The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. – Matthew 25:4

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 20, 2020): Matthew 25

Sixteenth-century Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes argued that "to be prepared is half the victory." Part of our struggle is that we seem to have forgotten that in our culture. We take pride in the idea that we don't have to be prepared; after all, we think that being able to react quickly is part of being a competent adult. Or we expect the government or some other official body to come to our rescue when things go wrong.

And as Christians, we have taken it to a new level. After all, God will take care of us. When disaster strikes, God will lift us up. When things get over our head, when we are drowning, or when everything around us is burning down to the ground, God will be our salvation. When a pandemic strikes, we can depend on God to keep us safe, unless God decides that it is time to take us home. Is there anything wrong with what I just said? No. But does that mean that there is nothing that we need to do to prepare? I think we have bought a lie. We don't wear masks amid a pandemic because God will be our mask. We don't save for retirement because God will take care of us. We don't save for a rainy day or an emergency because we apparently don't live in a world where we have rainy days or emergencies. At least, we wish that was true. We react to the future as if we live inside Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California" except that we have forgotten the last line of the song. "It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya. It pours, man, it pours."

The problem is that this mode of unprepared living seems to go against the biblical teaching. God gave Noah the plans for the Ark and asked him to build it long before the skies became dark with rain. He was expected to be prepared for the rainy day ahead. The Israelites took from their wealth to build the tabernacle and later the Temple. They had to save up for the project. The author of Proverbs comments that "a good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children" (Proverbs 13:22). In every instance, God's children are expected to prepare for the future, not just depend on God's wealth to carry us through.

And even Jesus gives us this teaching. In the story of the Ten Virgins, Jesus postulates a marriage celebration and ten young women who had been chosen to help with the festival. All of them brought lamps, in case the celebration started at night. But only half of them bothered to get the fuel needed to keep the lamps lit. The foolish virgins brought the lamps as part of their costume, but why waste time and money on oil that was not necessary. The wise virgins brought the oil, even though they may not need it.

As it turns out, the bridegroom is late, and it is night before the party starts. Suddenly the lamps are necessary, but only half of the young women are prepared for the night. The rainy day had come, but only half of the virgins had were ready for it. And as the story goes on, the bridegroom makes no allowances for those who were unprepared.

We need to be prepared for whatever the future holds for us. Yes, God will be with us for whatever is about to happen. But we also have a responsibility to prepare for any rainy days that might be ahead, to the best of our ability. Because even with God, being prepared is half the victory.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 12