HOME
Daily Devotions for the Advent and Christmas Seasons
Thursday, December 17
Matthew 25:1-13
by Joshua Hee
Where to Find Improvement
“Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
We always need to be alert for our own safety and the safety of our kids, and in this reading, we need to stay alert to go to this great banquet. It won’t be fun unless you can attend. So we should pay attention and not miss the joys in life and not miss seeing our mistakes, too. My mother would always tell me that one word makes a difference, and it is very true. Christmas is coming up, and we need to give our full attention to the birth of Christ.
Matthew says we may not know when Jesus may come, but we do know that he will come and will shine for us when he arrives. In the passage, the foolish maidens have lamps but no oil left to burn. They are like those who do not follow the teaching of God and don’t shine with Jesus’ light. Each of the wise maidens had her own light and could shine. It may seem harsh that the Lord did not let all the maidens in, that he didn’t forgive the foolish ones and didn’t know them any more. He simply forgot them.
In the real world, there are consequences for everything. Nothing is just given to you. You have to work for it. You may make a mistake, but if you learn from it, maybe you won’t do it again. The Lord likes to see us improve. We can’t just be like little kids who come and say they’re all done coloring, expecting a pat on the back. We need to do what Jesus says and even go beyond that to find and explore new things, and when we do something bad, we need to learn not to do it again.
Prayer
Lord, have mercy on those you love. When a bad economy and lots of work with nothing good coming out of it tire us out, help us to see the forks in the path ahead of us. Guide us into the future we deserve. When this world is not nice to us sometimes, help us survive in it and still see the wonderful positives of the world. Let your light shine in us so that we pass on the flame. Bring us the best peace possible. In your name we pray. Amen.