Keep Watch; Be Ready- Part II

I recently saw a quote on social media which highlighted the popular slogan, "life is short, enjoy it."  However, thinking about it in light of God's Word, I realize that a believer's focus should not be enjoyment of life due to its brevity but rather should be on preparation for eternity.  Thus, a more helpful note on the quote is, "eternity is infinite, prepare for it!"

The parable of the ten virgins in Matthew 25:1-13 is a continuation of the message to the Church on the Coming of Christ from the preceding chapter.  Prophecy is foretold of the state of the church at the times of the coming of Christ.  In ensuring that the message is clear to His disciples, Jesus tells the story of the ten virgins in the context of marriage ceremonies at that time.

Obtaining the background on wedding ceremonies in the Jewish culture helps us to better understand the parable of the ten virgins.  It is worth noting that different Jewish tribes and people groups may have celebrated the wedding ceremonies in varied ways.  I thus choose to highlight the common practices that cut across most if not all wedding ceremonies.  The first step in Jewish weddings was the betrothal where the groom visited the bride's family and formally engaged the bride by payment of a bride price.  The groom would then return to his father's home to prepare a house for the bride.  The groom's father would monitor the son's progress and would be the one to instruct the groom to go and take his bride.  The groom would normally send out a shout to alert the bride of his coming, though the bride would not know the hour of his coming.

Culturally, where the betrothal took place when the groom-to-be and bride-to-be were adults, the groom took about twelve months before he could take his bride to the house prepared for her.  The family members and the community would accompany the groom and the bride up to their house, where the bride would undergo ritual cleansing and a private wedding ceremony conducted.  Thereafter, the newly wed couple would know each other (the consummation).  This was then followed by a marriage feast.

The Church is already betrothed to Christ!  Our heavenly Father already paid the bride price for us.  He paid the penalty of our sin and redeemed us from eternal condemnation.  The bride price was Himself; He gave His Only Begotten Son to die for my sin and your sin.  This is the highest demonstration of His love.  There is no argument as to the love of God.  That love is complete and enough; reaching out to us from one generation to another!

Prior to Christ departing through His death, resurrection and ascension, He left his disciples with a promise that when He goes, He shall prepare a place for them.  Christ is preparing a chamber for His bride.  He awaits the Father to instructs Him to come for His bride.  He has sent out the shout to alert the Church that He is about to come.  His prayer is that you and I will be found ready.

John 14:1 states, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.  My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

This is the eternal hope to which we have been called.  The Groom is coming for us!  He will take me with Him that I may be with Him, to intimately know Him and become one with Him.  John reminds us that though we do not know what we will be when Christ appears, we assuredly know that we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2).  Our mortal bodies will be transformed to immortality (1 Corinthians 15:53), never again to struggle with the lusts of our eyes, the lusts of our flesh and the pride of life- this is the ritual cleansing of the bride.  We shall be clothed in fine linen, bright and clear (Revelation 19:8)!

We shall dine with the Groom at the marriage feast for seven years (Revelation 4-6), as those who remain behind after the rapture go through the great tribulation (Revelation 7-19).  No one who does not have the wedding clothes will be allowed at the wedding banquet of the Lord (Matthew 22:1-14).  Only those whose robes are spotless.  It will be unspeakable joy and divine rest for those who will be at the wedding banquet.  The invitation to the wedding banquet is to many, but only some will make it to be there with the Groom.

Reflecting on the parable of the ten virgins, we realize that they all had some things in common.  Each of them had a lamp; they were all expecting the groom to come, thus they went out to meet him; and since the bride groom took a long time to arrive they all became drowsy and slept.  The lamp is a representation of the salvation that we have received in Christ Jesus.  Jesus, the Word of God dwelling in our hearts is a lamp to our feet and a light to our paths (Psalms 119:105).

Salvation is instant, it is progressive and it is eternal.  The ten virgins had committed to follow Christ.  They were His.  I thank God that I made a commitment to follow Christ as a young girl.  This is the starting point of us preparing for eternity.  However, the journey of faith does not end at that initial commitment to follow Christ.  We must work out our salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12).  We must must take up our crosses daily and follow Christ (Matthew 16:24).  We must live and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16).

The Church faces the danger of spiritual slumber at the time of the coming of Christ.  We must rise above our feelings, moods, ambitions, comforts and operate at a higher level of obedience to the Spirit.  This requires that we pomel our bodies and make them our slaves (1 Corinthians 9:27). 

Mark 13:35 states, "Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning."

The Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14-21) is a representation of the church of this age: materially wealthy; learned and advanced in many fields of knowledge, including medicine; highly influenced by the world; ruled by the people rather than God; lukewarm; and exposed to attacks/ vulnerable.  The comforts of today's church lure us to slumber.  Our intellect and self-reliance deceive us that we are secure, thus our alertness wanes.  Consequently, we lack the passion for God.  We are prone to religious drowsiness and destructive self-centerdness.

The five foolish virgins lacked oil and this constituted not being ready at the coming of the groom.  The lack of oil led to them being shut out of the wedding banquet.  The oil is a representation of the Holy Spirit.  I thank God for those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour and Lord.  I urge you by the grace of God, surrender your lives to the working of the Spirit for sanctification.   Be filled with the Holy Spirit!

Ephesians 517-20 states, "Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.  Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Secondly, Jesus uses the parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 to exhort the church to be faithful and wise stewards, till He returns.  The master in the parable was going on a journey and thus entrusted his property to his servants.  To one servant he gave five talents; to another he gave two talents; while to another he gave one talent.  The servant who received five talents worked them and bore five more.  The one who received two talents worked them and received two more.  The one who received one talent dug a hole and hid it in the ground.

The master is said to have taken a long time before returning.  Just like at the time of Noah when it took one hundred and twenty years (120) before the floods actually came as forewarned by God's servant; and just like in the parable of the ten virgins where the groom was a long time gone; so it is in this parable.  Waiting requires faithfulness (patient endurance) and wisdom (disciplined focus).  You and I must not loose sight on the gifts/ abilities God has entrusted to us for completion of His work.

When the master returned, he settled accounts with his servants.  Friends, a day is coming when we will give an account of what was entrusted to us.  The quality of our work will be tested and will be shown for what it is (1 Corinthians 12-15).  Your work done here on earth might have attracted men's accolades and made you popular.  Notwithstanding, before our master, our work will be subjected to a superior test: the Spirit's fire and the light of God's Word.  The person whose work survives the test will receive a reward.

How prepared are you for eternity?  We all desire and trust to live a long life.  As uncomfortable as this may sound, the reality of life is that some believers will be called home much earlier than others.  When God calls me home, whether earlier or later than expected, will I be ready?  What treasures will I have stored in heaven for eternity?  What works will follow me when I rest?

Revelation 14:13 states, "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”  “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

The believers who were faithful and wise to undertake the work committed to them in their Father's Kingdom will be rewarded.  Matthew 24:47 states that God will reward such believers to be in charge of all his possession.  Both the servant who receives five talents and the one who receives two talents receive the same commendation.  Our performance rating as we stand before the Lord will not be against other people's performance, but rather against our God-given ability.

What has been entrusted to you? Focus on doing it faithfully and in wisdom. 

Believers must be deliberate in keeping the focus.  Paul in Philippians 3:12-14 says, "I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ... Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  In spite of the many distractions and reasons for discouragement, keep pressing on to run the race and win the prize.  Keep your eyes on Jesus!  

Those who will be ready at the coming of Christ will enjoy the wedding banquet of the Lord (Matthew 25:10).  Those who will have been faithful and wise stewards of what has been entrusted to them will be told, "Well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things.  Come and share your master's happiness!" (Matthew 25:21,23).  The raptured saints, having enjoyed the wedding banquet and shared in their Father's happiness, will return to reign with Christ for one thousand years. 

Revelation 20:6 states, "Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years."

I pray to see you there at the wedding banquet of the Lamb.  The Groom's shout is out!  Behold He is coming for His Bride!