Matthew 25:1-13 Give me oil in my lamp
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: August 20, 2019 Matthew 25:1-13
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
Then the kingdom of Heaven shall be compared to ten virgins who taking their lamps, went out to a meeting of the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five foolish. Those being foolish, taking their lamps, did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But the bridegroom delaying, all nodded and slept. And at midnight, a cry occurred: Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him. Then all those virgins were aroused and prepared their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there not be enough for us and you. But rather, go to those who sell and buy for yourselves. But they going away to buy, the bridegroom came. And those ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. And afterwards, the rest of the virgins also came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But answering, he said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. Therefore, watch, for you do not know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus is still teaching a lesson about being prepared. He warned that His coming would be delayed and that we needed to be prepared for the delay. He tells us that we need to have enough oil to keep our lamps lit until He comes. This reminds me of the vision in Zechariah with the olive trees pumping oil directly into the lamps to give them continual light.
The story before this signified what we should be doing when Jesus returns, which was serving others and not living selfishly-hurting others and being drunk. This parable speaks of being prepared for when Jesus comes with enough oil to keep our lamps lit. The lamps are the light of Jesus shining through us to the world. The oil is the Holy Spirit living in us powering our reflection of Jesus. We fill up with oil through communion with God. That happens through study of and meditation on the scriptures/His interactions with humans of the past and through prayer and meditation on His interactions with us now. The ones who were not prepared were living off of past communion rather than present relationship.
Between these two parables, Jesus was telling us that we can be prepared for His coming by having oil in our lamps and feeding the household. We need to prepare ourselves through communion with Him and serve others so that they also have enough oil because they have also had the bread of life.
(Revelation of God) “I do not know you” are the key words that tell us how to have oil in our lamps. We have to know Jesus to be ready for when He comes. We have to spend time knowing Him and understanding who He is and being the followers He has formed us to be. Without a connection to Him, we do not know Him and if we do not know Him, He does not acknowledge knowing us. In the end, I think maybe the second death is when God forgets people. As long as He remembers us, we are simply sleeping when our physical bodies die, but if God wipes us from His mind, we are lost in oblivion. I think this idea is slightly off even if it has an element of truth in it, but it does go into the idea of the Bridegroom not knowing the foolish virgins, and they are shut out.
(Application / Prayer) These were the friends of the bridegroom. When He says He does not know the five foolish virgins, He is saying that they have not been His friends. They don’t love Him. I guess, it is our love for Jesus that gives us enough oil, or it is having enough oil that is our love for Him. I pray to love You and know You and be known by You and to know that You love me.