I just read this Talmudic Tale from the ancient Jewish sages and couldn't help but notice the similarities between our Messiah's teaching in Matthew 25. I thought is was relevant to this season to see repentance as wisdom and preparation for the returning of our Messiah.
A king, in order to test out the wisdom of his attendants, invited them to a banquet but did not set an exact hour for the feast.
The wise ones among them dressed fittingly and held themselves in readiness for the call as they said, "We might be called any moment."
The foolish ones, on the other hand, said, "There will be plenty of time to prepare" and went about their affairs making no preparation whatever for it.
Suddenly, the king announced that the banquet was ready and the wise, who were ready and fittingly clothed, were admitted and seated at the table but to those who had foolishly delayed preparing themselves and came in their work clothes, he said:
"Those who are properly attired for the banquet may sit down and dine with me but those who did not properly prepare themselves, after being invited, shall stand and look on."
It was Rabbi Eliezer who said, "Repent one day before thy death." "But," asked his pupils. "How does a man know on what day he will die so he may repent before that day?"
"Ah!" responded the sage, "that is the secret. Let him prepare today and every day lest he die tomorrow, and doing so, he will be prepared every day of his life."
Compare this story to our rabbi Jesus':
"Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
"And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the fooish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out,' But the wise answered saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' And while they went to buy, the bridgroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
"Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming." (NKJ)
Great parallel. It also makes me think of the wedding parable in Matthew 22. When the invited ones decline to come, the king tells his servants to invite anyone they can find. They do that, but the man who shows up without wedding clothes on is bound up and thrown out. I just found the emphasis on the clothing interesting.
ReplyDeleteSay a person starts out with a genuine repentant heart, but slowly over time they 'repent' just because it is what they do every day. How do we, or I, or you, keep daily repentance from becoming mechanical, something that is done without a truely repentant heart?
ReplyDeleteMy past pains and sins have left "scars" on me in many ways. They are a keen reminder. I am thankful for the afflictions from which I have been delivered, because they keep me always looking, searching and longing for my Savior. If I get complacent and lackadaisical then I quit remembering how far He has brought me...and then partially lose sight of how far He wants to take me. Thank you so much for this post. Your heart has twinged the edges of my rawness and once again reminds me that I have no other true "job" than to wait on Him.
ReplyDeletei'm so glad you like to read. you bring heaven and earth together in a real way. i love you for that.
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