At the Close of Sukkot

As Sukkot drew to a close today, war broke out in Israel. It seems fitting to fast and keep silence at such times, so I will keep this post brief.

On Thursday evening, the Cogdells, the Owenses and other CTR friends paid a visit to the Davila’s sukkah in Bastrop. As the sun went down, I found my eyes drawn to a cheerful string of lights. The tiny bulbs shone more brightly as the sky grew darker, and I thought of the ten virgins and their lamps. The parable suddenly seemed vivid and obvious. It would be silly to build a sukkah and fail to light it properly. A dark booth would be like a bare Christmas tree. Or a lamp without oil. Why bother?

For some reason, the foolish virgins were not expecting the Bridegroom to come at night. Perhaps they did not believe He would come at all. Maybe they were just in the street for the party. Of course, the foolish virgins are not real people, but they remind me of many people I know who celebrate holidays without faith.

There are three great feasts on the Jewish calendar: Passover in the spring, Pentecost in the early summer, and the fall holy days which culminate in the Feast of Tabernacles. I have heard scholars point out that Jesus was crucified on Passover. The Holy Spirit fell on Pentecost. This leaves Sukkot without a major marker on the Christian calendar. Some think that Jesus will return during the Feast of Tabernacles. This is conjecture, of course, but the feeling I had in the Davila’s booth -sharing a meal in the dark, watching the lights twinkle as the children talked around a fire - was distinctly expectant, as if we were waiting for something wonderful to happen, something just out of sight.

The sukkahs in Israel are empty tonight. They have been abandoned one day too early. Instead, frightened children are huddled in bomb shelters. Palestinian families are feeling their homes. The festival of joy has ended in sorrow.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus! And may You find our lamps lit when you return.

Readings this Week: Deuteronomy 33-34