Matthew 25:1-13 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 25:1-13 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 25"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Verse 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Verse 3When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; Verse 4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. Verse 5As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. Verse 6But at midnight there was a shout, 'Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' Verse 7Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. Verse 8The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' Verse 9But 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.' Verse 10And 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. Verse 11Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us.' Verse 12But he replied, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.' Verse 13Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Devotion
One of the greatest challenges in a parish setting is to shift gears suddenly when new opportunities or needs are identified. "What about those committees," you might ask. Several years ago there was a rare and damaging ice storm that blew through our community, leaving many people without power or heat. The church, however, was well positioned to serve the neighborhood—it had heat, electricity and a fully functioning kitchen. The only ingredient missing was the people to open the doors to make it happen.
Throughout the Bible there's a lot of talk about waiting on God. When you study the contexts in which we hear this talk, one soon learns that waiting is not inactivity but involves a lot of work. It's not unlike the story in the gospel about the effort needed to wake up in the middle of the night in order to attend the bridegroom's party. Clearly, waiting for God’s plan to unfold takes one's full attention to stay alert and ready.
Prayer
Eternal God, help us to stay awake and focus on that which you would have us do as we wait. May our lamps be full and our wicks trimmed as we pass the night away. Amen.