oil but I would most likely not bring extra unless I had it on a sticky note on the stearing wheel of the car.

Is that sad? Yes. I make To Do Lists, Costco Lists, Fresh Market Lists, and on and on daily but neglect the One True List - my What Are You Doing For God Today List.

I should not need a list at all to remember God. To be prepared with my light burning as long as need be so that I am ready and waiting for whenever that Wedding Banquet may be. I don't want to have the door shut in my face and be told No by my Creator. I mean, It is a wedding after all and I cannot imagine being late to my own wedding so how much more does God deserve my preparations being a priority?

How about you? Are you ready? Are you now inspired to become ready? Or even questioning why a lamp and extra oil are mentioned in this parable when Jesus could have just shot straight with a mandate of Be ready for My return! 

God loves us so much He wants us to GET IT so he spoke in Parables in the Bible. I want Him to light me up and stay lit on into eternity..........