Advent 2011
Last week I set myself the task of reading Matthew 21-25 as a way to reflect on the important Advent theme of preparation for the return of Christ. What did I come up with? Well, I found this portion of Scripture is sobering, unsettling, and encouraging. Let me give one example of each.
Sobering: The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) tells of five wise virgins who bring extra oil along for their lamps and five foolish virgins who bring their lamps but no extra oil jars as they await the coming of the bridegroom. The foolish virgins end up missing the arrival of the bridegroom because they are off buying more oil. Jesus ends this parable with the words: "Therefore keep watch, becasue you do not know the day or the hour." (verse 13).
This parable is sobering because it calls us to personal responsiblity regarding our own preparedness for meeting the Bridegroom - Christ. We need to be wise in our life of faith.
Unsettling: The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14) speaks of a king whose invitees to his son's wedding banquet refuse to come and mistreat his sevants. The angry king destroys them and tells his servants to invite anyone they can find. In the end, there is someone found at the banquet without wedding clothes. He is cast into the darkness "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs 13). The parable ends with verse 14, "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
This is the kind of passage that raises many questions for me - particularly how closely can we parallel the king in the story with God - and leaves me unsettled. And so, even though my emotions may be shaken and my mind whirling with questions, this parable heightens my awareness of God's ways being different from my ways which increases my reverence of Him.
Encouraging: The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) is encouraging on two fronts. First, it emphasizes that the important thing is not saying we will obey but actually doing it (even if we have said we wouldn't). There is a sense of second chances and room to work out our issues with obedience. Secondly, Jesus tells his audience that "tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" because of their faith (verses 31-32). This gives us great hope for salvation from our sins (no matter how great) through faith in Christ.
Reading these chapters have made me more aware of my need of a Saviour....making the day of Christmas that is drawing near a welcome sight. Does anyone else have any comments from their reading of these chapters? Please feel free to post them!
Sobering: The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) tells of five wise virgins who bring extra oil along for their lamps and five foolish virgins who bring their lamps but no extra oil jars as they await the coming of the bridegroom. The foolish virgins end up missing the arrival of the bridegroom because they are off buying more oil. Jesus ends this parable with the words: "Therefore keep watch, becasue you do not know the day or the hour." (verse 13).
This parable is sobering because it calls us to personal responsiblity regarding our own preparedness for meeting the Bridegroom - Christ. We need to be wise in our life of faith.
Unsettling: The Parable of the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14) speaks of a king whose invitees to his son's wedding banquet refuse to come and mistreat his sevants. The angry king destroys them and tells his servants to invite anyone they can find. In the end, there is someone found at the banquet without wedding clothes. He is cast into the darkness "where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (vs 13). The parable ends with verse 14, "For many are invited, but few are chosen."
This is the kind of passage that raises many questions for me - particularly how closely can we parallel the king in the story with God - and leaves me unsettled. And so, even though my emotions may be shaken and my mind whirling with questions, this parable heightens my awareness of God's ways being different from my ways which increases my reverence of Him.
Encouraging: The Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32) is encouraging on two fronts. First, it emphasizes that the important thing is not saying we will obey but actually doing it (even if we have said we wouldn't). There is a sense of second chances and room to work out our issues with obedience. Secondly, Jesus tells his audience that "tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you" because of their faith (verses 31-32). This gives us great hope for salvation from our sins (no matter how great) through faith in Christ.
Reading these chapters have made me more aware of my need of a Saviour....making the day of Christmas that is drawing near a welcome sight. Does anyone else have any comments from their reading of these chapters? Please feel free to post them!
I also read these passages and came away with several thoughts - some of which built upon other gospel readings I've done recently on similar passages. When Jesus enters Jerusalem it struck me that this was an event that had been prepared way in advance - through the prophecies that Jesus was now fulfilling.
ReplyDeleteThe parables that Jesus tells in the context of the signs of the endtimes obviously speak to us about being ready and prepared for Christ's coming. I was thinking how much easier it is to be prepared (and to wait) when you know when the end is. We can spend Advent preparing for Christmas because we know that Christmas will come on the 25th December. It is much harder to wait and prepare when we do not know when the event we are waiting for will occur. But as a friend said to me recently, we do know that we can encounter Jesus daily - we can look for and anticipate meeting Him every day, wherever we are. So, our preparedness for that encounter needs to be a daily occurrence.
Thanks for your insights and encouragement, Anna.
ReplyDelete