Would You Lend Me Some Oil?

And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ Matthew 25:8

Where do we go when our lamps aren’t glowing as bright as they could be? In the parable in Matthew 25, those who are running low on oil go to those who appear to have plenty, but the outcome is not what we expect. Those who are portrayed as wise in the story, refuse to give oil to those who have been foolish. It could almost be seen as not helping those who are in need, and yet the outworking of the Christian faith is all about love, compassion, kindness and goodness.

Although the emphasis of this story is on our preparedness for the Lord’s return, it can also cause us to think about where we go to when the fire of our faith becomes an ember. In his book, The Adventure Driven Life, Richard Porter says,

Jesus is telling us that if the fire is going out, don’t run to others; run to him. He’s the fountain. Be patient, pray and listen… Allow him to perpetually fill you. Don’t look to others to relight the flame. Make the time and effort to seek him out face-to-face… Connect with him. He is here for us. He will fill us.

If we sense that someone is feeling low, we can draw alongside them and offer a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. We can pray with them and encourage them; that is part and parcel of our Christian walk, to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). What we cannot do on our own is refill an empty spirit – that can only be done through the power of God’s Holy Spirit. I can lend someone a little bit of encouraging oil at times; I may even borrow some from you, on occasion. In both these scenarios our oil is depleted in some way, and our barrels have the potentials to run dry. We, of ourselves, are a limited resource. Even church leaders need to step back from ministry from time to time, because they too need to replenish their stock of spiritual oil.

Neither you, me or any church leader is the source of the spiritual oil or the supplier of faith because we cannot give fulfilment to anyone – not even ourselves. Jesus is the supplier of all that we need – He is the source that we must return to, and if we are wise, we will do it daily.