Yet to be true to the words of Christ his pronouncements relating to the nearness of his return were invariably tempered with warnings of apparent delay. In one of Christ’s parables the unwise servant concluded, “My master is delaying his coming” (Matt. 24:48), and he began to eat and drink with the drunkards, while the master will return at an hour when he is not looking for him at an hour he is not aware of. This is also similar to the experience of the Ten Virgins who all fell asleep due to the delay of the bridegroom. The parables are concluded with a call to watchfulness; “Watch therefore, for you do know neither the day nor the hour in which the son of man is coming.”(Matthew 25:13) Our generation must take heed to our danger of loss of vision and not be distracted by the apparent delay of the Advent but rather arise to the challenge of the proclamation-“Behold the bridegroom cometh go ye out to meet him.” Still the Groom waits patiently.
