Keeping our candles lit with the oil of wisdom

 

Wisdom can be defined as “grace with action.”  Wisdom isn’t just something above the eyebrows, it moves us.  Too often we don’t realize until long after how something within caused us to act in an unexpected, but right, manner.  It’s not only the quality or state of being a wise person; it’s also the knowledge of what’s true or right coupled with action upon our wisdom for other’s sake.  

Wisdom “is readily perceived by those who love her” and is “found by those who deliberately ask or seek her” (Wisdom 6:12-16).  Simply said, love is primarily “paying attention with care.”  It takes our intention and deliberate focus for the Holy Spirit to fully engage with us.  God’s love for us respects our free will.  And wisdom takes a lot of waiting, but it’s an expectant, faith-filled waiting on the Lord.  

A lot is packed into Jesus’ short parable (Luke 11:15-26) in which a wedding feast is compared to the kingdom of heaven and the “ten virgins who went out to meet the bridegroom”.  The wise ones couldn’t share their oil with the foolish ones if they wanted to.  What is required to enter the feast must be what we’ve experienced or what we’ve done ourselves.  We can’t share our relationship with Jesus with someone else, as the unprepared virgins wanted the others to do.  We have to experience the love of Christ personally to have a relationship with Him.  The oil is our love and relationship with Christ.  The unprepared virgins were foolish to think that they could purchase this at the last minute.  If only they would have stayed and asked the lord for mercy and forgiveness, they could have entered the wedding feast or Kingdom of Heaven.  Jesus Christ, the Bridegroom, with a word of command, can wake us up and take us to be with Himself if only we have faith.  If we bless Him while we live and call upon His name, it won’t be in vain.

Jesus’ future coming transforms the present by motivating us to love Him and live for Him to the fullest. The ones who wisely plan ahead, are rewarded; the unprepared are rejected.  A few weeks ago, the rejected guests were those without a wedding garment (Matthew 22:1-14), now it’s the ones without working lamps.  At baptism we were clothed in Christ and were given a lighted candle.  Only those who put on Christ and light the way are welcomed to the kingdom.  We must live out our baptism and let our God-given wisdom give us the urgency we need each and every day.  The door is open, let’s keep our candles lit with the oil from a strong relationship with Jesus!