“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ – Matthew 25:7-8

Today’s Scripture Reading (November 12, 2017): Matthew 25

Anton Chekhov joked that “Any idiot can face a crisis - its day to day living that wears you out.” As far as what it is that wears us out, Chekhov was probably right. We usually can depend on a burst of adrenaline to get us through the tough times that come with this life. But it is not just facing a crisis that is required to prevail through to the other side. We have to win through the crisis. And not just anyone can do that. Generally, crisis takes at least some strength and preparation just to get to that other side.

Jesus parable of the ten virgins is an illustration of the need for preparation and strength in the face of crisis. In ancient times, marriage was a three-stage proposition. First, there was the agreement to marry which was usually conducted between the fathers of the bride and the groom, often when the bride and groom were still children. This was followed by the engagement of the couple when they reached the appropriate age. And finally, the marriage. And the custom for the marriage was that the bridegroom would come for the bride a year after the engagement, but at a time of his choosing. The bride would ready herself for his coming. She would gather her unmarried friends to be there and to wait with her, and they would join in the wedding procession when the groom finally arrived. They would have lamps that were really torches, pieces of cloth that were drowned in oil that would light the way. The average wedding would have about ten of these unmarried friends who would participate in the procession. The picture that Jesus paints here would have been a very familiar one to those who were listening.

But as Jesus tells the story, he adds a crisis. In this case, the bridegroom has chosen to come late, which he can decide to do. The friends are gathered waiting for his coming, but as the time drifts on, they begin to fall asleep. And then the warning comes, the bridegroom is on his way. And the friends frantically rise, getting ready for their part in the celebration. But half of the party has run out of oil and, therefore, they cannot light their lamps. Before the crisis, all the friends looked the same. It was only in the moment of crisis that the difference was noticeable.

The tale is part of Jesus message about his return. The moral is that we need to be ready because we do not know the day or the hour of his arrival, but the reality is that this is true of every crisis. We seldom meet a crisis that we are expecting. Part of being wise is being ready. Our spirituality is rarely defined in the relaxed moments of life; it is defined in the tough ones.

And it is for that crisis moment that we need to be prepared. We always need to be ready.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 12