Bring Your Own Oil (2)

Matt 25:1-13 - NRSV - ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9 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.” 10 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. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12 But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The title of today’s message is Bring Your Own Oil.

This is a parable about being prepared and knowing when to give and when to keep for or take care of yourself.

There is a fact of life, there are those who give and there are those who take. I often share with givers, that givers gonna give and takers gonna take. Takers will take until you stop giving.

Jesus was telling his disciples that he was leaving but at some point he would return and a point he was trying was to be ready.

How many know if you stay ready, you don’t have to worry about getting ready?

At some point, only God the Father knows when, but at some point Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Son of man, our Lord and Savior is going to come back. He’s coming back for a church without spot or wrinkle and what you must know and understand is the church is not a building, the church consists of those who have made the decision to make Jesus Lord of their life. Those who have received salvation.

Now how many have been somewhere, a class or something and they said, “If you had one week to live, what would you do?” Now the amount of time could be longer or shorter that’s not the point of the exercise.

But you start naming things like, spend more time with the family, or tell more people about Christ, or get your affairs in order. Some go on the completely commercial side and decide they’re going to spend their last days running up debt because they won’t have to pay it off.

But for those who thought, I’d spend more time with my family. What’s stopping you from doing that now?

For those who said I’d tell more people about Jesus. Why aren’t you?

And for those who said you’d get your affairs in order. Why haven’t you?

What if you treated everyday as if it were your last day? Because the fact of the matter is, you just don’t know. Be it you dying or Christ’s return. You just don’t know.

In our parable, the story of the ten bridesmaids there were two groups. They began as one group. A group of ten bridesmaids with their lamps. We often start in a group where it would appear we are all the same. And then some what seem like subtle differences arise.

Ten started out on a mission. Their mission was to meet the bridegroom. All ten had their lamps, alright so far so good.

They were going on a trip, it was going to get dark so they needed lamps to light their way, and they had them.

That’s where the similarities stopped. Five took some extra oil with them. They were the wise ones. Five didn’t. They were the foolish ones.

The foolish bridesmaids represent the hypocrites, while the wise bridesmaids represent Christians.

Wow you’re either a Christian or a hypocrite; there is no in between. We need to be in our place and ready for Christ when he returns.

While we wait for his return we should continue to do the work of him who sent us.