Love brings
true freedom, we are free to love, move, and have our being because Jesus has
set us free.
Fear has it’s
place as it is always is related to punishment which comes from the law. You could say that the law says when Jesus
came He offered us a quid pro quo, something in exchange for something on our
part, but that would not be the truth for there is nothing we could offer Him
for we were already dead in trespass and sin.
Jesus was not coming from the aspect that we had to do or give something to inherit
our salvation, it was totally reliant upon Him and what He provided. Perfect love does not demand anything on our
part, in fact, it is unassuming and takes the higher ground with us.
If we
recognize that Jesus paid for all of our sin and shame, the only thing we have
to offer is a receptive heart, an empty vessel for Him to fill.
Matthew 25:1-12 tells the story of the 10
virgins who were carrying oil lamps where 5 were prepared with extra oil, and 5
were not prepared and they were planning to go to a wedding feast to meet the
bridegroom. It is a story about proper preparation
beforehand for what is coming and having everything needed and ready for when the
wedding feast comes.
The oil
lamps represent the Holy Spirit which lights our path and prepares us for what
is coming, what must be noted here is all 10 virgins were filled with the
Holy Spirit in the beginning what was missing from 5 (foolish) virgins
was the proper attitude from the outset to know that much more oil was required
in their preparation and it was not taken seriously.
Jesus doesn’t give us the details of this
parable about the 10 virgins and their backgrounds, however, it is mentioned is
that these 10 virgins were all ladies in waiting being called to their
bridegroom to be married. Jesus isn’t condoning
polygamy, but a story of how there can be 10 who are called to come and only 5 out
of the 10 who had truly prepared.
To go deeper in this passage here is to understand that to receive the oil is to recognize that it flows directly from the bridegroom in the beginning, not from a third party, Jesus is making a point
that relationship with Him from the outset is what was needed to prepare with
extra oil in waiting for the wedding feast.
It says that 5 (foolish) virgins fell asleep and were not watching for the arrival of the bridegroom and were startled awake by the other 5 virgins who
were awake.
They tell
the 5 sleeping virgins to come out and have an encounter with Him, this
was more than just a casual encounter this was calling for an intimate
encounter with the bridegroom, supposedly to get extra oil, but their response was “We can’t". The very thing they were waiting for which was the arrival of the bridegroom they
choose not to go out and meet Him because of being ill-prepared by not having
enough oil. It seems to be a
contradiction in terms for the bridegroom provides the oil in the first
place.
The (wise virgins) then told the (foolish)
virgins “You’ll have to go and buy some for yourselves!’ In other words go find some oil, (take
time and fill yourselves with the holy spirit so that your lives will be
illuminated) but there was no time to be had at this point for the bridegroom had already arrived, there was no time to do anything but follow Him
to the wedding feast.
But the 5 (foolish)
virgins focused on some programmatic way to acquire oil and were depending
on their wits to acquire oil rather than just following the bridegroom and resting
in the fact that everything that they needed was already provided by Him and
was available inside of them all along. The bridegroom was not lax in providing oil (the Holy Spirit), the foolish
virgins thought that the oil came from somewhere else external than directly from
the bridegroom Himself and were unprepared to meet Him when he arrived to take
them to their own wedding.
Essentially,
the 5 (foolish virgins) did not truly know their betrothed very well and did
not know that He was the source of everything that they needed.
We have a Bridegroom
who loves us unconditionally and desires to be joined with us and is inviting
us to a wedding feast. We have every preparation we need already placed within us by the Bridegroom, all that is
required is for us to call upon Him and it is ours to access. The Holy Spirit is given to us in abundance,
there is never a lack of supply.
And
when the Bridegroom comes to take us to the wedding feast so that we can be
together with Him forever, He is looking for the brides who have adorned themselves with
the illumination of His true Love which is His presence reflected back to Him
through His chosen bride.
When the 5
(foolish) virgins returned they had oil and were beating on a locked door to
the feast, telling the Bridegroom and those in attendance “‘Lord, Lord, let us
come in!’ “But He called back, ‘Go away!
Do I know you? I can assure you, I don’t
even know you!’" He did not recognize His true love that would have reflected His presence and removed the fear of not having
enough oil in the first place.
Todays
passage ends with this final thought “Whoever walks constantly afraid of
punishment has not reached love’s perfection”.
It is fear which drives people to doubt the
Lord’s love and provision and to trust in themselves to try to do or find something anything
to fill what is missing in their lives. And the punishment they receive is self-inflicted for they realize are separated from the Lord's true love. It is that missing piece which is His true love which desires to take residence within
us to give us everything that we need to be prepared for the arrival of our Bridegroom.
Be Blessed;
Stephen
Barnett
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