Love Dey Prepare Us

August 27, 2021
Friday for Wik Twenty-One for Ordinary Time
Readings for Today

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Jesus tell His disciples this parable: “The Kingdom of heaven go be like ten virgins wey carry their lamps go meet the bridegroom. Five of them foolish, and five get wisdom.” Matthew 25:1–2

The “ten virgins” for this parable na the young women wey dey follow Jewish tradition go the bride house to wait for the bridegroom to come for the wedding. This parable na one of the few parables wey Jesus tell to show how e dey important make we stay alert as we dey follow am as Christians. As the parable continue, we hear say the bridegroom delay and the young women fall asleep. When dem wake up, the foolish ones no get oil again for their lamps, so dem need to go get more. When dem return, dem discover say the bridegroom don already arrive and dem don lock the door. Then dem knock and talk say, “Lord, Lord, open the door for us!” But the answer wey dem get na, “Amen, I dey tell una, I no know una.” And dem miss the wedding celebration.

From tradition, people don understand say the “oil” dey stand for love. The message simple. As we dey prepare to meet our Lord for Heaven, e no enough to just claim say we be Christians. We must also bear the good fruit of love through wetin we dey do. Faith must lead to love; if not, e no be true faith at all.

We suppose take this parable seriously. We suppose use am regularly to examine our lives about the love wey we get…or wey we no get. When you look your life, you fit point to things wey you dey regularly do for others out of the love wey you get for God? Love no dey depend on wetin you prefer for life. E no dey depend on wetin you feel like doing. Love no dey seek im own gain, and e dey make sacrifice. E dey always seek the good of the other person. How much this kind love dey alive for your life? Jesus clearly tell this parable because He know say plenty people dey profess faith in God, but dem no dey live out the love of God. E easy well-well to live our lives every day, dey do wetin we dey do because of wetin we personally like or no like. But e hard well-well to grow true love inside our souls and to regularly choose to love others because e good for them.

We must work to grow love, first, inside our thoughts. We must remove thoughts wey dey find fault and condemn people, and we must try hard to see others as God dey see them. Love must also guide our words. Our words must encourage others, show kindness, support them and show mercy. Our actions dey show love when we freely give our time, make extra effort to serve, and take care to show our love for others well.

Today, reflect on the high calling wey you don receive to live a life wey love dey active and clear for everybody to see. Spend time to reflect on wetin love really be. You don allow wetin the world dey call “love,” wey dey seek im own gain, to guide you? Na wetin you selfishly prefer dey move you to act pass the desire to give yourself and make sacrifice? You truly dey build people up and show them the love of God? Try answer these questions seriously. This parable wey our Lord tell pass ordinary story by far. Na truth. And the truth be say some people go reach the day of judgment without the “oil” wey their lamps need. Take our Lord seriously and examine how you dey live a life of love. For any area wey you fall short, put all your heart for the work to change. For the end, you go dey grateful forever say you do am.

My Lord wey love me, You show all of us say true love no dey seek im own gain, and e dey make sacrifice. You come this world to serve and to give Your holy life for all of us. Make I open my life more fully to Your love, so that Your love go also touch and guide every relationship wey I get. Fill me with the gift of love, dear Lord, so that I go dey fully ready for the day wey You go judge me personally. Jesus, na You I trust.

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Picture wey dey above: The Parable of the Virgins wey Get Wisdom and the Foolish Ones, by Peter von Cornelius, through Wikimedia Commons

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