"What is Christ teaching us here? The obvious answer is that we should always be ready for His return. Keep awake, He says, you don't know the day or the hour of His return.
"There's always someone predicting when the world will end, and they read signs in the state of the world today and from that they deduce that we are near the end times. The reality is that only God knows when this will happen. Jesus said that even He did not know the date or time.
"But there's more to this parable than just this message. You will note that the five wise women took enough oil for their lamps when they waited for the bridegroom. Whilst the foolish women took no additional oil with them.
"When eventually the bridegroom arrived, the foolish women ran out of oil and asked to borrow some from the wise ones. The wise women refused and told them to go buy some oil for themselves.
"Were these women wise or just selfish? Should they have shared the oil evenly? Isn't that what Christianity all about? Being kind to one's neighbours and share with those who have not?
"What is Jesus teaching here?"
Father Ignatius stopped a while, as he usually did, to allow the message to sink in; and then he continued.
"Jesus is teaching that there are some things you cannot borrow from someone else. You cannot borrow their faith, their preparations, their zeal and their love for God, their fruits of the Spirit.
"The wise women had faith in the bridegroom arriving and prepared for that event. Their love for the bridegroom was obvious by their actions. We cannot as individuals say because someone else has great faith therefore we are saved. A man can't say that because his wife is a good faithful Christian therefore he is OK because God will see him right. Our entry into Heaven does not depend on someone else's faith. Only God decides who enters Heaven. He has invited everyone; but we should respond to that invitation. We don't go in as wife plus one!"
The congregation laughed. The priest waited a moment and then went on.
"What are the fruits of the Spirit? In Galatians 5:22 and 23 Paul says the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.These are gifts given to those who have the Holy Spirit abiding in them. You can't borrow them from someone else.
"I believe that's the secondary message in this parable. The first one is that we should always be prepared for the coming of the Lord because we do not know the day or the hour. The second message is that we cannot borrow our salvation from someone else. If we want to be saved we should ask our Lord to help us on our road to Paradise."
...lent money is spent money.
ReplyDeleteTruth.
Deletewww.rsrue.blogspot.com
Thank you Tom and Regine. God bless.
DeleteWith all the distress in the world today, many are talking about it being end times, Victor. You are so right that we each must be personally prepared in faith; it cannot be borrowed from another.
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
We should always be prepared because we don't know the time or day; prepared on our own actions not that of others.
DeleteGod bless, Martha.
Everyone is different, we should always be prepared and only we can do that.
ReplyDeleteAmen Bill. God bless.
DeleteI, too, am hearing increased chatter about this being end times. But who are we to predict? Better we prepare ourselves and leave the rest to our Father.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Mevely. We cannot predict, and we cannot "borrow" other peoples' faith.
DeleteGod bless you.
Great explanation of the parable.
ReplyDeleteThank you Happyone. God bless.
DeleteYes, this is a very good message, and I agree with you completely on all accounts. We must each be ready, because we do not know the hour of His appearing...and our responsibility is for our own salvation. We can share the Gospel with everyone we meet, but it is up to them to accept God's free gift for themselves. We can't force it on them, and they can't take it away from us. We must each make our own choices and be ready. I am thankful that I settled this account long ago and now I know I am ready no matter when He comes. I pray the same for everyone I know. Take care my friend. I enjoyed your post very much!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind words, Pamela. Much appreciated.
DeleteYes, as you say, we should always be ready and we are responsible for our own salvation.
God bless you and yours always, my friend.
the comic reminds me how easily we can glibly we can mis-quote scripture to use it for our own agendas.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda,
DeleteHaving difficulty logging in to your new Blog. I can read it OK but not comment. I'm receiving your weekly e-mails.
God bless.
In a hurry here but must say this is one of the best explanations you have allowed the good Father to have: ...... ......
ReplyDeleteYou cannot borrow their faith, their preparations, their zeal and their love for God, their fruits of the Spirit. ............
Love it. gotta go. Love from over this way..
Sherry & jack
Faith is ours and ours alone. We cannot "ride" on someone else's faith and enter Heaven because of them, or because we're related to them, or share their entry ticket!
DeleteThank you for your kindness to me Jack and Sherry. Happy and safe travelling. God bless.
You're right, we can't count on the faith of another to carry us.
ReplyDeleteAmen Mimi. God bless.
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