Are you ready? A Reflection on Matthew 25:1-13

As I awake to the dark of the morning, I eagerly await the emerging line of light that begins the process of the sunrise. I await the joy of surprise: which color palette will appear. Will it be pastel blues and yellows, or bright pinks and oranges? Waiting prepares the space for the awe and wonder to arise in me.

What will emerge with the sunrise today? Ahh, bright pinks and oranges. Finally, the neon orange ball of fire emerges over the shore line, and I am filled with delight and grateful for the this spiritual practice.

Some days when I sleep in, I stumble upon the sunrise, and I realize that the experience it is not the same. You see, the preparation, the anticipation, the trust that the sun will rise today is an important part of the experience of this spiritual practice. Oh, what a holy fool, I am. And, I realize preparation helps me see more clearly.

This is the invitation that arises for me as I hear the words from the Parable of the Bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13. Cynthia Bourgeault in her book, Wisdom Jesus, introduced me to this interpretation of the parable that rings true with my soul. The wise bridesmaids who had plenty of oil for the journey were prepared and ready for this experience with Christ. It was their time. The oil for their journey was the fruit of their spiritual practice, the gift of their work. Pressing oil takes preparation and time.

Please, don’t shame the foolish bridesmaids. Encourage their practice. With preparation and time, they, too, will join Christ at the wedding. Their spiritual oil must be harvested, pressed, and readied for the journey. No one else can do this work for them. The wise bridesmaids knew this. They were not denying or shaming their peers. They were ready for their own journey while the others were not. For you see, they, too, had been holy fools at one time.

Truthfully, I believe we are both holy fools and wise fools. So, let’s stop shaming the ones who are not yet ready for the wedding. Let’s embrace their journey as a holy and sacred process in which every step is necessary. Let’s be encouragers and affirmers as we hold space to let each person determine their sense of readiness. In this way, we ARE sharing our spiritual oil with another.

Just as I can’t give you my experience of the sunrise, I can encourage you to prepare for this holy event and affirm your experience when you share it with me. Perhaps preparation will help you see more clearly. Tomorrow, the sun will rise again. Are you ready?

With a grateful heart,
Lil

Listen to Rev. Dr. Lil Smith's Guided Meditation for Praying the Lectionary for Matthew 25:1-13.

Invitation

As you experience the practice of praying the lectionary, adopt a loving, caring and compassionate stance. If the end of your prayer and meditation time is not pointing to love and hope, there is more work to do. Keep wrestling. God is faithful to your journey. Love and hope will emerge. Be gentle with yourself and befriend any judgment that arises in you.

This excerpt was taken from a weekly meditation. To sign up to receive these, email us.

"So that we may live lives worthy of the Lord and please God in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God."
- Rooted in Colossians 1:10 

Lil Smith is director and co-founder of Retreat House. She is a trained spiritual director and supervisor. In the role of adjunct faculty, Lil facilitates the supervised practicum classes in the Perkins School of Theology Certification in Spiritual Direction and spiritual formation groups.