25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4 but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5 When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8 Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Matthew 25:1-13
Dear God, it struck me just now after reading this passage and then getting some news about challenges friends are facing, we need to be ready for more than just your second coming. We need to be ready for anything that might come our way. I have some friends (different than the ones I just mentioned) who have experienced health scares for two of their three children just this week and their third child has been facing a health challenge for the last year. I don’t know the details of the friend who just texted me, but I’m assuming that the road before them is something I cannot even imagine.
So like any good parent, you want me to be prepared. If I’m looking at these parables to see what I can learn about you through them, it feels like this one is you doing your best to show you love us (me) by saying we need to be ready. We have three parables here in a row from Matthew about being ready (Faithful and Wicked Servants, Ten Virgins, and Ten Talents). You are giving us these parables and trying to teach us these lessons because you care. You really do care about each of us as individuals.
Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, help me to be ready and to be about helping others to be ready as well. Help me to be wise and to be about helping others to be wise as well. Help me to worship you and to be about helping others to worship you. Help me to be about loving others and to be about encouraging love from others. And, oh Lord, thank you for what you’re doing that we can see and what we cannot see. I trust you.
I pray this through Jesus and in his name,
Amen
Emails to God 