Listen

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. Now five of them were wise, and the other five were foolish. The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring oil for them. But the wise ones took their lamps and also brought containers of oil.

“When the groom was late in coming, they all became drowsy and went to sleep. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the groom! Come out to meet him.’”

Matthew 25:1-6

Think

Parables can be tricky. They are like a gift inside a box. We know that there is a treasure inside that should be handled carefully, but it is hidden. Sometimes it is hard to unwrap it.

This parable seems to be telling us about Jesus coming back after he died, was raised, and went back into heaven. The people who read the story when Matthew wrote it down for them thought Jesus should have come back already. Because they had already decided what the schedule should be, they did not prepare themselves to wait, and these verses give us a hint that something might go wrong because of it.

Now it has been 2000 years since Jesus was on earth. We wish he would bring all of creation to completion and make the world the way God intended it to be, but we are still waiting. It has been so long that we might even have fallen asleep. But Jesus will come back, and we should be ready to wake up when he does.

Ellen Di Giosia

Question to Ponder:

What do you think about Jesus coming back? Do you wonder what it will be like?

Pray

Dear Jesus, help me to trust that you will return to us.

If I fall asleep, wake me up, and make me ready to meet you when you come.

Amen.

Go

I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.

Romans 8:38-39