‘essential oil…’

November 12, 2023

Scriptures: Matthew 25:1-13, Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

This puzzling little parable can be approached from at least two directions. There seem to be winners and losers to be sure, but the only advantage the bridesmaids who were ‘welcomed in’ to the wedding banquet appeared to have had, was that they had thought ahead and brought sufficient oil for their lamps just in case the bridegroom was delayed. There really is no other distinguishing feature between the two groups of bridesmaids.  And this is interesting because Jesus ends the exchange by instructing all who were listening to ‘keep awake’, even though both groups of bridesmaids had in fact fallen fast asleep. 

So where the usual conclusion many come away with after reading this passage is that ‘we all need to stay alert for the coming of the Lord’, in fact the case can be made that the critical instruction here is in fact for us to keep our lamps full, as well as to have sufficient ‘oil’ should the work or the wait before us prove to be longer or more extensive than we had anticipated.  Or to say it perhaps another way, to be sure that we have allowed our spirits to be filled with the grace of our Lord so that whatever is asked of us, we have the resources to respond.

At the outset, I would like to acknowledge Rev. Dr. Janet Hunt, whose regular online contributions to Textweek titled, ‘Dancing With the Word.com’ helped me to see another side of this passage. In particular by focusing on the unfortunate bridesmaids, and the whole issue of their not having been prepared to do what they had come there to do.

So, if we look at this idea of needing to be filled and ready…in fact, having a faith life in which we remain in a place of readiness…what would that look like? What is it that we might be waiting for? And, who or what is the ‘bridegroom’ we should be expecting? Again, as I said, I do not want to revisit the usual interpretation of this passage as though it speaks to an ‘end of time with Jesus coming again on clouds of glory’ perspective, but rather a much more down to earth one. In other words, how does this particular story ‘find me’…and how might it direct me in my everyday life?

Over the course of my life I have been surprised many times by two things in particular.  The first is the inner and essential goodness of the human spirit which shows itself in so many ways. A kind word or an act of seemingly random self-giving, or even a certain sacrifice has warmed my heart on many occasions.

And the second thing that catches me by surprise quite often, is the willingness of God, through the Holy Spirit, to just show up unexpectedly.  Not as one might expect in some big flashy way, but usually much more quietly and gently, sometimes so much so that you have to have been looking for it to even notice the soft wind of the Spirit as it passes by and brushes against you.

And sometimes I find, that the Holy Spirit is actually resident within the soul and circumstance of one who stands before you in need. Sometimes what we need to stay alert for and to keep watch for is actually the grace of our Lord, who has placed before us a soul in deep need of the love and grace which we have been given in abundance.

And whenever that happens, we need to be sure that our lamps are filled with the ‘oil of compassion’ and the willingness to serve…‘oil’ that can definitely run low and even dry if we do not take the time to regularly allow our souls to be refilled with ‘living water’ which we were promised would be the result of a relationship with our Lord.

In Chapter 4 of John’s gospel we find the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Again this is a story with many layers of meaning, but for our purposes remember that the woman came all alone to the well at midday to draw water for her home. Jesus asks her for a drink and she gets into it with him over the Jew’s treatment of the Samaritan people. Jesus responds to her questioning saying, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ To this the woman responds by asking for the water Jesus has to offer and the rest of the story finds this previously rejected person becoming the first one to spread the Good News and to convert an entire city to belief in Jesus. 

The woman at the well asked Jesus for the water that would ‘never run dry’, and almost immediately became one of the most influential evangelists of the gospel story.  She met Jesus and asked him to fill her lamp with the ‘oil’, to grace her life with the water which never runs dry…much as we need todo whenever we feel we are beginning to run low in our journey towards a closer likeness of our Lord. 

We must take care not to run out of the oil of grace, or of compassion, or of the willingness to extend ourselves yet again in the service of our Lord.  For as with Abraham, we have been blessed with all that we have in order that we might be a blessing to others. This same oil which was and is offered to us,  which brought us into relationship with our Lord, was in truth extended to us by someone else, and on it goes, the Lord blessing one to bless another in an ever increasing arc of goodness.

It has been said that we can never ‘out give the Lord’ and I suppose that is true, for our Lord is the source of all the blessings we have to offer in the first place. However, I do know from personal experience that it is possible to neglect the call to be ready, to in fact be a poor example of love and graceful care towards another, to be carrying a lamp of love that has run dry and is fully out of oil. 

And so while we cannot ‘out give God’, we can forget to make sure our lamps are filled, and that we are prepared to accept whatever or whomever the Lord places before us. But how exactly is it, that we are to go about ‘refilling’ our lamps?  How do we access the grace we need to carry the message of God’s love and the promise of the kingdom forward?

I think there are many ways to put ourselves in a place where the Lord can pour refreshing love and grace into our souls. We can do it first all by ourselves, by periodically, even regularly taking the time to just sit quietly, to hush the noise both within and without, and to lift up our eyes and our hearts to the Lord.  Perhaps alone with a cup of morning coffee, perhaps sitting quietly out of doors while Creation gently caresses our soul or, simply listening to another as they share from the goodness of their heart. Or even just taking the time to share together…as I said last week at the usual raucous start of our service, perhaps our fellowship together is at least, if not more critical for us than the actual worship…the sharing and connections that are renewed, the concerns that are brought out into that safe place, the joy and laughter which truly is one of the essential oils of relationships…

Remember, it is the Lord who is doing the refilling here, it is the Lord who desires that we be filled and remain ready to serve.  So surely anytime or any moment we place ourselves in quietude or in prayerfulness before God, or in careful caring for one another, he will honor our openness and send forth the water that does not run dry, but rather is both renewed and refreshed in the very act of giving it away.

The Lord’s banquet of grace and provision is always set somewhere…we just need to look for it and to accept it in whichever way the Spirit places it before us.  Perhaps it is in a moment when you are affirmed deeply by having someone really understand you and assure you of their dedication to you as a friend, perhaps it is in the unexpected and incredible beauty of a morning sunrise racing red, yellow, and orange across the most fortunate clouds, or the sense of blessing we get from seeing a perfect double rainbow…remembering of course that the rainbow was a promised message of grace from our Lord.

Each of these ways which the Spirit uses to reach out and refill our lamps with love is meant as preparation for the road ahead, to ready us to serve as our Lord gave us example. We are always being led to serve each of those at the table, to offer out of our own strength and resolve the gifts we have been given.

But as I said the week before last, we also should note that it is in giving, that we ourselves receive…it is not just a one-way interaction. In being filled and being always ready to reach out to give, to extend ourselves in love which can even be costly at times…we may be surprised to find that we are the ones benefiting deeply as well…

We must always be ready to seize the moment to share the joy of our Lord…to be sure we do not miss or neglect each time the Spirit sends us the energizing grace of God in order to both renew us, as well as to bless another. We must be sure to look in unexpected places for the activity of grace…allowing ourselves to capture those moments, and to enjoy the mirth and refreshment of God.

For if we do not go repeatedly and often to the well of God’s grace…if it is not a regular habit, then we will surely become depleted and dry ourselves…unable to minister to others as we will simply not have it in us.

Our work, our ministry for Jesus is a partnership.  And though we often may not realize or remember…in truth, as part of the commandment to love one another, we each are asked to be the mouth, the eyes, the ears, the hands and the feet needed to do the walking,

the talking,

the listening,

the seeing,

the touching and embracing,

the loving, the extension of mercy,

And the forgiveness and grace to those the Spirit sends our way.  If we are not ready, if our lamps have run dry and we are out of oil, then we will not be able to fulfill our role as disciples of God’s love. Our Lord is not afraid to send us those who are most in need, for he is sure that we will remember to keep our lamps filled with ‘oil’, and our welcome warm and sincere.

Let us continue to honor this blessing of our Lord’s confidence and trust in each one of us…amen