Five Wise Virgins 24 [Matt 25:1-13] / Anne's Faith Column

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Five Wise Vrgins 24

[Matt 25:1-13] 

/ Anne's Faith Column 

 

 

/ By Priscilla

 

 

Through the parable

of the ten virgins

waiting for the bridegroom,

 

 

 

Jesus tells us about the

attitude and virtues

that the saints

 

 

 

who are waiting

for the Second Coming

today should have.

 

 

 

Like the five foolish

virgins who lived a life

of faith and did not

see the time of the

Lord's coming,

 

 

 

I wonder how much

we would mourn if

we couldn't prepare oil

 

 

 

and eventually couldn't

even light a lamp to greet

the bridegroom Jesus.

 

 

 

As we live our faith,

there are many times

when we fall into dozens

of temptations a day

 

 

 

and our determination

and passion for the

Lord gradually

fade away.

 

 

 

What a tragedy

will it be if the Lord

 comes at this time!

 

 

 

In the past,

members of the early

church lived longing

for the impending

 

 

 

eschatology as the biggest

event of their time,

 

 

 

but, as the time

gradually delayed,

most of them gave

up waiting.

 

 

 

In addition,

they fell into various

heresies and deceptions

that appeared at that time,

 

 

 

forgotten being filled

with the Holy Spirit,

and left their lives of faith.

 

 

 

Wasn't it because

they did not listen

to God's Word, did not

keep in mind that

the thoughts of God

 

 

 

and the thoughts of men

were totally different,

and they were impatient?

 

 

 

Like the members

of the early church,

are we living without

 

 

 

breaking out of our

habitual and formal life

of faith even though

we have faith!

 

 

 

We look back at

ourselves who are

so lazy that we ignore

or forget the words

the Lord gives us

every day,

 

 

 

and who are unable

 to accept them carefully.

 

 

 

In this way,

I admit that our attitude

of faith living in the

present age is no

different from that

of the early churches. 

 

 

 

However,

I become ashamed

when I guess what

the Lord will tell us

 

 

 

if we go in the same

way as their religious

attitude.

 

 

 

Then, in order to

become the five

wise virgins,

 

 

 

what attitude should

we prepare for oil

while living our

Christian life?

 

 

 

1. Jesus is saying that

we must produce fruit t

hat is worthy of repentance.

 

 

 

Therefore,

the Lord tells us to

look back on the past

and to keep watch anew.

  

 

 

This is not achieved

by our will or strength. 

 

 

 

Therefore, we

must ask for the

spirit of repentance

in order to keep

awake anew.

 

 

 

2. In the Word and prayer

life we must strive for

continuous piety training

before God.

 

 

 

We must take time

to meet the Lord

through prayer,

reading the Word,

meditation,

 

 

 

and putting it into practice

at a certain time so that

we can continue our

godly life by relying on

the Holy Spirit.

 

 

 

3. We must become

a person who can

make a right judgment

  on God's time.

 

 

 

Also, for this purpose,

we must constantly

pray to the Lord, thinking

about how we can stand

in the ranks of the

five wise virgins

 

 

 

who have prepared

oil and become awake

in spirit.

 

 

 

In other words,

each one of us must

become a person

 

 

 

who can make a right

judgment on the time

from God's perspective

 

 

 

so that the spiritual

eye of each one of us

can be opened and not

shaken or disturbed in

any situation.

 

 

 

Prayer

 

 

 

Lord, each of us needs

the work of opening

our spiritual eyes.

 

 

 

I pray to the Lord

at this time, so that

we may stand in the ranks

of the five wise

 

 

 

and discreet virgins,

keeping a determined

heart-like the parable

of the fig tree,

 

 

 

searching for the times

and seeking the signs

of the last days.

 

 

Amen

 

 

 

2009/01/26

 

 

 

/ By Priscilla