“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise” (Matthew 25:1-2 NLT).
It appears that the parable of the ten bridesmaids was given by Jesus to his disciples in a private setting, as a further illustration of what the Day of his return would be like. As such, this parable seems particularly aimed at the state of the church at Christ’s return.
The ten bridesmaids had many things in common. They were all invited to the wedding. They obviously kept company together. They all had lamps. Yet, only the five wise ones had oil for their lamps. And only those five were welcomed into the marriage feast, while the five without oil were not.
The implication is that many will claim to be followers of Christ without having actually received the “oil” of His salvation. This “oil” cannot be shared from another, it must be received directly from the Lord. Thinking to wait for the Day of his return is a deadly procrastination, for then it will be too late.
Are you ready for Christ’s return? Back in the late ’60s a song by Larry Norman entitled “I Wish We’d All Been Ready,” was released. Here are some of its lyrics:
“Two men walking up a hill
One disappears and one’s left standing still
I wish we’d all been ready
There’s no time to change your mind
The Son has come and you’ve been left behind”
PRAYER: Dear Father, teach us to watch and pray, to be ready for Christ’s return. May He find us busy doing Kingdom work when He comes. In Jesus’ name, amen.