To Be With Jesus

So, I wrote this one evening during my free write time.  I had been thinking of this parable for a few days, and then when I opened my Bible, it landed here.  I felt led to share it with you all.  =)^2 Anna

Matthew 25

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

¹ “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

 

In this parable, HALF of the virgins went with the bridegroom, and the other HALF were rejected.  “I don’t know you,” the bridegroom told them.  The virgins all went out to wait for the bridegroom.  They were all excited on their departure.  But when the bridegroom finally arrived, five of the ten (half) were distracted with doing things for the bridegroom.

It breaks my heart to apply this parable.  When the bridegroom (Jesus) finally arrives, there will be many that are eager.  But to whom will he reject?  (That’s the part that is heartbreaking.)

It reminds me of a story of a husband and his wife.  The husband comes home from work every day and…sweeps the kitchen floor for his wife who had labored all day.  He takes out the trash.  He takes a shift at changing the baby’s diaper (and any other disgusting mess left by baby).  He makes sure all the daily chores are done before he goes to bed.  Sometimes, when he’s feeling extra-good-hearted, he’ll wash the car or something else more extravagant things for his wife.  This is nice and all that, and his wife is indeed his motivation, but he never just sits down and has a conversation with her.

I believe that what Jesus is saying to you is that he just wants to be with you, and he wants you to be with him.  To be present.  God left us his word (aka the Bible) that we may learn of his divine character.  And I am continually amazed that God is HERE and we can talk to GOD as if we were talking to a person sitting beside us.  He is Creator of the universe, Eternal and Just Ruler of all—and we can talk with him, for the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.  How cool is that!?

Let’s back up a sec.  Jesus—the one who died on a cross and took on all of God’s wrath for you, the one who then defeated death and rose again victorious, the one who redeems and saves continually and offers the gift of eternal life—wants to be with YOU.  And that same Jesus, who in King of kings and Lord of lords, who is the lamb and the Son of God, the very Messiah that generations of God’s people waited for—INVITES you to know him.

“Bring the extra oil for your lamp,” he says.  “I just want YOU!”