The Lord May Come When We're Not Expecting Him

The Lord May Come When We're Not Expecting Him

Retired Pastor’s Column

32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

November 8, 2026

“The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.”

from Matthew 25:1-13

At first glance, this Gospel doesn't make any sense. It sounds like a made-up story. At the time of Christ, they had wedding traditions just as we do. The bridegroom would try to sneak in and fool the bridesmaids who would be waiting at the doors and windows. A wedding reception would last a week, so they had to stay ready. If it were dark, they'd have to have oil for their lamps to see with. The bridegroom could come at any hour, any time, any way in. They had to be vigilant. They had to be ready, even if they fell asleep." A bridesmaid who missed him was locked out for a time!

Jesus was not an ordinary bridegroom in this story. He comes very late, much later than most. Only the wise ones who know him brought extra oil. The other ones ran out and had to go off looking for more. What relevance does this have for us?

Most people try to be ready for emergencies. We're supposed to plan for our health, our finances, our jobs. Many people plan for everything but meeting God. And that's the one thing that's sure to happen one day. In fact, we meet Him all the time and are often not ready for it, and so we miss our opportunities.

These days, we're supposed to have a week's worth of water, food, and fuel on hand, which is smart, considering we had an ice storm five years ago that knocked out power for some people for as long as two weeks around here. Jesus might have used that analogy if he were living in our time. People without supplies were caught unawares, and that included me, living in a rectory without heat. Well, we corrected that, but it caught me by surprise.

But how few there are who prepare for the one certain thing, and that is that we will meet the Lord one day. How often I pass a cemetery, and I've been in all of them here in the Willamette Valley, burying people, and often think, "Many of these people had plans that day, the day that they died." Some have longer. Jesus tells us many times that He is liable to surprise us.

We have to keep the oil burning. In other words, keep our prayer life going. We keep our lamps filled not only by prayer but also by works of mercy, caring for others, our charity, how we live, and our faith. Jesus will surprise us in other ways as well. He will present us with an opportunity to grow. Sometimes through suffering or an opportunity to help someone, a setback in which we can draw closer to God, or a moment of joy in which we can give thanks for our lives. Many people live their lives as if there will always be a tomorrow.

I remember another time when I was asleep in my chair in the rectory. It was 2 a.m., with the lights on. I was just exhausted and passed out. Suddenly, there was this pounding on the window near the chair, over and over and over again. When I finally woke up, it was three police officers looking in the window, and I thought, "Oh my gosh!" I came to the door not knowing what to think, only to find out that they wanted to arrest somebody in a parking lot and needed my permission to do it. So I said, "How can I give you permission to do this without waking me up for the rest of my life?"

I've never forgotten that moment because it could just as easily have been Christ knocking on my door and saying, "Time's up. Are you ready? Do you have oil in your lamp, or did it go out?" He also came knocking on my door once. He came knocking many times, wanting me to be a priest. I had to be ready because the opportunity may never have come again. Spoiler alert: I said yes. Preview alert: Will you? Will you be ready when he comes?

Father Gary