Most Christians would not pay attention to Jesus’ symbolic or spiritual language when He returned, Jesus knew full well. He anticipated that they would value earthly glory over spiritual glory. He knew they’d be ecstatic to see their Lord descend from the skies, flanked by millions of mighty angels. What a breathtaking scene that would be. Who wouldn’t want to behold such majesty from his Lord? The literal-minded Christians have no idea that their erroneous expectations are the clouds that Jesus will ride on. The cloud would be in their inner being, in their hearts and minds, rather than in the sky. Jesus gave various directions to purify Christians’ hearts and thoughts from the clouds of wishful thinking in order to awaken them from their earthly hopes and wants. Let’s take a look at one of them.
Jesus emphasized one word above all others.
Jesus emphasized one phrase above all others to awaken Christians from their dreams of a quick “Rapture” to heaven. Do you remember what that word was? You most likely don’t! Watch is the word. He repeated five nearly identical words in one brief statement to warn Christians:
Be on guard! Be alert! Keep watch! Do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’
-Mark 13:33-37
Be always on watch…that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man
-Luke 21:36
What Is the Meaning of the Word “Watch”?
It implies “be on the lookout, be vigilant,” according to the dictionary. Being “watchful” means “paying particular attention.”
Why should anyone be keeping an eye out for our Lord? For the following reasons, he should do so:
Behold I shall come like a thief !
-Revelation 16:15
Unto them that look for him, shall he appear the second time.
-Hebrews 9:28
The story of the five wise maidens and the five foolish maidens explains the significance of two virtues: wisdom and folly. The five foolish maidens were looking forward to our Lord’s homecoming. Why did they fail to see Him? And why were they denied access to His celestial kingdom? They were unprepared for one reason only: they were unprepared. Why did they get the nickname “foolish”? They deceived themselves by claiming, “I am a devout Christian.” I adore my God. Every eye will see Jesus, according to Jesus. How could I possibly miss Him if that’s the case? Even if I am sleeping, someone, perhaps one of His angels, will wake me up.”
What was Jesus’ solution for reawakening such Christians from their slumber? He ended the narrative by repeating the phrase that He has emphasized the most: watch. The interpretations of the maidens’ parable are numerous. It contains all of the information we require to understand our Lord.
The solution Jesus offered in this parable clearly explains the meaning of wisdom and foolishness. It teaches us this lesson: Christians endowed with wisdom will pay full attention to the News of Jesus’ return, but the foolish ones, will ignore this News. Why failing to pay attention is so critical? Because it can be deadly both physically and spiritually. Imagine the deadly consequence of crossing a busy highway without paying full attention to traffic. The reason Jesus called one group of maidens foolish, and the remedy He offered to help them save their souls clearly shows that He had full knowledge of the state of Christians at the time of His return. He knew that they would be surrounded by numerous clouds, among them worldliness, love for pleasure, loss of faith, complacency, stress, and distress of daily life, self-satisfaction, and inattention. Did not our Lord make this prediction:
When the Son of Man comes will He find faith on earth?
-Luke 18:8