November 6th - Reflection

21st Sunday After Pentecost
Matthew 25:1-13 (NRSV)
Wise and foolish bridesmaids
"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' But the wise replied, 'No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Reflection
In some ways we wait for Christ with our lamps lit. We long to meet him and walk by his side. We worship Christ professing his awesome glory and power. We become spiritually prepared through our devotion of hope, faith and love for God.

The source of preparedness isn't something we can pass from person to person. We certainly can tell about how God has given us faith. We certainly can tell the world about what Jesus means to the world and to each one of us. We certainly can tell those we see how God has impacted our lives and how God has saved us. But we can't pass that personal touch God has for us individually from person to person.

No doubt God reaches out to us in a corporate manner. God reaches out to all the world. We confess to God not only our corporate sins but also our personal sins unique to each one of us. But this passage seems to reflect to me something different.

When spiritual crisis occurs in our life, when we have all fallen asleep, when the crisis strikes for those spiritually prepared the source of faith, hope, and love sustains us. This preparation is not something we can share with another that doesn't have this source at hand. How do people handle a crisis of death, pain, suffering and disease without God? No, doubt, at least for me, this would be something I couldn't fathom. Their oil wasn't there after the flame went out. There wasn't any belief or even preparation that Christ would come.

For sure Christ will come. He will come to you in a personal and a corporate way. Tell the news to all so that they can believe and make preparations. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, prepare me for your coming. You come to me each day and knock on my door. "Can Billy come out to play." And you will come to all of us some day to judge the living and the dead. You will come and take us to that great feast. Prepare me for this day. Each day as I walk, run and play with you teach me your will and your way for my life, that I may be prepared. And show me how to reach out to all you give to me with the message of your faith, hope, and love for their lives, so that we all may be prepared for that feast to come. --- Amen