It would be hard to fully appreciate the panic and horror that one might experience if they woke up in the middle of the night to smell smoke and come to the realization their house was on fire; especially if they had loved ones sleeping in other rooms as well. I personally have never experienced anything on that level.

I do remember once waking up during my first year of college and having overslept, I quickly realized I was already late for a final exam that had started 20 minutes earlier. I may have set some land speed records running to that lecture hall that morning in panic. Then, there was that time not long ago when I was flying back home to Texas after being here for the boy’s birth and was informed upon my attempt to get through TSA security that I was at the airport in San Francisco when I was due to fly out of San Jose within the hour. Yeah, I even posted about that one here-(10.23.21)

There really is nothing like that sense of dread and anxiousness though that we can experience when we ‘wake up’ (either literally or figuratively) to realize that we had ‘dozed off’ and that had some serious implications.

I wonder if those ten virgins we read about in Matt. 25 had that same wave of panic set in when they too, were awoken from a sleep when they were supposed to be preparing and watching for the return of the bridegroom. A bridegroom, I might add, who had delayed his coming for reasons we are not made aware of as to why.

But at least they woke up after the warning cry was heard at midnight. (6)

Midnight does not seem to like an ideal time to do much of anything other than to roll back over and go right back to sleep. I mean…it’s midnight and it’s dark and the bed is warm and comfortable. It would have to be something super serious to prompt that kind of response to jump out of bed and into action; which all ten virgins did in that story. No one seems to be faulting them for falling asleep. It happens to the best of us. We all can get comfortable and ‘grow at ease’ (Amos 6:1) and even complacent when we are not careful. (Zeph. 1:12)

The danger lies when we get distracted and lose our focus and awareness of what really is important. Oftentimes those distractions can be seemingly harmless and actually normal, everyday duties and responsibilities. It’s when that take precedence over other things that are more pressing in importance that it becomes a problem. You know, like being prepared for the return of the bridegroom.

I’m reminded of the story of Martha and Mary who were hosting Jesus in their home. Martha became more preoccupied with ‘serving the Lord’ and grew irritated with Mary (Luke 10:41) whose focus and attention was solely on Jesus. Jesus even commended Mary for choosing what was ‘better’ in that moment.

I think about the words of warning from Jesus who told us in Matt. 24 that the return of the Son of Man would be similar to the days of Noah. (37). We obviously know what Noah was busy doing and yet the people all around him seemed … indifferent. Those things that Jesus cites don’t seem like ‘bad things’ such as ‘eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage. In Luke’s account, Jesus also brings up another example of impending judgement in the days of Lot and how people were ‘buying and selling, planting and building’. (Luke 17:28). Again, those things would seem to be just ‘normal’ activities that we are expected to be doing on any given day.

And yet, it would appear that those ‘normal things’ had dulled the senses of the people to where they did not ‘recognize the signs of the times’.

It’s interesting when you read back in Deuteronomy how God was speaking to His people through Moses preparing them to cross over the Jordan where they could go in and take possession of the land He had promised to them. God even told them that He wanted to bless them with all these things like lands and homes and growing families and such. But it came with a stern warning as well: “Don’t forget me when you come into this land where I want to bless you.” (Deut. 8)

So when we read how we should ‘give more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away’ (Heb. 2:1) …you almost have to stop and ask yourself how we might do that, you know…forget and drift? It can be so subtle over time too. You hardly even notice the change. Have you ever been laying on an air-mattress in the water or sitting on a small boat in the lake and get preoccupied with something else…and then look up only to see that you ‘drifted’?

You do realize that getting ready for a wedding is no small thing; be it one you received an invitation to attend, or maybe you have a part in that wedding as a member of the bridal party or one of the groomsmen. Why it might have even been (or will soon be) Your wedding. There is simply much to be done to ‘prepare oneself’. You just don’t come in from working outside, remind yourself that there’s a wedding you have to be at in 20 minutes, and then throw a coat on and drive to the wedding venue.

In case you are unclear as to where I am going with all this today, it has to do with this idea of ‘being ready’. In that story of the ten virgins we were looking at earlier here, after they woke up and the wise ones trimmed their lamps due to having an ample supply of oil to ‘see’ what they were doing during that dark time of night, we then read that the bridegroom finally arrived. And you will notice in vs. 10 it reads: “…the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.”

“…those who were ready…”.

Have you ever thought about what that means to us believers…to ‘be ready’? I have a hunch that many…would assume that ‘being ready’ involves nothing more than maybe glancing at the invitation on the fridge…as you remember how you ‘made a profession for Christ’ and therefore you are…’ready’. You might have heard a sermon recently how ‘we can do nothing to make ourselves ready’ to meet Jesus upon His return and all we need to do is ‘trust in the finished work at calvary’. So ‘being ready’ basically boils down to making a head nod of acknowledgement that you are ‘saved’ and all is well with your soul because…you… well, you believe He is the Son of God and rose from the dead.

But what if there really is more to it than all that? ( I know…’heresy’, …right?). And yet…we read in Revelation 19 how “the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has …made herself ready…” (7)

Can I just tell you now that an invitation to a wedding is no more a ‘guarantee’ that you will be there …than say an acceptance letter to the college of your choice comes with a guarantee that a diploma comes with it. Nor does making reservations at a 5-star hotel across country, or even for an upcoming ocean cruise, insure that you will enjoy that experience…if you fail…to ‘get there’.

Staying with this wedding theme…take a look at Matt. 22:1-14. How did Jesus describe the kingdom of heaven? – ‘like a king who arranged a wedding for his son.” (2). (Ring a bell?) And who did he send his servants out to call? – “those who were invited to the wedding.” (3).

I’d be willing to bet that when those folks first received that invitation that they were elated and filled with joy to be the recipient of that invite. I mean, we are talking about the king himself, sending the invitation. But something happened over time. You can read there in vs. 3-5 that the hearts of those invitees had ‘drifted’ perhaps? Maybe ‘hardened or waxed cold’? (Matt. 24:12). I only say that because now we read they were ‘unwilling to come’. (3).

More servants were sent explaining that the dinner was ready and the table was spread so please get ready to come…but…”they made light of it and went their own ways”.(5)

Some had farms to tend to, another one has his business calling. We read in Luke’s account that family matters were pressing, not to mention others had acquired a new piece of land needing to be worked; and let’s not forget that new team of oxen that needed testing. (Luke 14:18-19). You can understand…can’t you? Life gets busy with so many responsibilities. But the king in Matt. 22 was not buying any of that. You can read the rest of that text on your own.

Oh, and let’s not forget that church at Sardis that Jesus had some serious rebukes for in Revelation 3. He told them that despite having a reputation of being ‘alive’, they were in fact, ‘dead’ in His eyes. (3:1). I wonder if some of those folks we read about in Matt. 7:22 who had been prophesying and casting out demons and doing all those wonderful works in His name were a part of that congregation; you think? Yet, Jesus tells them: “I have not found your works perfect/complete before God.” (2)

“Works”? Not “complete”? Wait a minute…what is He implying here? I thought it was all ‘finished’? Is it remotely possible that all this time we have been taught that ‘being ready’ simply means looking at the invitation we received and reaffirming that we believe Jesus is the Son of God might not be all together …truth?

What does it mean to be…’ready’? And if you are not quite clear as to what that truly means, then it would be challenging at best to assess as to whether or not…You…are ready to meet that bridegroom. I know some of you are convinced I am on very thin ice here; but I have never been more assured that what I am talking about demands our full attention. Join me tomorrow?