BE WISE! DON'T BE FOOLED; THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS REAL
(Mathew 25:1-13)
Jesus teaches about the kingdom
of God and invites us to prepare for it. He gives a picture of what it looks
like to get prepared.
The wise thing to do is to be
ready for the Lord who comes to take us into his kingdom. This wisdom should
make us choose the right things to do, who to mingle with and make effort to
live with consciousness about where we are heading to. This wisdom should make
a Christian live a purpose driven life. This wisdom should make one to hold
firm to the instruction given to him concerning tracing the heavenly path.
Thus, in the gospel of today,
Jesus talks about the wise and foolish virgins. The virgins here represent all
the Christians given equal opportunity to make heaven. The Lord in Christ
offers us all we need to be live happy with Him. But while some choose to be
wise and make judicious use of these privileges, others are fooled by the
various satanic lies. In short, the opposite of all the qualities that made the
wise virgins wise are the things that made the foolish virgins foolish.
Qualities of the Wise Virgins:
The Gospel tells us about the
following qualities as what distinguished the virgins as wise. They include:
Having Enough Oil
Oil in the bible meant a lot. Oil
was use for various reasons in the scriptures. It was used for ordination, for
anointing, for healing, etc. Today we see it doing a special function. It
served as the auction to function. It served as power of illumination, it
served as manifestation of wisdom, it served as the source of power, it served
as the generator of your power. The oil lubricates your zeal and keeps you
aflame. The oil makes your light not to go down. The oil is the secret
energizer of your confidence as a child of God. The oil keeps your spiritual
engine moving. The oil is there to enable you not to go dry.
Where is your Oil?
This is an important question.
The oil like the fuel or diesel is what one must check in a routine way. The
oil ignites energies in the machine. It does a lot of unseen jobs. With the
oil, the car will not make unnecessary noise. You're living a careless, noisy
life because your oil is running dry. Take enough along your way. Yes, it will
save you a lot of embarrassments.
Where's the oil of your baptism?
When last did you refill the oil of your reconciliation? Is your Eucharistic
oil still fresh? When last did you receive it in the state of grace? Where's
the oil of your marriage? Is it still meeting the Lord with love, joy and
understanding? Did you take enough oil to sustain you in that vocation? Did you
take enough oil to carry you on in that ministry? Have you taken enough oil for
the temptations ahead? Have you burned your oil in this that are not necessary?
Have you wasted your oil in midnight sinful chats instead of prayers and
encouraging words? Have you wasted your midnight study oil on parties and
jamborees? Have you forgotten your oil of peace, charity, reading of the bible,
listening to God, attending spiritual exercise? etc
Where is your oil?
Don't be fooled. Take enough of
it. You can't spiritually die; you can't afford to run spiritually dry. Your
lamp is not good to go down, your faith is not supposed to wane. Having enough
oil calls for living a planned life. Gather enough grace that will lead you
through this life to eternity. May God help you to do this wisely like the wise
virgins and not the foolish ones.
Meet the Lord without Excuses
The bridegroom delayed in
returning. The virgins both wise and foolish slept. But when the cry was
heard: "Behold, the
bridegroom! Come out and meet him",
the five virgins without delay rose and trimmed their light. The foolish ones
started begging for oil. There are things you can never beg; I choose to call
them the 'non-borrowables of Christian life'. Your relationship with God is
something personal, you can't share it with anyone. No one can share with you
his personal spiritual merits. You stay at home, giving beautiful excuses why
you will not attend Sunday mass. You justify yourself that you took your wife
and children to Church and came back. You tell yourself: 'the parish priest is
my friend, am covered' My son is the bishop and so you do not make any effort
to do anything. God looks at personal effort.
Both the wise and the unwise will
sleep. All will sleep in death. The wise and the unwise too will also rise. But
the wise will rise to meet the Lord, while the unwise will seek a second chance
which may yield no open doors. There's a lot wisdom in making our sincere
effort now to make heaven at last.
Don't be Fooled
What are the things fooling you?
Evil companies? Are you always in the midst of the foolish virgins? Are you
with light bearers or light extinguishers? Don't be fooled by politicization of
Christianity, Don't be fooled by the various titles you have received. Don't be
fooled by the fruitless seminars you have attended. Don't be fooled by the
level of your exposition and recognition. Don't be fooled by your academic
qualifications. Don't be fooled by party after party. Don't be fooled by
"I love you pass my mother", Don't be fooled by the latest fashion, jewelleries,
cars and other accessories. What
happened to the candle you received at baptism? What are the winds blowing off
your light of faith? Why are you not
looking at the dashboard of your spiritual life to know the level of your
spiritual oil? Do you want to be embarrassed when the bridegroom comes? Be ever
ready! That's the watchword.
Nwa Chukwu hear this: Wisdom lies
in going for those things that will open the heavens for you. Foolishness, on
the other hand, consists in doing those things that will close the heavenly
doors for you and make you hear: I do not know you! Azi gbakwa!
The Lord insists: Don't be
fooled; Be wise!
Let us pray
Father in heaven, our hope and
trust is in you. We look up to you dear Lord. We need your wisdom to guide our
paths in this confusing world. We pray that our light of faith may not go down.
We have been fooled most of the time by bad companions and our evil
inclinations, carelessness and laziness. Give us grace to take enough oil as we
journey along this way. Wake us from the sleep of sin and grant that we may
rise to newness of life in you and live eternally with you in heaven through
Christ our Lord. Amen
Happy Sunday (32nd Sunday,
Ordinary Time, Yr. A)
Rev Fr Julian O Ekeh
May the lord bless us all amen
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