Caught Waiting
There are few things harder than waiting.
We wait for answers, opportunities, healing, change, direction. And the longer the delay, the easier it becomes to stop paying attention.
In Matthew 25, Jesus tells a parable about waiting.
He describes ten young women waiting for the arrival of a bridegroom. Five were wise. Five were foolish.
These women were part of a larger household community, almost like a small village gathered around a large estate. Their task was simple: wait down the lane with lamps burning so they could light the path when the bridegroom and bride returned home.
One commentator notes that this story is not only about the bridegroom coming for his bride, but also about him returning home with his bride.
But there was a problem: the bridegroom delayed.
As the night stretched on, the women grew tired. Five had brought extra oil for their lamps. They prepared for the possibility that the wait might be longer than expected. The other five assumed the bridegroom would arrive on their timeline. They carried no extra oil. No preparation. No readiness.
And it cost them dearly.
When the bridegroom finally arrived, the foolish women were unprepared. While they scrambled to find oil, the wedding procession continued without them. The doors were shut, and the bridegroom responded with sobering words:
“I do not know you.”
Jesus ends the parable with this warning:
“Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” — Matthew 25:13
Some translations say, “Watch therefore.”
Jesus is calling His followers to live watchful lives. Not fearful lives. Not passive lives. Watchful lives.
In Scripture, waiting is often connected to attentiveness and readiness. In the Old Testament, watchmen stood guard through the night, staying alert and calling attention when something important approached.
I think it’s worth asking ourselves:
Have we grown weary of watching?
Have we become spiritually distracted? Spiritually sleepy? Have we assumed Jesus will work according to our preferred timeline?
Dallas Willard once wrote about this parable:
“The Parable of the Ten Virgins is not just about the second coming of the Lord; it is also about spiritual opportunity. It is about our readiness to seize the day because the present moment, this day, is the only place where you and I live.”
That’s the invitation before us today.
Seize your day.
Do not let this present moment drift by unnoticed. There is spiritual opportunity available to you right now. Today is the only time you are guaranteed.
So seek the oil that only the Spirit of God can provide. Cultivate a life awake to His presence. Stay watchful. Stay ready.
