Have you ever been at a wedding reception, waiting for the bride and groom, and the wait is very long? This is the scenario in one of Jesus’ parables. People are waiting expectantly for the bridegroom (and the bride), but there is an unexplained delay. The bridegroom in the parable symbolizes Christ, and the way that we wait for Christ to come with blessing to us.

So the parable becomes a picture of what may happen in our spiritual lives. We are waiting for God to come to us, to answer some need, but there is an unexplained delay.

In such circumstances, Jesus encourages us to stay receptive. Such receptivity is illustrated in the parable in a group of bridesmaids who have brought lit oil lamps, along with extra oil, so that they can persist through the night in being ready. The oil and the lit lamps symbolize our faith—our ongoing readiness to receive Christ into our lives.

Some other bridesmaids—who are not so wise—fail to bring enough oil, and as their lamps are going out, they ask to borrow some oil from the others; but they are told that this is impossible. Here the parable illustrates the fact that you cannot borrow faith from someone else. We each need our own personal faith.

There are times in life when we may find ourselves, like the bridesmaids, in a dark place, with no sign of the Lord. But Jesus urges us to keep trusting, keeping looking, for the Lord will come. Jesus encourages us to have faith.

At the conclusion of the parable, the bridegroom arrives, and the maidens with the lit lamps enter with him into the joy of the wedding feast. May we likewise stay receptive to Christ, so that we may be brought with Him into the joy that God has prepared for us.

Sunday’s Scripture Reading:
Matthew 25:1–13

Related posts:

Have Faith Come to a Personal Faith Move Forward with Faith and Thanksgiving Faith Finds a Way