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Twenty
Sixth Sunday After Pentecost
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Gospel:
Matthew 25: 1-13
Being Ready
Highlighted
Verses: Matthew 25: 1-13
“Then the kingdom of
heaven will be like
this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.
2Five
of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3When the foolish took
their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4but the wise took
flasks
of oil with their lamps. 5As the bridegroom was
delayed, all of them
became drowsy and slept. 6But at midnight there
was a shout, ‘Look!
Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7Then all those
bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish said to
the
wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But
the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you
had
better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10And while
they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went
with
him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11Later the
other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12But
he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake
therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Have
you ever gone to a swimming pool? We wouldn't want to show up at the
pool looking like this (in our church clothes), would we? What are some
things we need to bring to the pool so we'll be ready to have fun
there? (Solicit children's answers: bathing suits, towels, sunscreen,
etc.) Sure we'd need all those things!
How about going to the grocery store? Can think of something we need to
remember to bring there? (I'll give you a hint: If you don't bring this
with you, they won't let you take anything home!) That's right - we
need money (or some other way of paying).
Our lives involve a lot of planning ahead, don't they? We have to be ready to do certain things - and
if we aren't ready then some
things just don't work out well at all.
In today's gospel reading Jesus tells a story about being ready. Some
women had an important job in helping to get ready for a wedding. They
were supposed to hold up lamps at night to help light a path for the
groom - but only some of them
were ready.
This was before electricity, or batteries - so these lamps were like
candles. They needed oil inside to help keep their fire burning.
Some of the women had everything they needed - but a few of them didn't. They had
brought their lamps, but forgot the oil to put inside. They knew that
wasn't going to work, so they left to go get oil and while they were
gone...guess what? That's right. The groom came past and they missed
doing their jobs.
Jesus tells this story (in part) to remind us that we always need to be ready to do the
right thing. We never know when we'll be asked to do important work for
God, but when those times come - and we see chances to be helpful, or
kind or honest - we need to be ready to take them.
Are you ready? Good! Let's pray.
Dear God,
We are ready to be your faithful servants on Earth. Help to guide our
good works during the week ahead.
Amen.
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