Children’s Sermon

Matthew 25:1-13

Being Ready

Have you ever gone to a swimming pool? We wouldn’t want to show up at the pool looking like this (in our church clothes), would we? What are some things we need to bring to the pool so we’ll be ready to have fun there? (Solicit children’s answers: bathing suits, towels, sunscreen, etc.) Sure we’d need all those things!

How about going to the grocery store? Can think of something we need to remember to bring there? (I’ll give you a hint: If you don’t bring this with you, they won’t let you take anything home!) That’s right – we need money (or some other way of paying).

Our lives involve a lot of planning ahead, don’t they? We have to be ready to do certain things – and if we aren’t ready then some things just don’t work out well at all.

In today’s gospel reading Jesus tells a story about being ready. Some women had an important job in helping to get ready for a wedding. They were supposed to hold up lamps at night to help light a path for the groom – but only some of them were ready.

This was before electricity, or batteries – so these lamps were like candles. They needed oil inside to help keep their fire burning.

Some of the women had everything they needed – but a few of them didn’t. They had brought their lamps, but forgot the oil to put inside. They knew that wasn’t going to work, so they left to go get oil and while they were gone…guess what? That’s right. The groom came past and they missed doing their jobs.

Jesus tells this story (in part) to remind us that we always need to be ready to do the right thing. We never know when we’ll be asked to do important work for God, but when those times come – and we see chances to be helpful, or kind or honest – we need to be ready to take them.

Are you ready? Good! Let’s pray.

Dear God,
We are ready to be your faithful servants on Earth. Help to guide our good works during the week ahead.