Lamps Trimmed? (3rd Thursday of Advent)

Today we are looking at the first of three parables found in Matthew 25. It is the parable known by many as the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In it, we have ten young maidens waiting for the bridegroom to appear at the wedding banquet. It was an evening wedding, so each of the young ladies had a lamp with her. However, five knew that the bridegroom would likely be tardy and brought along extra oil for their lamps. (NOTE: unlike this man, I was ON TIME to my wedding, despite my bride’s fears that I would get cold feet.)

Of course, the groom eventually does show up, but five of the poor virgins had run out of oil. The wise virgins didn’t want to share any of their oil as they were worried about not having enough so the foolish virgins had to run into town to buy more oil. By the time they returned, the wedding had started and the doors were closed. The doorman said to the silly lasses, ‘Too bad, so sad, but you ain’t getting in."

Jesus then explains that this parable relates to the coming of God to judge/redeem the world. He tells us that we best be ready, for none of us know the hour when God will arrive.
This is a good warning for us today. We all know that our society doesn’t like to wait. We want instant gratification so much that we spend more than we make. Yep, we mortgage our future in order to have fun today. You can bet that the credit card companies thank us for doing so! On a more personal note, I have been waiting since Tuesday to find out the results of the Navy board. I desperately want to know if I got picked up for active duty or not. This week has been unsettling to say the least. I’ve had trouble focusing and spent Wednesday feeling like I was coming down with the flue, though it was the stress that was making me ill. Yet there is nothing I can do–I’ll find out when the Navy tells me.

In the same way, many Christians are anxious for God to return. Some people make fortunes writing books determining when God is coming, selling them to a gullible public. On the other hand, some Christians and many non-believers figure that God isn’t coming anytime soon, so why worry? Live, eat, drink and be merry, and ask God’s forgiveness tomorrow, right? The problem with this is that we don’t know if we have a tomorrow. Nor do we know when God is going to return, it COULD be tomorrow. Wouldn’t it behoove us to be like the wise virgins and prepare ourselves for God’s coming?

Matthew 25:1-13 (NIV)
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'

" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.