Saturday, February 7, 2015

Saturday, February 7, 2015  [Finishing Well]

Matthew 25:1-13 (c.f. Exodus 27:21)

Being on the high school track team was fun for me, not because of the joy of my event (shot-put and discus), but because I got to watch the "4x4 relay."  The 4 x 400 meter relay is a race where 4 people each run 400 meters to complete the race (1600 meters in total).  On every 4x4 team, one of the most important runners is the one running the last leg of the race, the anchor leg.  The reason why the anchor is so important is because s/he is responsible for finishing the race.  Week after week, our team worked out every day, building stamina, doing running drills and form exercises all for the purpose of finishing the race well.  

Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins, among others, to illustrate for us what it looks like to finish well.  The kicker is that we have no idea when the race is over!  So, Jesus tells us, essentially, that we need to live each day as though the finish line is well in view - to be "watchful."  Five of the ten virgins were watchful.  Along with their lamps they had brought extra oil knowing that the bridegroom could return at night.  The other five had no oil to burn.  So the five wise virgins walked in the light of their lamps, while the five foolish virgins walked in darkness.

"I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

Many reduce following Jesus to saying a sinner's prayer once, attending a church on Sundays, or doing a few acts of kindness here and there.  This is what the five foolish virgins did.  They had lamps, but no oil.  This is the same as knowing who Jesus is, but never following Him, never really knowing Him.  And what does that mean, to follow Jesus?  It means having a funeral for the god of myself everyday and living for Something, Someone, greater. It means loving when self wants to hate, giving when self wants to hoard, listening when I want to tune Him out...the list goes on.

We are all in the anchor leg of our race, whether we want to believe it or not.  So there are two questions for us:

1.  Are you running?

2.  How will you finish?

"You know that in a race all the runners run, but only one runner gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!" (1 Corinthians 9:24 ERV)