Jesus comes : let us wait !

"In the midst of the night a cry came, saying, Behold the bridegroom ; Go out to meet him." Matthew 25. 6

As surely as Christ ascended into heaven, he will return to seek his own. The moment of his coming is not revealed to us, but it is no reason not to wait for him. On the contrary, his return is imminent ! But we must remain patient. The divine chronology is not ours, it surpasses us.

Several parables teach us to be ready, whether the Lord comes back today or later than we hope. That of the virgins illustrates this point. The lesson is simple: let's be ready even if the spouse delays.

In the marriage ceremony reported by Matthew, everything is apparently wrong: five of the ten girls who form the bride's escort of honor neglect to bring a supply of oil for their torch, Expectation of the spouse would extend. The hours pass, all fall asleep.

At midnight, a cry announces the arrival of the husband. The ten virgins awake. All torches may turn off. The five negligent girls go off to buy oil. Too late. They are not back when the bridegroom arrives ; The party begins ... in the middle of the night ! They compromised the procession because the escort was reduced by half; But they will not spoil the ceremony !

This group of ten virgins tells us about Christendom, a mixture of believers, possessing the Holy Spirit because born again, with other people who have only the name of Christian without having the life of Christ in them.

Very quickly, the Church, as men can see it, fell asleep, forgot the promise of the Lord to return soon. Even during the Reformation, this promise remained in the background. It was not until the nineteenth century that it resumed its place in Christian hope ... to fade again today.

The Lord may delay more than we think possible. The only way to be ready for the coming of the Lord is to be ready day and night, all lamps lit. The coming of the Lord, as also our own death, can surprise us at any moment. Thus, by preparing ourselves for the coming of Christ, we will also be ready to leave this life.

Our own inactivity makes the time seem long ; On the other hand, the hours appear to be short if one is active during the waiting time. We'll see him tomorrow.

Source (To pleasing the Lord)