"Ready and Waiting" August 26 Readings: Matthew 25

 

Reading the Bible Chronologically in 2024

This year, instead of reading from Genesis to Revelation, we will read the Bible as the story flows, as it happened and was written. There are several plans out there and I have worked to combine them into a plan that lets the Bible tell its own story "as it happened." Remember, the Bible is inspired, but not in the order the books appear in our Bibles.  The Old Testament is approximately 3/4 of the Bible, but we will give more emphasis to the New Testament, spending half the year in the Old Testament and half in the New. 

Bible Readings: Matthew 25

Background:  

The end is near. 

Well, to be honest, we don't really know precisely how close it is, because to the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a time. Time isn't the same for him as it is for us. But we know that the world we live in has an expiration date and that it will be consummated to the glory of God. 

In this chapter, Jesus tells three stories that deal with aspects of the end. First, he tells about the Ten Virgins and reminds his disciples that since they do not know when the end is going to come they must be vigilant and always ready to meet Christ. Then he tells the parable of the Talents, which has nothing to do with talents as we think of them. A talent was a measure of silver. This parable speaks of faithfulness, reminding us that as the end draws near we must invest everything we are and have into the service of God. Finally, he speaks of the awaiting judgment in which Jesus will separate the sheep and the goats, reminding them that at the end there is one person to whom each of us must answer. 

Watchfulness. Fidelity. Preparedness for God's judgment. 

Daily Devotional: Ready and Waiting

It would be hard for the Bible to be clearer about anything than this fact: no one knows when Jesus is going to come back. There is a lot about the Second Coming that remains shrouded in mystery, but God has made it clear that this mystery will not be revealed until the moment the trumpet sounds. Despite the unequivocal and adamant assertions of Jesus that no one knows the day or the hour of his return, people continue to be fooled by those who announce that they have either received some kind of new revelation or gotten a new insight into the Scriptures that renders Jesus’ words null and void. From Edgar Whisenant in 1988 to the failed and embarrassing predictions of the late Harold Camping more recently, the parade of false prophets has continued.

But the Word is clear as crystal. There are some things that we can know today about the end. We know that as time goes on, deceivers will arise and the world will grow eviler. We know that one day, Jesus Christ will ride from heaven to assert his authority over all the world and that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that He is Lord. And we know that it could happen today. We know THAT Jesus will return as King of kings and Lord of lords, but we do not know when. I don’t. You don’t. No one does.

And that is the way Jesus wants it. In Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus told a parable about the end of time, about the establishment of the kingdom of heaven, to prepare the disciples for what lay ahead.   

It was a story about 10 young women who were betrothed for marriage – five of whom were wise and five who were foolish. They were awaiting the arrival of their bridegrooms, and the five wise women had flasks of oil to keep their lamps lit. But the others were not prepared. I do not have time today to go into the wedding traditions of the day, and those details are not really germane to the point. Five were ready, and five were not. Five were wise; five were fools.

When the bridegrooms came, the wise virgins were ready and rejoiced, but the foolish virgins were left out of the marriage feast. It is easy to over-interpret a parable. This is not about the timing of events of the end-times or anything like that. A parable is told to make a particular point and the point of this one could not be clearer. Jesus states it directly. He says, in verse 13:

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Keep watch. Be ready. O Bride of Christ, Church of the Living God, we have a marriage feast prepared for us. One day, the Bridegroom will come to take us to that feast so that we might rejoice with him. We do not know the day he will come or the hour. I don’t know if I will even be alive when he comes, or if I will go to him when my life is over. But I know that Jesus is coming one day and my duty today is to prepare, to watch and wait, to hope, and to look up for our bridegroom’s appearing. We are to keep our lamps ready, our souls prepared and our hearts expectant.

Father, some days I love this world and some days I long for that day, the day when the bridegroom comes. Purify and strengthen me that I might be ready on that day, whenever it is. 

Consider God's Word:

Are you living each day ready and watchful for the return of Christ?

Are you investing your life, your spiritual resources, and all God has given you to receive the maximum eternal return?