Matthew 25:1-13
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “‘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.’
10 “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.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Our Gospel passage addresses a sensitive issue for all of us, I would say. Who likes to wait, especially when we are fed with more and more "fast options," such as high speed internet (though I have yet to experience it), overnight mailing, (usually for a price), texting, ("Now why didn't he answer me right away?), and so on?...What is our impatience going to do to make things happen faster? Our reigned-in running around due to the Corona Virus is either teaching how to wait, or making us more impatient, but nevertheless gives us a concrete and maybe painful experience of waiting.
What was going through the minds of those virgins awaiting the bridegroom's arrival? Some prudently replenished their supply of lamp oil, while others did nothing and lost a golden opportunity to participate in the wedding feast. Their fault, and it could be ours if we fail to use rhese pe-Advent weeks to prepare for the formal four weeks of waiting prior to Christmas. Christmas will definitely be different this year, how can we best prepare for it? Perhaps fewer Christmas parties and much less frenzied Christmas shopping will give us the experience of patient, prayerful waiting for the birth of Jesus, perhaps in a new and better way in our hearts. May we begin today, Sunday, a day of rest and worship, to ease our hearts and minds into a slower, more prayerful pace so that we may be better prepared for the coming of Jesus at Christmas.
Bro. Rene
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