“Awaiting the Fullness of the Kingdom of God”
(Matthew 25:1-13)
Tezenlo Thong
As we near the Season of Advent, you will realize that the lectionary texts are leading us to what is called parousia, an eschatological event the Christians have always believed will happen soon. The parable for this Sunday talks about waiting for an important event, an event that no one knows when it might occur. The waiters are therefore kept in suspense. We all know what it is like to be in a state of constant suspense, waiting for something to happen any moment.
What is important is that our Christian life is not a passive waiting. We are to wait in active readiness. Some early Christians thought that Jesus would return in their lifetime and decided to wait passively. They became disengaged and disinterested in “earthly” matters. They became fixated on the “hereafter” and lost relevance in the “here-and-now”.
We are not called to wait passively as the world suffers, as God’s children go hungry or as oppression and injustice grow. We are to wait actively. That is why the Season of Advent is a busy time for the Church. We give, and we serve more than we normally do. This Advent, God will come. God will come moment by moment. Sometimes we are foolish, and we miss the coming; sometimes we are wise, and we see him/her in the face of someone in need – “Whatever you do unto the least of these, you do unto me.” Let us wait actively for the coming of God!
sanseilife 