Be Prepared!
Taylor Richardson
Have you ever wondered why you have to go to school, or why teachers tell you to study for certain things before big tests? Teachers prepare students for tests, and school prepares students for the “outside world.” It is hard to get through this world without being prepared for the unexpected. That’s why,
in Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus spoke about being prepared by telling a parable about some wise and foolish virgins.
In this parable, Jesus talked about how the kingdom of heaven would be like the ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet thebridegroom. There were five wise virgins and five foolish ones. The five foolish ones took only their lamps, but the wise ones took oil with them just in case the oil in the lamps burned out. The virgins had to wait because the bridegroom was running late. The foolish virgins asked the wise ones if they could have some of their oil because their lamps were burning out, but thewise said there would not be enough oil to give to them, so they told the foolish to go buy some. At midnight, the bridegroom arrived. While the foolish ones were out buying oil, the wise virgins went with the bridegroom to the wedding. When the foolish virgins came back, they were locked out and could not go inside. The lesson of this parable is that we must be prepared for the time when Jesus will come because we do not know when He will come back.
Jesus also talked about being prepared in Matthew 24:42-44:
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
In order to be prepared, we must live so as to be ready when He does come. We cannot expect to go to heaven if we are hypocritical and live two lives—one on Sunday when we worship God, and one where we do what is wrong in the eyes of God every other day.
We must live one life—a righteous life—and do good in the eyes of God every day of every week.
We do not know when Christ is coming. He could come today, tomorrow, or fifty years from now, but we still must be prepared for His arrival.