Prepared

I want to start off today by naming a few random items. As I name these items, I want to know what do you think of as I name these things. A flashlight. A battery-operated radio. A cell phone charger. And bottled water. What do you think of? Usually when we gather items like these it is because of some extreme weather that is approaching like a hurricane. Our message today is about being prepared.

There never has been nor never will be such a thing as a surprise hurricane. We usually know at least two weeks in advance that a hurricane is coming and they are able to predict pretty closely where it will make landfall. Many people will take steps to gather these items that I've mentioned in advance in order to be prepared and have what they need when the storm hits. In a similar way, we can take steps of preparation so we will be ready when Christ returns.

I share a true story of a man that says that when he was a teenager, he worked at a fast-food restaurant at the mall. The owner often left teenagers alone to run the store at night. The main thing he asked was for someone to always be near the cash register, which this man said he faithfully did. After all, they knew the boss could stop by anytime unannounced.

One slow night he was working with two other teenagers who were in the back laughing hilariously. They called out for him to join them, but he kept telling them no. They persistently kept calling to him. Finally, he gave in and left his post at the register and went to the back. He said that literally seconds later the boss came in. He quickly darted back to the front, but it was clear the boss was not happy. He wasn't at his post, which meant he was not prepared for the boss's arrival.

The same thing can be true in our spiritual lives. I am not talking solely about Christ's return today. We should live our lives in such a way that every day people see Jesus in us. And then, when Christ returns, we’ll be unashamed before Him. In today's passage from Matthew 25 Jesus used a parable to show us how to be prepared at all times. PRAYER

Jesus tells a story about 10 virgins on the night of their friend’s wedding. In Jesus’ parables, the characters in the parable usually refer to someone in the crowd of spiritual importance or to some teaching He wants to share with them. In this story, the bridesmaids apparently represent all of humanity waiting for Jesus's coming. Let's get into the story.

Matthew 25:1-5 - “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take oil with them; 4 but the wise ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 When the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

In order to understand this parable, we need to know a little bit about the cultural background that concerns Jewish wedding customs of the first century. Before a couple was married, they went through a period of betrothal. They weren't fully married yet, but they were viewed as husband and wife. After about a year of a couple’s binding betrothal, the groom went to the bride's home to bring her to his home for a 7-Day feast.

The groom didn't do this alone. He was accompanied by a wedding party that escorted the couple to the bridegroom's home. In Jesus's parable, the wedding party included 10 virgins. The virgins are young women of marriageable age. These were the bridesmaids. It was a great honor not only to be invited to the wedding but also to be a part of the wedding party.

Part of the bridesmaids’ responsibility was to light the path for the processional. The lamps needed for this were more than likely a long pole with olive oil drenched rags at one end. To keep them lit, you needed a good supply of oil. Since the wedding was typically an evening ceremony, people would know that you needed to bring extra oil for your lamp.

The bridesmaids in Jesus's parable were divided into two groups, and which group they were in depended on their level of preparation. The foolish virgins seemed to want to go to the wedding celebration; however, they didn't respect the groom enough to think about the necessary preparations involved. On the other hand, the wise virgins thought ahead, bringing enough oil to complete their duty.