Where did you see Jesus today? I once worked alongside a minister for youth who liked to pose that question to young people. After a while the youth came up with answers. They had seen the risen Jesus at school in someone’s act of compassion or encouragement. They had seen Jesus working at a soup kitchen. They had seen Jesus in the face of someone in need. With her question, my colleague was helping students think about Jesus as alive in the world—not confined to Palestine or held by the tomb but living among us through the Holy Spirit as example, consolation, and challenge.

As we move toward the end of the church year, our readings speak of the risen Jesus appearing again on earth at the end of time. This week’s reading from the Gospel of Matthew (25:1-13) is a parable about being ready to welcome Jesus on that day.

It features ten bridesmaids waiting for the nighttime arrival of the bridegroom. None of the bridesmaids is fully prepared: all are asleep when the bridegroom arrives. Five of them have forgotten to bring enough oil to keep their lamps lit for the occasion, and when the other five refuse to let them borrow any oil, the bridesmaids with the sputtering lamps run to the store to buy more and end up missing  the celebration altogether.

The parable encourages us to get ready to welcome Jesus, but it’s hard to make theological sense of all the elements of the story, especially the bits about the lamps and reserves of oil, and people missing out on the celebration.

Perhaps worrying about the lamps and reserves of oil is really a distraction not only for the bridesmaids but also for us, as readers of the parable. All anyone needs to do when the bridegroom arrives is to welcome him and join him on the way to the wedding banquet. Jesus will bring all the light that we need. And the best way to get ready for Jesus’ final coming is simply to open our eyes every day and notice his presence within the events of ordinary life.

See you in church,

Pastor David