by Dianne Eckermann

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Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour (Matthew 25:13).

Read Matthew 25:1–13

The parable of the 10 young women reminds us of just how human we are, even the most organised people among us. We can identify with the young women who did not have enough oil for their lamps because we all, at some time, will have forgotten something crucial. We might have remembered the birthday candles but forgotten the matches, gone on holiday with the mobile phone but forgotten the charger, or arrived at the airport and left the passport at home.

This parable also continues the theme of the readings for this week, namely the need to be prepared and to keep watch because there is much we do not know. Let’s examine the parable in more detail. We realise the young women waiting to light the way for the bridegroom did not have a particularly onerous task. Their role during the whole complex wedding celebration was clear and simple. All they had to do was be prepared with their welcoming lamps to light the darkness. It didn’t matter that they had fallen asleep because they were all awoken in time for the delayed arrival of the groom.

They really only had one task: to light the way to the celebration. And this task only required two things: a lamp and some lamp oil. The arrival of the bridegroom was delayed, but it was certain that he would eventually arrive; therefore, it was important to be prepared when the big arrival finally happened.

The parable tells us that those who were prepared were included, and those who were not prepared were excluded. The bridegroom is Christ; the wedding feast is the promise of his kingdom. This parable is not just about the certainty of Christ’s arrival; it is also about recognising he might be delayed. To be prepared is to anticipate the arrival of Jesus, even though the world has been waiting a long time. It is for this reason that we live our lives knowing the certainty of Jesus’ promise to return.

Dear Jesus, we hope for your return and ask that you keep us strong in faith as we pray, ‘Come, Lord Jesus.’ Amen.

Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.

by Dianne Eckermann

Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him (Matthew 24:44).

Read Matthew 24:32–51

In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted, catching the population of Pompeii virtually unaware. When the site of the formerly busy city was rediscovered about 1,700 years later, it was as if Pompeii had been frozen at the precise moment of the eruption. Everyday life continued right up until time stopped for those who lived there. Small bread rolls were even found inside an oven, placed there by the baker who never had the chance to remove them.

Just like the people of Pompeii, we do not know when life will change forever. We do not know when Jesus will come again. Over and over again, today’s passage tells us that no-one knows the hour, yet that does not stop some people from predicting the day and the time. God has not set us a challenge to predict the Second Coming. We are not supposed to know. It is enough for us to know with certainty that Jesus will come again, as this is mentioned repeatedly in today’s reading. The timing is irrelevant.

Instead of trying to predict the time when Jesus will come again, we are instead urged to be ready. It may sound like an impossible task. How can we be prepared for such an important event when we have no idea when it might happen? To be ready is to be like the servant who is serving their master faithfully and wisely, and not like the servant who abuses their position.

While this might sound threatening, even frightening, the emphasis of today’s passage is the certainty that Jesus will return, and it is, therefore, filled with hope. When we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven’, we are filled with hope for the promised return of Jesus. Until that time, our ordinary, everyday life continues to be filled with the extraordinary love and hope we find in Jesus.

Thank you, Jesus, for your promise to come again. Keep us filled with hope, and help us share your love with those who need it most as we wait for your kingdom. Amen.

Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.

by Dianne Eckermann

Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.

So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel – let the reader understand – then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains (Matthew 24:15,16).

Read Matthew 24:15–31

Whenever we board a flight, we are taken through what to do in the ‘unlikely event of a flight emergency’. In today’s reading, we hear about a devastating emergency, which is not an unlikely event but an absolute certainty. However, there is no equivalent to the ‘fasten your seatbelt and adopt the brace position’ safety guide. The only advice is to ‘flee to the mountains’ – if you can do so.

Reading about the events leading up to the end of the world is not an easy read. It sounds like a compilation of every disaster movie ever made. To make it even more difficult to understand, there is no indication of when this might happen, other than that it is a time of what seems like unprecedented uncertainty. False prophets, whose main intention is to deceive, add to the great distress we can expect. Nor does there seem to be a safety guide to help people survive.

However, the advice to ‘flee to the mountains’ contains more depth than it initially seems. Frequently, mountains are a source of refuge in the Bible and are symbolic of being closer to God. Many important events took place atop mountains: Moses received the Ten Commandments, Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount, the Transfiguration of Jesus occurred, plus more. In Psalm 121:1,2, we read, ‘I lift my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’ In Psalm 125:1, we read, ‘Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.’

To flee to the mountains, therefore, is to flee towards God. It is God who is our source of help; it is God who endures forever, and it is God whom we can trust. We don’t need a safety briefing. We need only to live in the light of the risen Christ.

Heavenly Father, we ask you to send us your Holy Spirit to help us hold on to our faith in your protection and to flee to you in times of trouble. Amen.

Dianne has served in Lutheran education as a teacher, school leader and system leader at Lutheran Education Australia. Now retired from full-time work, she continues to volunteer on several committees and as a school board member. She lives in the Adelaide Hills with her husband, Robert, and is in strong demand as a babysitter for her three grandchildren.