25 - Smart or Silly

Some of Jesus's teachings are simple to understand, while there are a few that leave us scratching our heads. If you read through Matthew 25, you will notice three classic parables - The first one is about the 10 Young Women (virgins), then Jesus shares about the 3 servants and their bags of gold, followed by a teaching on the final judgement, where there will be a separating of sheep and goats.

In the light of our Lent period coming to an end and the Easter weekend upon us, read these words from Matthew 25:1-13 and see if there is a message for you in this. Ask yourself these questions as you go through it:

1. What does it mean for us to "have extra oil on stand-by?"
2. What makes us "tired" as Christ-followers?
3. Does this parable make God seem unfair to you?

^1-5 “God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.
⁶ “In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bride-groom’s here! Go out and greet him!’
^7-8 “The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’
⁹ “They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’
¹⁰ “They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.
¹¹ “Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’
¹² “He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’
¹³ “So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Potjie, Grief and Hope

<sup>Stories get our attention! There is no question about it, stories have a way of striking at the core of our being. Perhaps in today's world we could argue that images or media are having the same impact, but essentially these new means of communication are just about telling a certain kind of story. 

So, our friend, Ezekiel is given some power images to share and today's illustrations are enough to stop the clock! He starts off by sharing about a cooking pot, meat and a very hot fire. It reminded me of having a Potjie (if you don't know what that is then refer to Google :) - you put all the ingredients in and wait for the food to be ready, but you need to watch the heat in case you burn the food. Read this in Ezekiel 24:1-14.

Then God asks Ezekiel to use the death of his wife as another illustration. I admit that I felt a little uncomfortable with this one, but Ezekiel was obedient to the Lord's request and the people asked him what this all meant. His reply is found in v.15-24.

The last few verses are the ones that I wanted to focus on this morning, as they point to the Messiah. This is what is recorded in Ezekiel 24 

25</sup> Then the Lord said to me, “Son of man, on the day I take away their stronghold—their joy and glory, their heart’s desire, their dearest treasure—I will also take away their sons and daughters. ²⁶ And on that day a survivor from Jerusalem will come to you in Babylon and tell you what has happened. ²⁷ And when he arrives, your voice will suddenly return so you can talk to him, and you will be a symbol for these people. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

I see this as a fulfilment of a promise, that when the Saviour arrives he will give people their voice back and they will return to the Lord. Jesus will show us that the Lord is God and draw people back to the heart of the Father.

Is this not the message of Easter?

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Telling our stories

"... to tell about the light so that everyone might believe because of his testimony." - John 1:7

We all have our own stories to tell. For some of us, these life-stories include an account of our faith experience. The stories we share should never be to make others feel "less significant or spiritual", but rather to encourage others in their faith. When I hear from you about how you have encountered Jesus, it does something to me - it makes me feel part of your journey and connects us on the bigger stage of Life. It also inspires me to carry on. This is why I believe so strongly in the power of narrative and telling our story.

For those of you who can make it on Sunday at 6pm (5th June), we are going to be hearing a few testimonies from our recent Israel trip. We will also be showing a few photos and sharing some scriptures. Come along and we pray that your own faith would be inspired. YOU ARE ALL INVITED!

"The lost coin is found by means of a candle; the deepest truth is found by the means of a simple story." - Anthony de Mello

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Which one?

Referring again to the parable of the sower (Matthew 13), I wonder which category we would fall into today? If the seed of God's truth fell onto our lives, where would it land? Perhaps it's worth a read and then a quick self-diagnosis...

These are the options:
1. On the footpath
2. On the rocky soil
3. Among the thorns
4. On the good soil

Each has a consequence. What do you think?

Living in Grace
D3LM3