Be Ready for Jesus’ Return
Jesus’ point is that unlike these five foolish girls, we should think ahead and always be ready for his return because we don’t know when it will be.
By the 80s A.D. when Matthew wrote his Gospel — 50 years after Jesus’ death — it was already clear that the second coming would not be as soon as they had thought, and with this delay came the danger that people would start to let things slide and so not be ready when at last he came.
Well, here we are now 20 centuries after Jesus’ death and we’re still waiting for the second coming. By Matthew’s time believers knew that Jesus’ return was being delayed, but no one dreamed it would have taken this long. On the other hand, look again. Jesus comes to us all the time. The final, ultimate, end-of-the-world coming in glory for judgment is yet to occur — Thank God!
(Bishop Anthony B. Taylor)
Keeping Our Lamps Lit
As the days get shorter and shorter and night-time gets longer and longer, and the rain gets colder and colder, the Church readings also become darker and more serious.
As the Church year comes to a close, the scriptures will challenge us to focus on “the end of the world” and the “final judgment”. And, with everything that we have had to deal with the year, from contested elections to murder hornets, perhaps this focus on the apocalypse isn’t altogether wrong.
In the next few weeks however, we will hear about disciples who are vigilant and prepared for the end times when we must stand before the throne of God and we will hear about disciples who are not. The invitation to all of us is to keep watch for we will not know the day or the hour when our Lord is going to call us.
(Bishop Frank Schuster)