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Daily Advent Meditation
By Kelly Durbin
Matthew 25:1-13
"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." New Revised Standard Version
Much like yesterday's meditation, we have another story about waiting. Only in this story, no one person is put in charge while the master, or in this case the bridegroom, is away. Each bridesmaid is left to prepare and provide for her own needs while she waits: a look at one's own soul if you will. Now, I've heard many sermons on this parable. Most have been focused on the difference between the 5 wise bridesmaids and the 5 foolish. There is a call, often motivated by fear of being locked out like the foolish, to be like the wise, prepared, ever watchful maids waiting for the bridegroom to return. While I understand how those sermons developed, I'd like to look at this story in another way. I believe that the Holy Spirit is still at work within each of us, providing new insights and fresh perspectives to face the challenges we have in our lives and in our world today.
What if the oil were really the focus of this story, rather than the bridesmaids themselves? The oil is the fuel after all, the energy that keeps their lamps lit, ready and prepared. We know that the scientific community, in theories of Quantum Physics and the like, describes God as pure energy and it is energy that is needed for fuel. I tend to think of God's energy as love, pure love. What if they had fueled their inner lamps with love? What happens when we share love? We are transformed when we love. And instead of running out, love actually burns brighter and grows. Ask anyone who has loved if this is not indeed the case! Footnotes in the New Interpreter's Study Bible indicate that the "oil represents faithful, active, obedient discipleship. It cannot be borrowed from others." This explains why when the foolish bridesmaids asked to borrow oil from the wise, the response was a negative one. But perhaps that call to faithful obedience and discipleship was misunderstood? What if the call was actually a call to love? Isn't that what discipleship is, sharing the love of God, the good news of the gospel with others, thereby making disciples through love?
If we stand ready and willing to fuel our lamps with the love of God, a direct product of being in relationship with God, then we can share that love with others and many will be transformed, including ourselves. There will be no fuel shortage, since with love there is always "enough" to go around so no one needs to be "shut out." In the Beatitudes, Matthew 5:14, Jesus gives us the church's mission, "You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to God in heaven."
During this season of advent, may we at Metropolitan Community Church of Greater St. Louis be reminded, as we wait for the bridegroom. to keep our lamps burning bright with good works of love; may we indeed be radically inclusive to invite all to share our oil and to answer the call to love as God first loved us.
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