Prep Time

                I will admit that I am a bit of a clean freak when it comes to my home. Fortunately, it does not bother me if my husband or son makes a mess in the house as long as they don’t mind that I am going to clean it; unfortunately, thinks do not always work out that way. When I was pregnant, it drove me crazy I could not clean the litter box because it is not recommended for pregnant women to be exposed to that. My husband did a very good job keeping it clean, but one week (out of the nine months he had the chore) he let it go a little too long between cleanings. When he came home from work, he recognized the smell as soon as he walked through the front door and remembered the box. He set his things down and was about to clean out the litter box when there was a knock at the door. Our landlord was in the area and decided to drop by for a chat. I knew he must have noticed the smell as soon as he walked in and if there is anything I did not want him to think it was that we were going to destroy his house with our cat. After he had come inside, it was too late to do anything about the smell, too late to clean, and too late to prepare for his coming. Eventually he left and did not mention the smell and everything seemed to work out just fine despite my embarrassment.

                In Matthew 26, Jesus gives us several parables that seem to hold the same message. He says there are some women that are waiting for their groom to arrive home. Half of them are prepared and half are not. The half that are not prepared for the groom’s arrival are cast out by the groom. Then Jesus says there are three servants given money by their master to take care of while he is away. After a long time, the master comes back and two of the three are prepared for him and give the master twice as much money as he had left in their care. The third slave is not prepared and only offers what he was given. The master rewards the two prepared servants and cast the third servant out. The third parable Jesus gives is the most humbling. He says that when He returns He is going to separate the sheep from the goats. He will say to the sheep that they cared for Him when they cared for those who were weak, and to the goats that they neglected Him when they neglected those that were weak. He will welcome the sheep into eternal life but cast the goats into hell.

                Jesus gives the clear message in these parables that there will come a time when it is too late to prepare for His arrival. He doesn’t say it will be too late to believe in Him but too late to do anything about that belief. It makes me wonder what I am doing to prepare for Jesus’ return. What am I doing for the Lord and what should I be doing? How am I caring for the weak and poor and how am I neglecting them? How am I using my talents to serve the Lord and how am I wasting them?

                Lord, help me not to waste the time You have given me but help me to use all the gifts You have provided me to serve you. Help me to be prepared for You when you come and not wait until the last minute to try to get everything ready. Amen.