Matthew 26:36-46 Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

In the kingdom of God, prayer is the prescription for my trouble. The intensity of the prayer should be at par with the intensity of the problem. Jesus' problem was great indeed. It was not fear of torture and death, though that may be enough to trouble me. But it was the prospect of having to drink of the cup. This cup represents the work of redemption on the cross. It represents the bearing of the sin of all humanity with all its shame and guilt and condemnation. Jesus was to bear the wrath of God in our place. Now that is troublesome. All my problems pale in comparison.

When my trouble is difficult to bear on my own, I should recruit supporters to pray with me and for me. Jesus took his disciples to pray and he even chose his inner circle to be closer to him as he prayed. Unfortunately, the disciples were too tired to pray. They could not watch with him, not even one hour. Jesus was so troubled that he prayed three times the same prayer: if it was possible for the cup to pass from him. On all three occasions, the disciples fell asleep. I have fallen asleep plenty a times instead of watching and praying.

When temptation is at hand, I must watch and pray to prevent falling into it, seeking for a way out. Jesus' temptation at that moment was to refuse to drink of the cup, but he surrendered his will to the Father through prayer. He humbled himself to ensure that his human will would not interfere with the Father's will. How many times my will does not want to do the will of God? I have wrestled and unfortunately, I have not been victorious because I don't come in humility. I come demanding what I want.

I must discipline my flesh to follow the desires of the spirit because the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. This is the main reason for spiritual discipline. It is to train the flesh to follow the spirit and not the other way around. Unfortunately, the disciples missed their opportunity to prepare for what was to come. They were unprepared and responded with violence, fear, and denial of Christ. How many times have I missed the opportunity to prepare in prayer for lack of discipline?

Lord, thank you for your willingness to drink the cup to redeem me. Teach me to pray. May I discipline myself to seek you day by day to prepare for life's challenges. May I seek you especially when I am in trouble.

Matthew 25:1-13 The Parable of the Ten Virgins

A parable tells a story to illustrate a spiritual or moral truth. The parable of the ten virgins tells the story of five foolish virgins that ran out of oil while waiting for the bridegroom to go to the celebration banquet. Most weddings in those days were at night. The groom would parade down the streets with his party to pick up the bride and her party. There wasn't a specific time appointed, but the bridal party had to wait for the groom to come. 

Unfortunately, the foolish virgins were not ready to wait for too long. The lamps or torches required oil and extra oil was required to keep them lighted. When they run out of oil, the foolish virgins have to go buy more oil at the market and miss the bridegroom. Their missing the bridegroom shuts them out of the wedding banquet and though they asked to come in later, the bridegroom did not "know" them. 

The wise virgins had extra oil and kept their torches or lamps burning. When the bridegroom came, they were ready and were able to enter the wedding banquet. This is the kind of readiness God wants from me. I must be ready at all times for the return of my Lord so I can enter the heavenly banquet to celebrate his return. I don't want to be like the foolish virgins who were completely unprepared to wait for as long as it was necessary.

Am I ready for the return of Christ right now? Will I be ready tomorrow? What about 5 years from now? No one knows the day nor the hour, but I must be ready at all times. The Lord's command is to watch. It means to look and observe attentively over a long period of time. Like the guard of a watchtower, I must be watching at all times lest disaster comes upon the city while I sleep.

Lord, help me to be watchful. I need your strength and power to remain alert. Do not allow me to fall asleep while I wait for your return. Guide me and keep me. I want to know you and be known by you.