Being ready

Matthew 25:1-12

25 ‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” 7 Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” 9 But the wise replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” 12 But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

In Matthew 25, Jesus tells 3 parables about the end. We are going to look at two of them today and tomorrow.

Today’s parable plays on the description of heaven as being like a wedding banquet. Through the Old Testament and the New Testament, a wedding is a frequent image of heaven. In today’s parable, people are getting ready to the arrival of the bridegroom so the wedding can start. In the Israel of Jesus’ day, a wedding did not begin until the groom arrived. And the groom in Jesus’ story is delayed. The story is about ten of the invited guests, who in a time before electricity have their brought their own oil lamps as their lights. Five of the invited guests have been wise and have brought extra oil for their lamps with them. They were prepared in case the groom was late. The other five invited guests did not prepare for the late arrival of the groom, they had no extra oil for their lamps. When the groom finally arrived, the five who were prepared were ready to go into the wedding banquet, the other five had run out of oil and in going to buying oil miss the opportunity to enter the banquet. As we are now into the 21st century, it does feel like Jesus’ return has been delayed, and that feels frustrating, why won’t he just come back. However, if he had returned 120 years ago, we would not have been alive when he returned – so the delay in his return has allowed us to have life.

The call is to be ready even though the return is delayed, and that is each of our own responsibility to be ready.

PRAYER:

O Lord, teach us to be ready for your return, living in the joyful expectation of your return. Teach us the patience of waiting for your return. Even though it seems delayed, we rejoice in being able to live in this time of not knowing when your Son will return, but also this time of always being ready for your return. In Jesus’ name. Amen.