A way to live a mission in your church life and outreach;
Use church life and teaching to help you to change your ways now.
Based on Matthew 25:1-13
A way to live a mission in your church life and outreach based on Matthew 25:1-13, a reading from the Revised Common Lectionary for the Twenty-third week after Pentecost, 11/12/17.
Jesus says be prepared for God’s reign to break in at any time. It is like the ten bridesmaids waiting for the bridegroom to go with him to the bride’s home and then bring both of them to the bridegroom’s home for the wedding. Knowing he may be slow coming, five of them wisely take extra oil for their lamp [oil is a symbol for repentance or changing your ways]. He is slow coming and all ten fall asleep as their lamps burn into the night. When he comes, the lamps need more oil but only five of them were wise enough to have brought along extra oil. The other five, foolish ones, need oil; they ask the five with oil for help; they are denied because there is not enough oil for all of them. The five with the oil go with the bridegroom; get the bride; and accompany them both to the wedding banquet and the door closes behind them. The five without oil go to the dealers to buy the oil they need; the bridegroom has already come and the five without oil arrive later to find the doors shut. They ask to be let in but the lord of the banquet says he does not know them (in Aramaic it means he will have nothing to do with them). Jesus comments: stay awake for you do not know the day or the hour when God’s reign will break in [a spirituality for today might say “When we will discover that God is now and has been all along at work among us.]
A theme: A meaning for today; God is at work among us already; start changing your ways now.