Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning…You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect Him. Luke 12:35, 40 (NIV)
Many of you know the story in Matthew 25 about the ten maidens. Five were wise and five were foolish. They were all supposed to trim their lamps and await the bridegroom. Five had oil in their lamps and five did not. When the bridegroom came, the five foolish maidens were trying to buy oil and missed Him. Jesus tells us in verse 13 (NIV), “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.”
Isn’t it sad to read what He said to the foolish maidens? “I do not know you.” Oh, how heart-breaking to not enter the kingdom of heaven for all eternity. Why didn’t Jesus know them? Had they not given their hearts to Him? Had they not spent time with Him, reading His Word and praying? I would want to share my oil with them, but Jesus says, “I do not know them.”
Jesus asks in Luke 18:8 (NIV), “…When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
Oh, I want to be like the five wise maidens, keeping my lamp full of oil and ready for Jesus coming. I need to share my oil now with others before He comes. Perhaps my lamp is my TEA CUPP, and the oil is God’s Word. Each day during my quiet time when I drink of His Word, I am filling my TEA CUPP inside me. When I pray for others and tell them about Jesus, I am sharing oil now, before it is too late. And when He comes, Jesus and I will be like old friends. He will say, “Well done,” for we have enjoyed a cup of tea together every day.
Matthew 25:1-13 (GW)
A Story About Ten Bridesmaids
1“When the end comes, the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids. They took their oil lamps and went to meet the groom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they didn’t take any extra oil. 4The wise bridesmaids, however, took along extra oil for their lamps. 5Since the groom was late, all the bridesmaids became drowsy and fell asleep.
6“At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come to meet him!’ 7Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.
8“The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’
9“But the wise bridesmaids replied, ‘We can’t do that. There won’t be enough for both of us. Go! Find someone to sell you some oil.’
10“While they were buying oil, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went with him into the wedding hall, and the door was shut.
11“Later the other bridesmaids arrived and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’
12“But he answered them, ‘I don’t even know who you are!’
13“So stay awake, because you don’t know the day or the hour.