METHODIST CHURCH NIGERIA
DIOCESE OF OSOGBO
THIRTY-SECOND (32ND) SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME/TWENTY-SECOND (22ND) SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY, 8TH
NOVEMBER, 2020.
GOD’S WORD TO GOD’S
PEOPLE.
THEME: Be ready always
Wa ni imurasile nigbagbogbo
TEXT:
Matthew 25:10&13
“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. “Watch therefore, for you know
neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man is coming.”
“Nigba
ti won si n lo ra, oko iyawo de; awon ti o si mura tan ba a wole lo si ibi
iyawo: a si ti ilekun. Nitori naa, e maa sona, bi eyin ko ti moo jo tabi wakati
ti Omo-eniyan yoo de.”
The
second coming of Jesus Christ is inevitable and also imminent, but no one knows
the day nor the hour when it shall be. It is therefore important and imperative
for every Christian who wants to be raptureable with Jesus Christ and reign
with him at his second coming to be prepared and get ready always (Matt. 24:36,
42-44) To be ready means to be in suitable state for an action or situation,
fully prepared.” To be at alert for the return of Christ is therefore an
important subject matter for the professing church at a time like this.
The
gospel text, Matthew 25:1-13, chosen for this Sunday, 8th November,
2020 contains the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, one of Jesus’
parables used to teach the Church on how essential it is for all Christians to
be ready always for the second coming of Jesus Christ. As readers of the gospel
according to St. Matthew and student of the Bible, we are not surprised that
Jesus Christ suddenly changed his discussion on the Parousia as it relates to Israel
as a nation to His return as it relates to the Church as a whole. The previous
discussion which relates to Israel centers on the outward events of the period
of his second coming while this section which relates to the Church focuses on
inward attitudes. It is true that every true believer is going to heaven with
Christ (Jn. 3:16-18, 17:24), but not every Christian is ready to meet the Lord,
because of their love with the world and its pleasure.
The
parable of the wise and foolish virgins shows clearly that the Church is
divided into two; the wise witnesses and the foolish witnesses. Those who are
ready for the second coming of Christ and those who are only waiting but not
ready. Jesus Christ likened his seconding coming to a bridegroom who had gone
for his marriage engagement to claim his bride from her parents. Then everyone
was expecting the groom and his bride to return for the wedding feast at the
groom’s house, but the time of his return was not known. For more than
2,000years now, the Church has continued to talk about the second coming of
Jesus Christ, so many Christians have become lethargie and drowsy. Believers are
no longer excited about the parousia and as a result, there is little effective
witness given that the Lord is returning (Matt. 25:5). The fire of the Church
is not burning as expected because it lacks oil. The oil here is the Holy
Spirit who gives power to the Church and makes her active witness of Christ to
the world. The foolish virgin who had no oil in their lamps are the Christians
whose oil was dried up and thus became powerless in the race.
When
the bridegroom and bride suddenly appeared, the foolish maids were unable to
light their lamps since they had no oil. “Our Lamps are going out.” (Matt. 25:8),
was their cry. But the wise ones who had sufficient oil were able to light their
own lamps and keep them shining bright. Not only that they were the Christians
found ready to enter the wedding hall with the bridegroom and his bride because
they had guided against anything which could hinder them from entering the
wedding feast. This suggest that not every professing Christian will enter
heaven, because some of us have not trusted Jesus Christ sincerely. Some are
empty Christians, living without the Holy Spirit. Some of us do not know the
word of God which gives life. Whereas some of us are fully ready for the coming
of the Lord, because they trust Jesus Christ for their salvation, they have the
Holy Spirit in them and they know the word of God. They have forsaken sin and
all works of flesh, ready for the second coming of Christ. How about you? Be
wise and get ready today, tomorrow may be too late. To be ready for his second
coming, we all need permanent connection with Jesus Christ, presence and power
of the Holy Spirit, the sword of the Spirit which is the world of God and
constant prayer to remain in communion with God.
Let
us pray
Rt.
Rev. A.K.O. Ogunrinde, JP, FICT.
Bishop, Diocese of Osogbo.
OS-CAN Chairman.
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