December 15 2005 Matt 25:1-13
December 15, 2005 Matthew 25:1-13
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Matthew 25:2-10 “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.”
When I teach public speaking to young people, I usually begin by teaching the “3 P’s” – Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! I try to help them to understand that the very best speakers sound like they are delivering a message ‘off the cuff’, because, nine times out of ten, they have spent hours preparing the message -- its content and its delivery. At the same time, throughout the instructional process I try to teach students how to understand and be responsive to their audiences which sometimes means taking advantage of some opportunity and interjecting some thought or activity that may or may not have been rehearsed. Once again, speakers can only be effective in responding to their audiences if they have studied the tendencies of their audience in advance and come prepared to connect with them in some unique and potentially unexpected way throughout the presentation.
I wonder if God’s expectation of us isn’t similar to our effective preparation for giving a speech. The scripture calls us to be both prepared for Him and open to Him. In Matthew 25, ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom, but only half are prepared to wait. The parable suggests the important balance between our preparation for God…and our willingness to wait for “God’s time”. Could it be that he is teaching us to be perpetually prepared because we “do not know the day or the hour”?
As the time of Advent encourages us to reflect on our “preparation” for Jesus’ coming, consider your level of preparation. Are you open to God’s influences on your life….do you see his hand working in your life fostering your preparation? Are you open to his influence and his support?
I had the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend this past week; she’s had some incredibly difficult times during the past decade – divorced with two children and an ex-husband with no interest in providing either love or financial support to his children, starting over in her career, etc. During our visit it was clear that she was using the circumstances of her life to move forward and prepare for something better. Looking back she revealed that although painful, she wondered if her misfortune had made her stronger and more able to contribute to God’s plan for her life. It’s more than turning lemons into lemonade; it’s having that deep faith that clarifies that God is in charge, and that he loves you. It’s also having an understanding that God expects us to be prepared and take action to move our lives forward. As in the case of the ten virgins, He expected them to take appropriate steps to prepare to wait for His coming.
Today, let’s determine at least one thing that we need to do to prepare for God. How can we use today’s life lessons to prepare for tomorrow’s coming? God’s expectation of our performance is very high….and He’s always willing to lovingly nurture our preparation; yet it’s clear to me that He expects preparation. Begin today. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Patient Lord, you call us to be ready at all times for your coming, but we often are unprepared. Help us to recapture a sense of expectation and anticipation, ready at any moment to go with you. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Contributed by Julie Leverenz
Click here for today’s podcast!
Matthew 25:2-10 “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.”
When I teach public speaking to young people, I usually begin by teaching the “3 P’s” – Prepare, Prepare, Prepare! I try to help them to understand that the very best speakers sound like they are delivering a message ‘off the cuff’, because, nine times out of ten, they have spent hours preparing the message -- its content and its delivery. At the same time, throughout the instructional process I try to teach students how to understand and be responsive to their audiences which sometimes means taking advantage of some opportunity and interjecting some thought or activity that may or may not have been rehearsed. Once again, speakers can only be effective in responding to their audiences if they have studied the tendencies of their audience in advance and come prepared to connect with them in some unique and potentially unexpected way throughout the presentation.
I wonder if God’s expectation of us isn’t similar to our effective preparation for giving a speech. The scripture calls us to be both prepared for Him and open to Him. In Matthew 25, ten virgins are waiting for the bridegroom, but only half are prepared to wait. The parable suggests the important balance between our preparation for God…and our willingness to wait for “God’s time”. Could it be that he is teaching us to be perpetually prepared because we “do not know the day or the hour”?
As the time of Advent encourages us to reflect on our “preparation” for Jesus’ coming, consider your level of preparation. Are you open to God’s influences on your life….do you see his hand working in your life fostering your preparation? Are you open to his influence and his support?
I had the opportunity to reconnect with an old friend this past week; she’s had some incredibly difficult times during the past decade – divorced with two children and an ex-husband with no interest in providing either love or financial support to his children, starting over in her career, etc. During our visit it was clear that she was using the circumstances of her life to move forward and prepare for something better. Looking back she revealed that although painful, she wondered if her misfortune had made her stronger and more able to contribute to God’s plan for her life. It’s more than turning lemons into lemonade; it’s having that deep faith that clarifies that God is in charge, and that he loves you. It’s also having an understanding that God expects us to be prepared and take action to move our lives forward. As in the case of the ten virgins, He expected them to take appropriate steps to prepare to wait for His coming.
Today, let’s determine at least one thing that we need to do to prepare for God. How can we use today’s life lessons to prepare for tomorrow’s coming? God’s expectation of our performance is very high….and He’s always willing to lovingly nurture our preparation; yet it’s clear to me that He expects preparation. Begin today. Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Patient Lord, you call us to be ready at all times for your coming, but we often are unprepared. Help us to recapture a sense of expectation and anticipation, ready at any moment to go with you. This we ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Contributed by Julie Leverenz
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