“I wanna have slow feet, slow plans, steadfast in patience. Rid me of my quickness, I’ll be soon to listen”. It seems as though the slower I go, the faster I arrive” 1 . No matter how seasoned we become in our walks with Jesus, understanding that He is in the business of flipping the expected upside down does not come naturally. These lyrics, the idea that the slower we go, the faster we would arrive is just that; upside down.
No matter how seasoned we become in our walks with Jesus, understanding that He is in the business of flipping the expected upside down does not come naturally.
Last year when studying for a retreat with my high school bible study girls, the idea of “oil” was impressed on my heart. Matthew 25:1-13 speaks of this oil in the Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. Or as I like to call it; A Lesson in the Importance of Diligence. A parable that speaks to why our slowness and steadiness is indeed a holy kind of work. A work that deeply matters. A work that arguably has the most of eternal impact. A work that seems slow but clears the way to our ultimate arrival.
In the parable there are ten bridesmaids; five of which are called wise and five which are called fools. I think it’s worth noting that they are not referred to as good or bad; because it was not their outward behavior that was of the matter. Instead they were separated by the unseen. The very tending to the position of their hearts which can only be done on the inside. The bridesmaids are waiting for the bridegroom to arrive so the stage of marriage in the Jewish wedding can take place. In this parable, he seems to be delayed and it is approaching midnight. The bridesmaids are tired and their initial lamp’s oil would be running low.
The foolish bridesmaids have their lit lamps, but just enough oil to make them burn for what their present expectation of the bridegrooms arrival is; soon. The wise also have their lit lamps but have brought with them extra reserves of oil. The light from the burning lamp an outward profession of faith the foolish have what they believe they are expected to possess. However, should the bridegroom tarry they have no way to keep their lamp burning. On the other hand, the wise have enough oil with their reserves to maintain and keep their profession of faith burning bright despite any assumed delay. The foolish were lacking the essential preparation for meeting their bridegroom. The wise were ready. They are vigilant. They have an expectant attitude of faith. They look for him.
The wise have enough oil with their reserves to maintain and keep their profession of faith burning bright despite any assumed delay.
From the outside, the two group of women seem and look the exact same. It is the diligence of the wise to be prepared; watching and ready for the expected and the unexpected that made the difference. Even as midnight approached and their physical bodies grew weary, the spirits of the wise remained longing. Prepared with what they needed to jump up and meet their bridegroom should he arrive at any moment; and has he does in their midnight hour the foolish plead for them to share their oil. The wise knew they couldn’t for spiritual intimacy cannot be borrowed. Cultivating such oil takes time spent with Jesus and His Word, is a work that cannot be hurried. Grace is found in the abiding and connected place with God when we are led by the Spirit, and this grace is our oil. Our reserve.
For our faith’s sake let us believe we may possibly be the foolish bridesmaids. In fact, Matthew 22 is specifically written to those inside the professing church to not assume their future is unconditionally assured. Until the very moment arrived, there is no difference between the ten bridesmaids. It is when faced with the unexpected that the prepared, the ready ones, are set apart. We cannot be more focused on checking the to do boxes, than on preparing our souls for the coming of our bridegroom. Just as when the bridegroom comes for the bridesmaids to find the foolish not there for they are off trying to attain more oil, when Christ comes for us there will be no time to plead our case. Our intimacy with him must have already been cultivated. Simply, we cannot be more concerned about the light others see shining from our lamp than the oil that is found underneath. It is our very calling to watch and be ready, knowing the price for failing to be ready is too high.
It seems as though the slower I go, the faster I arrive. Jesus is coming and in a relative sense of the word; soon. Our hearts must long to be rid of our urgency to do and be overwhelmingly concerned with the slowness of being. We must know that as upside down as it may seem, it is this very slowness; the diligence of cultivating an intimacy with Christ that will in fact lead us to an arrival with less delay. Instead of having to return back to try to gain more oil we would be found to be among the wise; and in His mercy, walk straight into the richness of our bridegroom’s return for our reserve of oil is full.
1 SEU Worship, Slower I Go, SEU Worship Move of God, 2024, Provident Label