Three Areas to be a Wise Watcher
1.
In Preparation
2.
In Qualification
3.
In Anticipation
Matthew
25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who
took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Now five of them
were wise, and five were foolish. 3 "Those who were foolish took their
lamps and took no oil with them, 4 "but the wise took oil in their vessels
with their lamps. 5 "But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all
slumbered and slept. 6 "And at midnight a cry was heard:`Behold, the
bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!' 7 "Then all those virgins arose
and trimmed their lamps. 8 "And the foolish said to the wise,`Give us some
of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the wise answered,
saying,`No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to
those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 "And while they went to buy,
the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding;
and the door was shut. 11 "Afterward the other virgins came also,
saying,`Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 "But he answered and said,`Assuredly,
I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "Watch therefore, for you know
neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
A
few years ago, Microsoft released the results of a study about attention span.
In it, they concluded that since 2000, the average human attention span
shortened by about 4 seconds. The memorable line from this study is that the
human attention span is now shorter than that of a goldfish. In addition to
this, humans are now more forgetful. In an ironic twist, this study concluded
that the increase of technology was in large part to blame for this change.
Since
that study was released, many others have argued against it. The general
consensus of that camp is that human attention span is not decreasing, it’s
just getting more selective. However, what each side agrees on is that the
substantial increase of options available today to capture our attention has
led the whatever types of changes we’re experiencing. Whether the change is
good or not could be argued. However, what’s consistent is that there is more
to distract us nowadays than at any other point in human history.
Paying
attention has always been a necessary part of the Christian faith
· Pay attention to the
correct teaching
· Watch out for Satan and
false teachers.
· Take heed to your own
conduct and attitude.
And
in this parable today, Jesus tells us to pay attention to His final return.
There is an inherent question to this – what distracts us from paying
attention. Much like the previously mentioned study, we recognize a change in
the way people focus on God. Some argue that this is a bad change, others say
it’s good. Regardless, there is a change when we don’t pay attention in matters
of our faith – and there is a cost.
As
it is with any parable, we try to connect the illustrative parts of the story
to a real-life application. The overall process in this account is not too
difficult to follow. Jesus speaks of a wedding party on the way to a wedding
celebration. The event of a wedding is a common metaphor in the Bible to apply
to the end of the world. Jesus depicts the consummation of the Christian faith
as a celebration in heaven, where the Bride (the Church) is forever united with
the Groom (Christ).
However,
what’s even more important in a parable is understanding the overall point of
the lesson. Although there can be many things gained from a parable, there is
always one main point. In today’s parable that one main point is watching –
paying attention. And so, in a day and age where distraction is abundant,
we ask God to lead us in being wise watchers. Given the state of the world
around us, the overall impact of the Word of God in these last days, and the
tendency we have for being spiritually distracted, this is an extremely
necessary reminder from God’s Word today. Let us then touch on three areas of
watchfulness, beginning with Preparation.
Christian
preparation is always tied to urgency. God calls for us to prepare daily
because there’s an urgency to our faith. We see how that is expressed in the
parable. The ten virgins are divided into five wise and five foolish. Part of
that distinction is made because of the way each group prepared. To be prepared
in that context was to bring extra oil for one’s lamp. Again, this was tied to
urgency. The extra oil was necessary because the arrival of the bridegroom was
unknown. We might conclude, better safe than sorry. Those who were wise
prepared for what was out of their control by accumulating more of what they
needed.
What
exactly does the oil of the lamps correspond to in our lives? Many Christians
have likened it to faith. More specifically it is that which builds and
sustains faith – what we might call the Means of Grace. Regardless, we know
that whatever the oil represents, it’s something that all believers need.
Without, our lamps die out, and Christ does not recognize us on the Last
Day.
A
wise watcher prepares. That means using what God has given us to build
our faith. This includes opportunities to study the Word, whether that be
privately at home or publicly in church. It involves making regular use of the
Lord’s Supper, which strengthens us with God’s assurance that we are forgiven in
the “given” body and “shed” blood of Jesus. Preparing means resisting
temptation and those things that would lead us away from Christ. We do this
because of the urgency of our situation. This world has an expiration date. We
don’t want to be an apathetic of indifferent Christian. We don’t want to be
someone who waits till the fun of life is over before we find God or religion.
These are not the attitudes expressed by true faith. Faith inherently contains
urgency from the very beginning of a person’s life.
This
is why Paul taught, Acts 17:30 "Truly, these times of ignorance God
overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 "because He
has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the
Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him
from the dead."
The
second area where we seek to be a wise watcher is in qualification. When
the foolish virgins recognize that the Bridegroom has arrived, and that they
are lacking in oil, they make a plea to the wise to share with them. The wise
respond by saying, No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but
go rather to those who sell and buy for yourselves. This was not
selfishness or rudeness on the part of the wise, it was the simple reality of
the situation. The oil could not be shared from one person to another. Doing so
would have disqualified everyone.
Likewise,
a wise watcher understands what qualifies them to enter heaven. While we share
many blessings within our faith, that faith itself cannot be shared from person
to person. Each individual is responsible before God. I cannot believe in Jesus
for you, nor can you for anyone else. Within that truth we recognize that there
is a great deal of influence that we can have on what another person believes.
But we cannot believe for them. So, the wise urged the foolish to quickly get
some oil, but they were too late.
Your
qualification for heaven is dependent on Jesus alone – not on what anyone else
says or believes about your faith or about God – good or bad. You also are not
saved by association. It’s not about the people you know or about being in
church as if it’s some sort of club. Similarly, faith is not about storing up
credits before God that you can cash in on the final day. Either you’re
qualified or you’re not – and that determination is based on whether you
believe in Jesus or if you’re trusting in some other means to be saved. A wise
watcher understands what makes them qualified. If you are wise, you will trust
in Jesus alone. You will believe in your heart that He is the Way, the Truth,
and the Life, and you will confess it by your words and actions. But as a wise
watcher, you will also make this a priority today. It is not wise to wait until
the end of life to find God or to find religion. It is foolish to live by the
ways of the world and your flesh just because you’re young and carefree. Since
you are qualified now – this very day – through Jesus Christ – the time to
believe is also right now. Don’t be reckless with the blessings of forgiveness
and eternal life – if you are, you may reach a point where it’s too late to get
what you need. You are qualified today – now spend time protecting that
inheritance of faith.
And
the final area to be a wise watcher is anticipation. It’s in this final
point that we come full circle back to the overall theme of this parable. The
Lord wants us to watch – to pay attention to the final day. For the believer,
we add a note of anticipation to that task. Our preparation is not obligatory
or burdensome. We do not take a “ho-hum” attitude toward Christ’s return, nor
do we have to fear it. Rather, we anticipate it with great joy.
A
wise watcher takes this approach toward the day of Judgment. There is certainly
always an element of trepidation when we consider something as monumental as
the end of this current world. It’s not sinful to feel a bit of uneasiness or
to have butterflies in your stomach as you think about it. Those things show
how important this day is. But, ultimately, we anticipate our Lord’s return
with great joy in our hearts.
The
believers’ anticipatory joy is a theme throughout the Bible:
Psalm
24:7 Lift up your heads, O you gates! And be lifted up, you everlasting doors!
And the King of glory shall come in.
Luke
21:28 "Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your
heads, because your redemption draws near."
Titus
2:11-14 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12
teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed
hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who
gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify
for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
Part
of the wise virgins’ preparation was there desire to be in the wedding
celebraton. They were looking forward to it, so they were ready! To be in the
presence of the bridegroom was their source of joy. You have these same
privileges by faith. The Lord Jesus says to you, “Come, for all things are
now ready.” The wedding feast is prepared. Nothing is lacking. God is
merciful and longsuffering that all would come to repentance and believe in
Jesus. You are qualified. God has given you what you need to prepare – the
elements that build your faith. Therefore, you can watch with joy, also.
Today
people talk about “living your best life.” That usually means making the most
of your day or seeking out activities and goals that make you feel fulfilled.
However, the Christian mindset is “living for eternal life.” Rather than
seeking to get the most out of life, seek to live a wise life. The wisdom of
faith in Christ beckons you to consider these three areas, preparation,
qualification, and anticipation. If Christ is at the center of your faith, you
will be ready in each domain.
Who’s
to say if our attention spans are decreasing or simply growing in a different
direction? When it comes to eternity, a better question is – Does it really
matter? What we do know is that there are plenty of distractions before us.
There is no shortage of reasons to minimize time with the Lord at home, church,
or privately. Remember, a wise watcher pays attention. We prepare by using what
the Lord has given us today to sustain our faith. We believe that our qualification
rests in Christ’s merits, not our own and not anyone else’s. And finally, we
joyfully wait, with eager expectation, for the return of our Savior. Amen.
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