Luke 21:25-36 The Message (MSG)
It
will seem like all hell has broken loose—sun, moon, stars, earth,
sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the
wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be
quaking.
“And
then—then!—they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style—a
glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet.
Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!”
He
told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter.
When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is
right around the corner. The same here—when you see these things
happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this
off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for
this one, too—these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear
out; my words won’t wear out.
“But
be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get
dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is
going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a
trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So,
whatever you do, don’t go to sleep at the switch. Pray constantly
that you will have the strength and wits to make it through
everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of
Man.”
Happy
New Year everyone! You seem puzzled? Think I'm too early? Advent is
the beginning of a new church year! Some churches in the United
Methodist denomination and many other Christian denominations follow
a common set of scriptures each week called the lectionary. I wasn't
aware of that fact until much later in my life – but I have come to
embrace this commonality. I love that across the world the same
scriptures and shared and studied...each pastor approaching from a
different perspective. Today begins the new year...so Happy New Year!
As
I began to examine today's lectionary readings to prepare my message
for you...I was struck by the doomsday predictions in the scriptures.
“People
will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world,
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” That verse from Luke
does not feel very Christmasy.
Why
are we reading about destruction and death? It’s almost Christmas!
We should be reading about the joy of the coming birth of baby Jesus!
But I have come to know that readings about the end times always
appear at the start of Advent, because we are preparing the way not
just for the birth of the baby, but for the second coming. Oh. Aha!
That brings a whole new light to Advent. Not just preparing for
Christmas – but preparing for more.
Years
ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic coast. He constantly
advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on
farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged
across the Atlantic, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As
the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady
stream of refusals.
Finally,
a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. "Are
you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can
sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man.
Although
puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him.
The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk,
and the farmer felt satisfied with the man's work. Then one night the
wind howled loudly in from offshore. Jumping out of fed, the farmer
grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand's sleeping
quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, "Get Up! A storm
is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little
man rolled over in bed and said firmly, "No Sir. I told you, I
can sleep when the wind blows."
Enraged
by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot.
Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his
amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered
with tarps. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the
coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.
Everything was tied down.
Nothing
could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand
meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
When
you're prepared, spiritually, mentally, and physically, you have
nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows?
I
personally appreciate the countercultural message the church offers
as a way of preparing for Christmas. Instead of encouraging us to
prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth by decorating,
throwing parties and spending lavishly in order to shower our friends
and family with gifts (as if it is their birthday), the tradition of
the church invites us into a period of self-examination and penance.
It is the opposite of what the world tells us to do.
The
Advent season gets off to a roaring start with a dire prophecy about
the end times: From the Good News Translation: “There will be
strange things happening to the sun, the moon, and the stars. On
earth whole countries will be in despair, afraid of the roar of the
sea and the raging tides.
People
will faint from fear as they wait for what is coming over the whole
earth, for the powers in space will be driven from their courses.
Then
the Son of Man will appear, coming in a cloud with great power and
glory. When
these things begin to happen, stand up and raise your heads, because
your salvation is near.”
In
other words, we are to prepare for the birth of Jesus into the world
and for his coming again by living as people who are prepared to die.
It’s not a very Christmassy sentiment. But it is vital that we
offer an alternative to what the world offers in preparation for the
birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ into this world and his
coming again.
What
does it mean to live as people who are prepared to die? In the past
month I experienced the death of two very different people. One was a
young man in his forties and one was a dear lady who passed 4 days
before her 90th birthday. The young man passed very
suddenly. I know you have all lost people unexpectedly – perhaps by
car accident or natural disaster – the rapidity of the loss brings
chaos and confusion. Where are all the important papers? Was there a
will? How do we make those phone calls where the news is always met
with stunned disbelief? Especially as we deal with the “why”
question in our own minds?
The
loss of my sweet elderly friend is felt just as much – but because
of her advanced age and the previous loss of her husband...the
preparations are much more likely to be in place. The family knew
what hymns she would want played, the scriptures she would want
shared at her service. Her farm had been tightly secured. But the
young man's was not.
As
I have helped his mother deal with the aftermath – the mortgage,
the car, insurance, bank accounts...the assets and liabilities that
mark our existence in the secular world...I find myself pondering the
spiritual life of my friend. Not a regular attender of church, he
seemed sometimes to be drifting aimlessly from a spiritual point of
view. We sometimes debated (often heatedly) the existence of God and
the value of faith. In the first days...I felt so unsure of whether
he was prepared to meet his creator. I was greatly comforted when his
local friends gathered around a backyard fire to share memories. A
formal funeral service would have just not felt right...it just
wasn't who he was. The friends (he had no family in Virginia) told
stories of a man who reached outside of himself to teach...to share
his wisdom...to extend a helping hand...to support others. Young men
told of the ways that he encouraged them to try new things. One young
father recalled how our friend was there for the birth of their
children...and how excited he was that they recently reconnected and
were planning a visit soon. Perhaps his farm was in better shape than
I first thought? Yes, the paperwork flew around in the storm (some of
it still does) and the dirty dishes in the sink spoke of a plan to
“take care of that tomorrow.” But at the very core of his being –
he was carrying out the mission of being the loving, caring example
of Christ that he learned about in Sunday school so many years ago.
He gave food to the hungry, gave love and support to those in need.
His farm may not have been perfectly secure...but neither is mine.
One
of the beautiful things about Advent is the opportunity to examine
our lives and put things in order. To prepare the way – not just
for the birth of Christ, but for more. This chance for renewal is
available every day...but perhaps Advent is the reminder we all need?
I
have never been a big proponent of New Years' Resolutions. I find
that I have a tendency to make sweeping pronouncements of tremendous
change: going to spend more time in prayer, cut out sugar, write more
letters, clean out my car, balance my checkbook...and by the middle
of January, I've got a nearly blank prayer journal, trashy car,
almost full pack of stationary, two letters needing stamps, and we
won't even address cutting out sugar. With Advent being the New Year
of the church...maybe I need to examine my farm. I think my haystacks
are in danger of destruction.
The
hired hand in the story didn't run around the afternoon before the
storm was expected, because the farmer would have noticed that...he
made preparation a part of his daily routine. What things could we
add to our daily routine that would make us a people prepared to die?
Prayer? Daily meditation on scriptures? Compassion? Kindness? Being
who Christ would have us be for the world?
The
Luke scripture points out that we need to be attuned to warning
signs. He points out that leaves on the trees indicate that summer is
near. Verses 34-36 are a reminder to be on watch: “Be
careful not to let yourselves become occupied with too much feasting
and drinking and with the worries of this life, or that Day may
suddenly catch you like a trap. For it will come
upon all people everywhere on earth. Be on watch
and pray always that you will have the strength to go safely through
all those things that will happen and to stand before the Son of
Man.”
We
humanly fall into the trap of thinking that the worries of this life
are all important. We forget to be on watch. It reminds me of the
smoke detectors in my house. Do you have a smoke alarm in your house?
I hope so. In the event of a fire, a smoke alarm could save your life
and the lives of your loved ones by providing a warning that would
give you the chance to escape. Smoke alarms don't cost very much, and
they are easy to install. It is one of the best safety devices you
can buy and install to protect yourself, your family, and your home.
But
be careful! Some people think that once they have a smoke alarm
installed in their house they are safe from the dangers of fire. We
forget that our smoke alarm is only as good as the battery inside.
Did you change your smoke detector batteries when Daylight Saving
time ended?
Or
it could be like my house, when I'm fixing breakfast and burn the
toast which sets off the smoke alarm? It is actually a good thing
because it shows that your smoke alarm is working. But my family gets
so used to hearing the smoke alarm that they just ignore it. Or even
worse, I turn it off so that they won't be bothered by it. Then, when
I need it, I may be in serious trouble!
Just
as we must make sure our smoke alarm is ready in case of a fire,
Jesus tells us that we must be ready for him when he returns. We
don't know when that time will be, so we need to make sure that we
stay ready. We need to keep our spiritual batteries charged by
regular worship, Bible study, and prayer.
We
hear people saying that Jesus will return on a certain day. That day
comes and goes and Jesus does not return. We may hear so many of
these false warnings that we begin to think that Jesus will never
return. But Jesus said, "Keep alert at all times. Pray that you
will be strong. Don't let that day catch you by surprise."
We
are called to Be Prepared. To keep watch. So that we can be more like
the believers that Paul wrote to in Thessalonica: What
would be an adequate thanksgiving to offer God for all the joy we
experience before him because of you? We do what we can, praying
away, night and day, asking for the bonus of seeing your faces again
and doing what we can to help when your faith falters. May
God our Father himself and our Master Jesus clear the road to you!
And may the Master pour on the love so it fills your lives and
splashes over on everyone around you, just as it does from us to you.
May you be infused with strength and purity, filled with confidence
in the presence of God our Father when our Master Jesus arrives with
all his followers.
The
prophet Jeremiah told us – The days are surely coming...when I
will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and Judah
(that's us too). In those days and at that time I will cause a
Righteous Branch to spring up for David. And he will execute justice
and righteousness in the land.
We
are called to keep watch and be prepared.
With
the losses I experienced last month...I was visiting a friend and we
had a lengthy discussion about death. This person is very focused on
fitness and healthy living. He was expressing concern that the
lifestyle of another friend was not only causing health problems, but
perhaps even hastening his death. I said to him (in a rather snarky
tone, I’m afraid) that no matter how healthy we are, the fact is we
are all going to die. It is unavoidable. I added that I hope to die
before my body gets to a point where I can’t really live.
Having
witnessed my grandmother's dementia, I find that I fear loss of
memory and reason more than my ability to climb stairs. I know that
these conditions are often hereditary. Other than some hearing loss
and misplacing things from time to time, my mom is in great physical
shape. She is not overweight. She eats well. She actually teaches
water aerobics three days a week. She takes appropriate medication to
deal with arthritis and such; but for an seventy five-year-old woman,
she is amazingly healthy and stands to live for many more years. My
greatest fear is that her excellent physical condition is going to
keep her alive beyond the time that she can engage fully in life and
be in relationship and communication with the people she loves. Or
maybe that is my fear for me...
Don’t
get me wrong. I don’t want my mom to die, ever. And I don’t want
to die either. But there is nothing we can do about it. My mom is
going to die, and so am I, and so is every other human being who is
alive today. Tens of thousands of people are dying right this very
minute, even as I write these words. Many more will die before the
sun goes down today. Human life is fragile and brief in the grand
scheme of things.
Many
people, when they read passages like this one from Luke, imagine a
day when the world and all life upon it draws to a dramatic, sudden,
and violent close. They look for signs in the world that signal that
the time is coming and try to prepare for it by praying and sharing
about the saving power of Christ with others. In this theological
worldview, when the end comes, people will be lined up before the
Lord to be judged. Those who confess Jesus Christ as their Savior
will immediately be saved for eternal life in heaven, and those who
do not will be left behind to go down with the ship.
Whether
or not it happens like that doesn’t really matter much to me.
What
I do believe is that each of us will one day find ourselves standing
before the Lord. I do believe he is coming in a cloud with power and
great glory to each and every one of us. And I believe he will
welcome every one of us into his kingdom with grace and mercy and
gather us around his table to feast at the heavenly banquet with all
the saints that have gone before us. Exactly what that will look
like...I can't predict.
When
is he coming? I don’t know. It might be in the next hour. It might
be before the sun goes down today. It might be next week, or next
year, or thirty or forty years from now. We have no way of knowing.
We
are called to be prepared. To make sure that our lives are in order.
To secure our farm against the storms. To be able to sleep when the
storm blows. What new years resolutions would you make for
yourselves? What about for your church? Are there hopes and dreams
for (Smyrna UMC / Mount Tabor UMC) that you would like to see bear
fruit in this new year? Maybe God has put some service or some
program or course of study on your heart...but maybe you reached up
and popped the battery out of your spiritual smoke detector.
Whether
it is a personal resolution, or family or church or community...let's
heed the instruction to be aware. I'll close with a short poem by
Lawrence Tribble:
One
man awake, awakens another.
The
second awakens his next door brother.
The
three awake can rouse a town
By
turning the whole place upside down.
The
many awake can cause such a fuss
It
finally awakens the rest of us.
One
man up with dawn in his eyes
Surely
then multiplies.
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