"Be Prepared and Wait"
2020.10.17
Matthew 25:1-13 is a teaching on the "end of the world" that continues from chapter 24. The Christians of the early church lived by the "second coming faith" of the Lord Jesus. Isn't this what is required of today's Christians as well?
E.H. Peterson, in his meditation on May 23 in "Living the Message" wrote that we should live our lives without anxiety and distractions because our daily lives are assured by the "second coming of Jesus.” What an astute meditation! The Lord Jesus compared the "kingdom of heaven" to ten virgins welcoming the bridegroom. "Five of them were foolish and five were wise" (verse 2). One English translation translates foolish as "foolish-thoughtless, without forethought". I would like to pay particular attention to the word forethought. In Japanese, it means "deep consideration, caution, and foresight.” We tend to think of foolishness or cleverness as being smart or stupid, but that is not what is meant here.
The foolish virgins did not have any spare oil. On the contrary, the wise virgins had oil in reserve for the future. But the bridegroom didn't show up, so they dozed off. Finally, at midnight, the bridegroom arrives. Then the foolish virgins said, "Please give us some oil. My lamp is about to go out" (v.8), they plead with the wise virgins. The wise virgins reply, "We don't have enough to share with you. Instead, go to the store and buy some for yourself" (verse 9). Don’t those sound like cold words to you? The Lord Jesus is the one who preached love and lived in love. Don't you think he would have responded warmly? I used to feel the same way, but when I read the original text, I realized something. Mr. Ken Sato also translates it close to the original meaning, "It will never be enough for you and me. "It says, "for me and for you.
While the foolish virgins go to buy oil, the bridegroom arrives and they are unable to attend the wedding feast. They ask the master to open the door, "Master, master, open the door" (verse 10), but the master rejects them. These are harsh words. This is clearly a parable of the second coming of Jesus. The second coming of the Lord Jesus is known only to God. It is a matter that is far beyond human wisdom.
But can we be prepared
for the second coming of the Lord Jesus? I think the parable in verse 14 and
following gives us a concrete example of this. Each of us has been given a gift
from God. It may be five talents, two talents, or even one talent. We should
make use of them, not be lazy and hide them in the ground. At any rate, we must
make use of the gift that God has given us. Next, we need to live in a way that
supports the least of these, as written in verse 31 and following. We need to
live in a way that loves such people. Are we living in such a way? Isn't that
how we should prepare for the second coming of the Lord Jesus? I want to
prepare and wait for the time when the Lord Jesus will come again. Let us pray.