“But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.” — Matthew 25:10 (NLT)
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NBA superstar Anthony Davis hadn’t played a minute of pro basketball when he was added to the Team USA roster for the 2012 London Olympics. Surrounded by all-time greats like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James, Davis was just a starstruck 19-year-old kid drafted a month before.
Davis didn’t play much for Team USA during its trek to the gold medal, but during a blowout victory against Nigeria, his number was called. This was his chance!
But as Davis ran to the scorer’s table, he realized something.
“I was just so happy to be around all these guys, all these future Hall of Famers,” he said via NBC Sports in 2020, “that I forgot to put my jersey on before the game.”
The moment had finally arrived, but Davis wasn’t ready for it. He hadn’t adequately prepared, by neglecting to simply put on his jersey, and the opportunity passed.
Jesus told a story in the Bible about the dangers of not being ready for a big moment, known as the parable of the 10 bridesmaids in Matthew 25:1-13.
In the story, the bridesmaids are waiting for the big moment — the arrival of the bridegroom. But they didn’t know exactly when he’d come. Five of them were ready, because they had brought enough oil for their lamps, but five were not because they ran out of oil. So when the bridegroom finally did come, the five who were ready joyously accompanied him to the wedding. The five who weren’t missed his arrival and were locked out.
Jesus is the bridegroom, we are the bridesmaids, and Heaven is the wedding itself. We know Jesus will return and His people will be ushered into the presence of God for all eternity, but we don’t know when this will happen. The lesson of the parable is that we need to be spiritually ready — at all times — for Christ’s return.
Spiritual readiness doesn’t just mean agreeing intellectually with the truth of Christianity. It means talking to Jesus, listening to Him, and being obedient to His Word. It means worshiping Him with your whole heart, serving Him and His people with joy, and doing your best at whatever it is He’s called you to do. Don’t wait until “life slows down a little” to get serious about your relationship with Christ.
When He calls your number, will you be ready to check into the game? When that glorious moment of His return is finally here, what will He find you doing?
— Kevin Mercer
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