The Gospel in today's Daily Office readings is another one of those stories that has driven my nuts. Jesus likens the kingdom of heaven to 10 maidens waiting to get into a wedding banquet. Five have plenty of oil for their lamps and five don't. When the well-resourced ones are asked to share, they tell the others to pound salt. While those without are off buying oil, the others get into the banquet and the doors are closed for good.
Cheery picture, eh? Why couldn't each of the five with oil just invite one of the others to buddy with them and be guided by the light of one lamp? Such sharing feels more like heaven to me than a locked door.
We can't share what we don't have. When Jesus offered this story, the disciples were pestering him about when life as they knew it would end. Their devotion was not focused on the needs of the present age. So, they were in no position to share Good News with others. They were the clueless maidens.
If Jesus had been speaking to the well-resourced maidens, he probably would have urged them to share. But he was speaking to the oblivious maidens and urging them to get a clue!
And how might we "get a clue" today? The key word is "today." What has God placed in our path today that affords the chance to be a conduit of God's grace? If our gaze is too focused on yesterday or tomorrow, we will miss it.
