Waiting for the groom:

Imagine all the preparations, enthusiasm and hard work that go into preparing a wedding. It is the day the bride desires for everything to be perfect, with no errors, no mistakes, without problems; only joy and happiness.

All of a sudden, someone, who is unable to enter, gets to the party, someone without an invitation; someone wants to go in by force, without having the right to be in there.

So it causes confusion, the shouting could be heard from afar, but of course, the gate guard will not let them in, the happiness of the bride and groom will, by no means, be threatened

The parable of the 10 virgins is an example of this. Who does not have the oil, which is the Holy Spirit, will not enter the wedding of the lamb.

The Lord Jesus is the groom and the church is the bride.

Let’s better understand the comparison that Jesus makes in this parable.

In the ancient times, weddings in Israel went in the following fashion:

• There was a legal agreement signed between the parents of the bride and groom.
• Then, the groom marched with his guests, until arriving to the brides’ house, which awaited him with her ladies, 10 virgins. (bridesmaids)
• Last, the marriage festivities, which were held in the brides’ home.

There was a small detail though; the arrival of the groom was not at a scheduled time; he could show up in the wee hours of the night and the bride had to wait for his arrival.

Because of this custom, each one of the virgins (bridesmaids) had to have their oil lamps, with extra oil, ready at all times. The five wise virgins (bridesmaids) prepared the extra oil, but the foolish ones, did not.

When the groom arrived at midnight, the five foolish that had not been prepared, where denied and forbidden an entry to the marriage feast; and they could not participate.

The message is clear; Jesus does not have a scheduled time in which he will return. This is the reason why we should continually be prepared for his return; living a faithful and obedient life, while we wait for our Groom.

It is necessary to take precautions and not think: “Oh, I have lots of time before Jesus returns”, and live an unorganized life without taking care of your spiritual life, without watching what we speak, do, think, the way in which we see and also the intentions of our hearts which no one sees; but the Groom knows all that is inside of us.

Let’s not allow our lamps to fade, instead let’s stock up on oil from the Holy Spirit, the time is now because when Jesus returns there won’t be time for anything.

No one knows the day or the time that our Lord Jesus is to come. So we have to be prepared.

Matthew 25: 1-13