Psalm 63
Matthew 25:1-13
In Psalm 63, David is describing a physical, all-emcompassing, desire for God, which effects his state of mind just as concretely and significantly as the desperate situation he is in. Verse 3 reads, “God’s steadfast love is better than life.” Some suggest it hints at life beyond the grave (3,4), but this was not a concept in Ancient Israel. The phrase ‘better than life’ suggests to me there are elements within our lives which are separate from, exist independently of and are superior to human life itself.
In this gospel moment, Jesus is explaining the need to prepare for The Wedding Banquet in the Kingdom. Of the ten maidens waiting and watching for the bridegroom, half run out of oil for their lamps, but they do not give up, slink home and crawl into bed. They travel to town, despite the late hour, in hopes of buying oil. The wailing and gnashing of teeth seems a harsh punishment for poor organizational skills and does not present a patient and merciful, compassionate and forgiving Lord.
Jesus invites us to wait and watch for Him, to ultimately join the wedding feast. While exclusion from such a day may lead us to question the Lord’s forgiving nature, He wired into our spiritual DNA the desire to be with Him. To allow us to do so is the ultimate act of mercy.
We cannot accept such an invitation, however, without sharing David’s insight…the Lord’s love is better than, separate from and exists independently of human life. God’s love is an objective reality of its own. Because the concept of God’s love and the Kingdom are communicated with common metaphors and language, it is easy to lose sight of the epic and magnificent mystery of ‘life’ within the Kingdom. We also face the danger of forgetting the profoundly generous nature of the invitation.
Journal Questions:
- What events or situations have I been excluded from in the past? How did I respond?
- What might have I suggested to the Lord as a proportional punishment for the five maidens? When has the Lord dealt with me a bit harshly? What does He say about it now?
- How does the idea of God’s love as an objective reality of its own resonate with me? How else have I heard this perception expressed?
References: Refer to blog post entitled Resources
© 2017 Marilyn MacArthur, all rights reserved
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