Oil for my lamp

The parable Jesus tells in this week’s Gospel reading gave me fits for years. For years, I kind of beat my head against that parable to no avail.

I mean, its tone is very urgent and its conclusion quite shocking, but its “therefore” just seems rather mundane and esoteric…and candidly, a real challenge to preach compellingly. “Be prepared. You don’t want to get caught without “oil” for your lamp (or “gas for your Ford”, or “wax for your board”. BTW if this makes any sense to you at all, you’re welcome for the ear worm).

Anyway, something I was witness to thirteen years ago—early June, 2010—gave me some profounder insight into what I believe we can take away from it…what’s at the heart of what Jesus was saying. And there’s nothing mundane or esoteric about it at all. It’s gritty and embodied.