I lit the candles in the wrong order many times before
a Jewish friend watched me and said, "What are you doing?"
Now I light them the way they do.
Many things I did as the world does them before I knew Jesus, the Light of the World.
Hanukkah is a miracle. Triumph, safety, freedom, light in the darkness. There was a fierce battle like the one we are in now. The temple was taken. The menorah was stolen. Salvation was on the way, but everything they could see and touch and feel told them otherwise. Like now, maybe.
The light returned. The small amount of oil was enough.
I believe this story is like another. In the following the oil in the lamps is the Lord. Knowing Him means your lamp is full. Is yours? Even a small amount? What if He returned right now? (Jesus is the bridegroom. In these verses He returns for His bride the church, which is every believer, not a building or organization. It's us.)
Matthew 25:1-13
"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour."
Wonderful! You can find very true and meaningful traditions in religions that are not Christians.
ReplyDeleteHanukkah could easily be a Christian holiday. Jesus celebrated it in John 10:22.
DeleteThe Jewish holidays are called the Feasts of the Lord. The disciples, who were all Jewish, observed them. We get Communion from the Last Supper which was a Passover Seder.
DeleteFeasts of the Lord, so they are for all of us.
DeleteWonderful post. I am ready and aways looking for His return.
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ReplyDeleteMy lamp is full and only because of Him! I want it to be full when the Bridegroom returns.
ReplyDeleteMe, too!
Deletethis invites us to examine our own readiness and reliance on the Lord. So great how you weaved the story of Hanukkah with the truth of Christ as the Light of the world. thank you!!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Shug!
DeleteI want to be ready and I know that Jesus is My Light and the Light of the world.
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written Sandi.
Sue
Thanks, Sue.
Delete" ... and they all became drowsy and fell asleep."
ReplyDeleteAnd today ... many are sleep-walking their way into hell.
God bless, Sandi. Happy Christmas.
i wish we knew, maybe i would feel differently, enjoy the rest of the week and make it a stress free. "just for you!!
ReplyDeleteI agree with Ginny and would say the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Denise. These days are for us too.
DeleteThis is a lovely post. I'm not Jewish either, but Hanukkah is high on my list of holidays.
ReplyDeleterespectful
ReplyDeletewho knows who we really are back thru history... I was adopted, my birth mother was young, from parents who immigrated from Germany.... who knows? we can just respect anyone right? LeeAnna at notafraidofcolor
I have a menorah too and had to learn to light it the right way. Now I use a battery operated one because of allergies. I taught the story behind Hannukah last year to my Bible journaling group. We covered the 10 virgins in October.
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