you know what time it is,
how it is now the moment
for you to wake from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now
than when we became believers;
the night is far gone, the day is near.
Let us then lay aside
the works of darkness
and put on the armor of light;
let us live honorably as in the day,
not in reveling and drunkenness,
not in debauchery and licentiousness,
not in quarreling and jealousy.
Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh,
to gratify its desires.
for you do not know on what day
your Lord is coming.
But understand this:
if the owner of the house had known
in what part of the night the thief was coming
he would have stayed awake
and would not have let his house be broken into.
Therefore you also must be ready,
for the Son of Man is coming
at an unexpected hour.
Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (detail)
Friedrich Wilhelm von Schadow, 1840
Dear friends,
In Romans 13:11-14, we are told to put on the armor of light and to make no provision for the flesh. This is a call to action for us to be ready for the coming of the Lord. We must not let ourselves be caught off guard by the temptations of the world, but instead must focus on living a righteous and virtuous life.
Matthew 24:42-44 reminds us that the coming of the Lord will be like a thief in the night. We must be alert and ready, for we do not know when the Lord will come. It is important that we do not become complacent and think that we have all the time in the world to prepare. We must always be ready and vigilant.
Everything in this world is constantly changing and nothing is permanent. This includes our own lives. We must be prepared for the coming of the Lord and our own death at all times. This passage also reminds us of the importance of mindfulness and living in the present moment. We must not be caught up in the distractions of the world, but instead focus on living in and being aware of the present moment.
These passages remind us of the importance of being prepared and vigilant for the coming of the Lord. We must focus on living a righteous and virtuous life and be mindful of the present moment. May we all strive to be ready for the coming of the Lord.