Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. – Revelation 19:7

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2024): Revelation 19

Jesus told a parable about ten virgins waiting for the bridegroom. These virgins were ladies in waiting and were an essential part of the wedding. But they didn't know when the bridegroom would show up. So, they were given the task of being ready. In the parable, five accepted the invitation, and five received the invitation but refused to get ready. When the bridegroom arrived, only half of the ladies in waiting were prepared for what came next. The other five were left hopelessly scrambling to try to get ready at the last minute, but it was an impossible task.

Every time I read the parable, the question that gets me is, what if it wasn't the ladies in waiting; what if it was the bride who wasn't ready? Isn't that Jesus's point? The bride needs to be ready for the bridegroom. Jesus taught that the Bride of Christ is the Church, and ready is an action word. So, the Christian Church needs to be actively preparing for the coming of Jesus. However, I am not sure that that is what we are doing.

On the Thursday night before the Crucifixion, Jesus went to pray. Here is how Mark tells the story.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him (Mark 14:32-40).

The bride wasn't ready; in this case, they couldn't stay awake. This group of disciples was the beginning of the Christian Church.

If we want to know what Jesus really believed, we need to spend some quality time with the Sermon on the Mount. It is the core of Jesus's beliefs and the pinnacle of biblical teaching. However, if we were honest, we would say that we aren't fulfilling the expectations of that one Sermon, three short chapters in the Bible (Matthew 5, 6, 7). What is worse is that deep down, we do not expect to fulfill what Jesus has asked of us. We will continue in our ways and settle for asking God for his mercy and forgiveness, but the reality is that we have fallen asleep.

A friend of mine, let's call him Harold, tells the story of when he fell out of contact with another friend. The two of them had gone to High School together. And then they drifted apart. After a while, this lost friend started to phone him. But Harold was busy. In his mind, he told himself that he would get back to him later. But "later" is hard. Have you been there? I have. You ignore that call so long that it becomes hard to answer. You don't know what to say.

Finally, my friend picked up the phone, took a deep breath, and dialed the number. But the friend is not home. My friend is relieved. "Hey, it's Harold. I am sorry you're not home (no, I'm not), but I just wanted to connect with you." And he hangs up

Two minutes later – the phone rings. Guess who. Harold picks up the phone and begins to talk with an old friend. But it is awkward because he has ignored him for two years. He had just stopped receiving the calls.

Finally, Harold tells his friend, "I'm sorry this is awkward for me."

His friend replies, "I know, but I can do awkward. What I can't do is you not talking to me."

This is what I need you to hear. God can do awkward and he can do embarrassing. But he needs to talk to you. We must be actively getting ready for his feast because the wedding of the Lamb is here. But we can't do that if we have lost contact with the one who created us, loves us, and saved us when we needed him the most.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Revelation 20