Flashlight Batteries and Oil for Lamps

News that snow and ice would visit us last weekend caught me with one of our lamps not “trimmed and burning,” so I drove to Wal-Mart after work on Friday.

My wife, Carol, and I have my late parents’ oil lamp and one big flashlight, but someone gave us a large flashlight equipped with a small radio. I wanted batteries for that light-with-radio device.

In the year 2000, 17 inches of snow left us with no electricity for five days at our home in Southern Pines, N.C. Our electric “heat pump” was down, and we had no gas logs or kerosene heater (and we still don’t have those alternative ways to heat our home). We had enough charcoal to warm soup each noonday for five days. I looked like a hobo, Carol said, when I wore my overcoat and toboggan hat and hovered over a grill located out back of our house. Once in a while, I slogged to the driveway, cranked one of our cars and listened to some news.

Last Friday, I needed “C” batteries for the light-with-radio device. Many checkout aisles in Wal-Mart feature batteries, and not one of those displays had any C- or D-size batteries.

“I should have known not to wait till the last minute,” I told myself. “People have hoarded batteries, and now I won’t have any.”

I hurried to the Harris-Teeter grocery store. What a crowd! Looked like feeding time at a shark tank! I found a few C batteries and thanked the Lord.

I pushed my cart to find charcoal and lighter fluid. “Might have to grill out, again,” I thought.

Lo and behold! Hoarders had emptied a whole shelf of the cheap charcoal. I saw a few bags of a more-expensive brand and bought one, along with a small can of lighter fluid.

When I woke on Saturday morning, snow and sleet covered the ground, and sleet was still falling – but our electricity was still on. Possibly because of a bit of wind that came with the storm, ice had not accumulated on power lines or tree limbs.

Trying to buy flashlight batteries reminded me of the parable Jesus told about the wise and the foolish virgins. Here is that story:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

“And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.’

“Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, ‘Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.’

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But he answered and said, ‘Verily I say unto you, I know you not.’

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 25:13).

The wise virgins carried extra oil in separate containers. The foolish virgins took no extra oil.

Jack Crabtree of The McKenzie Study Center offers these thoughts:

“The oil that the foolish virgins found depleted…is analogous to our desire for, belief in, and commitment to the eternal Life which God has promised. Many people will desire it; many will believe God's promise; many will commit themselves to wait for its realization. But only a few will find their desire, their belief, and their commitment in ample supply.

“For those of us who are foolish – in whom the desire does not run deep, the belief is not profound, and the commitment is only superficial and very fragile – our supply will soon run out. When the bridegroom comes, no longer do we really believe, no longer do we really want his Kingdom; long before, we had shifted our commitment to something else this world had to offer. But for those of us who are wise, our desire runs deep, our belief is profound and unshakable, and our commitment is more than superficial.

“Jesus said once, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’ He is saying something very similar to that in this parable: ‘Many are invited and will join in wait for the bridegroom, but few will actually remain to follow him to the feast when he comes.’”

A prayer: Lord, give us oil – and extra oil – for our lamps. In Jesus’ name, amen.