Matthew 25: 1-13
In today’s passage, the parable of the Ten maidens speaks a profound word to each one of us; it is a fresh reminder of the need to prepare for delay by living the present moment faithfully, courageously, and hopefully.
In this parable, for whatever reason, the groom did not show up on time; the hours passed, and many of the waiting wedding party fell asleep. The only difference between wise and foolish maidens in the passage is this: the wise virgins prepared for the wait and therefore brought extra oil while the foolish virgins failed to stock lamp oil.
What does it mean to be prepared for the wait? Assuming, that it does not look like stockpiling toilet paper or canned goods. Rather, the text asks us to prepare to wait and to avoid assuming that we have enough oil in our lamps right now.
Sometimes, the present moment may be too slippery for most of us to hang on to. As hard as we try, we tend to slide off into what happened yesterday or what we have to do tomorrow. While we may obsess with the past or the future, we easily pull away from the present moment, right now, as my sons may keep missing a beautiful sight while they travel in the back seat of a car with this question, “Dad, are we there yet?”
We all may have a closet that we may store all of our good intentions about the things we are going to be and do better one day.
Perhaps, we all presume that we may tend to put off certain matters for today that which can presumably be done tomorrow. Perhaps, it happens more on our faith journey.
I am going to be a better Christian. I am going to pray and serve more one day.
I am going to love and share more one day. And I am going to contribute to church more one day. I am going to follow Christ more faithfully one day.
May we remember that there is no time for that. Go ahead and make the decision right now. According to today’s passage, it is time to wake up. No matter where Jesus is and where we are, it is time to stop living in the past and in the future. And it is time to start living the present moment right now by living in hope for what has been promised and what will be but is not yet.
Today, we all still question God about God’s timing, “God, are we there yet?” The only thing we are required to do is we should decide to live the present moment as a gift God has given every morning when we wake up.
Let’s keep refusing to live yesterday over and over again.
Let’s keep resisting the temptation to save our best self for tomorrow.
Let’s keep living the Good life no matter how much time is left. Amen.