Articles from Mt. Juliet Bulletin
written by Kenneth L. Thomas 1988-93Unprepared
by Ken Thomas
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins of Matthew 25 came alive to me again today as I tried to help some of my students meet course requirements and to pass. Some of these students have been very lax in their attendance, have done little homework, and have not taken tests on schedule. However, their final test is tomorrow. Today they decided to get me to tutor them in a full semester of math. They also overloaded the school's math lab to take tests which should already have been taken. A few were quite disappointed when I could not leave a group of conscientious students to give them individual help.
In Jesus' parable he speaks of foolish girls who at the last moment thought of their need to have oil in their lamps, could not borrow from their wiser friends, and had to try to find a late-night supplier of oil. Arriving too late to meet the bridegroom, and finding the door shut, they were refused when they pleaded, "Lord, open to us." In the day of judgment, where will you be?
Will you be with the bridegroom, inside the door? Or will you be outside, standing with the foolish, the unprepared?
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The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on April 29, 1990 and was edited for this site on September 13, 2005
And the Door Was Shut!
by Ken Thomas
Matthew 25 records a parable in which 5 foolish girls were kept out of a wedding because they were too late arriving. This is a picture of the time when Jesus will return, and the unprepared will be unable to enter glory with him.
Early this month, on election day, I had given final tests in summer school, and worked late to finish up all my reports. I would have to hurry to get back to Mt. Juliet to vote, but the traffic was light. As I neared the polling place a radio station gave the time as 6:58. With luck I could get in line before 7:00. As I came through the door, a poll officer said, "You can't vote." I questioned her watch's accuracy, but she said she had been given orders by her superior to close the poll. Frustrated and embarrassed I turned away with mixed feelings. I knew that lady, a fine Christian, was just doing her job and obeying the rules. No matter how much she wanted to, she would have been wrong to let me vote. THE DOOR WAS SHUT!
As I reassessed the situation, I realized that I should have been grateful that we still have people who respect the law, not bending the rules even for a friend and brother. It's always right to do right.
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The above article appeared in the Mt. Juliet Messenger on August 26, 1990 and was edited September 13, 2005 for this site.
This page was last updated: June 20, 2011
Matt 25:10 (KJV) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: . . .
