“but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil.” Matthew 25:4 (GNB)
It is another special occasion of Our Saviour’s Church Gleaner’s harvest, we give God all the glory for blessing us all through the years and for sparing our lives to enjoy his blessings. As we conclude the harvest season, may God’s unimaginable blessings continue to flow into our lives. How did Gleaner’s harvest begin? “When you harvest your fields, do not cut the grain at the edges of the fields, and do not go back to cut the heads of grain that were left; leave them for poor people and foreigners. The Lord is your God.” Leviticus 23:22 GNT
Under the Jewish dispensation, gleaning was one of the rights of the people. The farmer was forbidden from reaping the corners of the field, and if he should have left a sheaf by oversight in the field, he must not go back for it; it was to be left for the widow, Priests, strangers and for the fatherless, and for the poor who lived in the land. Indeed, the rights of gleaning went further than wheat and barley; the olive tree was to be beaten only once, and they were to leave the gleanings to the poor. Therefore, gleaning is a divine way God takes care of those who are in lack. It is going over a field or area that has just been harvested and gathering by hand any usable parts of the crop that remain. There are several Biblical references about those who benefited from gleaning. A good example is Ruth who enjoyed the proceed of this harvest from the farm of Boaz. Leaving leftover crops for others to glean is an insurance cover for one’s harvest because God takes care of those who remember the poor.
Our text for this year’s harvest season tells us about the wise. They deliberately got extra oil because they did not want anything to disturb them from pleasing the bridegroom whom they have come to meet. They could have left the extra jar of oil at home. They could have said that it is not their business if the bridegroom does not keep to time.
They deliberately prepared for it. To them, the moment they decided to take the extra oil with them, it was not theirs again but for the use of the bridegroom. Beloved, what is that extra blessing that you too have? Christopher Wordsworth (1863),the composer of the hymn “O Lord of heaven and earth and sea” wrote in stanza 7 of the hymn something very striking about releasing our extra.
We lose what on ourselves we spend,
We have as treasure without end
Whatever, Lord, to Thee we lend,
Who givest all.”
As strangers in this world, we should be sensitive to God’s plan and purpose for other sojourners who are not as privileged as we are. Let us allow God to minister to us to deliberately channel that extra blessing for His plan and purpose and especially for the blessings of this special group of people.
May He grant us the courage and grace to be sensitive to this need. As we do His will in this regard, we pray that He continues to surprise us with unimaginable breakthroughs in Jesus name.
May the Good Lord reward you abundantly for your labour of love in His Vineyard.
Your brother, Vicar & Archdeacon
S.Igein Isemede