Since the turn of the century it has
been predicted at least 30 times according Wikipedia
. . . or at least twice a year since the year 2000. That is how many times apocalyptic events
have been predicted . . . end-of-the-world times . . . and, we are still
here. Our scripture reading this morning
centers upon what many scholars have deemed to be Jesus’ mini-apocalypse. Here in the 21st chapter of the Gospel of Luke, Jesus is sharing “signs”
of the end of the age . . . he speaks of wars between nations, natural
disasters, persecution . . . and, in our reading this morning, “signs”: “There
will be signs in the sun, moon and stars.
On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring
and tossing of the sea. Men will faint
from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly
bodies will be shaken.”
In listening to this list of “signs”
it is not that difficult to equate it to our own day and age. We have wars between nations. We have all sorts of natural disasters of the
magnitude our generation has never seen.
We have persecution as we witness millions of people fleeing their
homelands to seek safety wherever they can find it. We have all sorts of natural signs—most
recently, the sign of the “blood moons”.
Surely the end must be near . . . we have all the signs; and, yet, we
are still here.
One thing that is fairly sure and
certain is the fact that these “signs”—these pointers to the end times—have
been present in each and every generation.
No generation has been hand-picked over any other generation for the
privilege of encountering the end . . . at least not yet. Signs that the end is coming has been present
in all generations. Even Jesus admitted
that no one knows for certain when the end will come, not even he himself . . .
but, that the end would come. Thus he
kept telling his disciples and followers to keep their eyes open . . . to be
alert, stay awake, and keep on plugging away at the purpose and mission of his
ministry . . . love God and one another.
This scripture reading seems to be an
ominous way of kicking off the season of Advent . . . the season in which we
are preparing for the arrival of the “gift” of Christ into the world. End times do not seem to equate to the idea
of hope, they are more along the line of destruction, wailing, and
despair. Yet, it is an appropriate reading
for the start of Advent. The writer of
the Gospel of Luke is not too
concerned with the “when will these things happen” as much as he is concerned
with the same concern Jesus has . . . “how shall we live in the meantime?” Everyone knows it is going to happen, so what
is everyone going to do in the meantime until it does happen? That is what Jesus is concerned with . . .
especially when one considers that these “signs” have been present in every
generation . . . and, considering we are all still here.
As a pastor I have had the privilege
and honor to walk with many people and families in times of grave illnesses and
death. I have been with individuals and
families when “bad news” has been dumped upon them . . . news about incurable
illnesses and pending deaths. And, I
have walked with them through these difficult times. Odds are that many of you have had the same
experience with family or friends in your own lives. It is an honor and a privilege, but even more
importantly it is a time of learning and reminder.
It is a time of learning because I
have witnessed the change that comes over people when they begin to realize
that their days are numbered . . . that the end is coming . . . and, that life
as they have known it is done. I have
witnessed them go from living life as if it would never end to embracing each
and every day as a gift to be lived in its fullest. The realization that it is the present
moment that matters . . . can’t change yesterday, can’t predict the future,
only today is what is real. I have
learned that for them . . . and, for all of us . . . that is what is important,
that is what matters. To be in the
present moment and to live life to its fullest in that moment.
It has also been a reminder. Each and every time that I have been blessed
to journey with these individuals and families, I have been witnessed to this
truth about the “present moment” as being life . . . as being call and
purpose. As I witness these individuals
and families make this journey of living one day at a time . . . of embracing
the present, I am reminded that all of us should live life in such a
manner. Funny thing, I think we all
forget it despite knowing it.
Jesus confronts this when he gives to
his disciples and followers the instructions that he does. He does not want us to dwell on trying to
figure out the end time. It is a futile
exercise as no one knows the day or the time, not even Jesus himself. Besides, the “signs” have been there for us
since the beginning. Instead what Jesus
tells us is to “stand up and lift your heads”, and “be always on the watch.” Jesus is not concerned with the time that the
end will come, he is concerned with what his followers are going to do until
the end does come.
Because of this Jesus warns of two
things: complacency and fear. In
complacency one gets a feeling of smugness or uncritical satisfaction that
things are just fine, nothing is ever going to change, and so why do anything
other than one has already been doing.
It is the good old “eat, drink, and be merry” view of life . . . it
ain’t going to make any difference in the end, so why do anything else. To become complacent is to ignore that which
needs to be done today . . . to turn away from the stranger at the door, to
walk away from the homeless person on the street, and to ignore those who are
going hungry in our own communities. It
is not seeing the opportunities for practicing and living God’s call to love
one another. In complacency we miss the
boat . . . we miss the “signs” . . . after all, the “signs” are all around us .
. . because we have been too busy focusing on other things that really do not
matter in the end.
Fear is a bigger problem than
complacency. We live in a time in which
fear is taking over our lives . . . and, who could blame us if we did not view
the world in which we live with fear.
Read the newspapers . . . watch the news . . . listen to the radio . . .
these are scary times that we are living in.
Because of this fear is driving our lives and the way that we live
them. Fear drives us to forget who we
are . . . makes us forget whose we are . . . and, we forget who our brothers
and sisters are in God’s creation . . . makes us see the stranger and outsiders
as enemies . . . makes us forget God’s call upon our lives to love others . . .
to reach out in compassion in times of distress. As one biblical scholar stated: “Fear is more
dangerous than violence because fear can lead us to forget our deepest identity
and betray our most cherished values.”
How many times did Jesus greet his
disciples and followers by telling them to not be afraid? How many times in the Gospel message are we
reminded not to fear . . . told, “do not fear”?
Complacency and fear take us away from
the present moment . . . take us away from the opportunity to live in the
present . . . thus it is that Jesus tells us to “stand up and lift your heads”
to see the life that must be lived right now . . . right this moment.
Can’t you see? “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for
yourselves and know that summer is near.
Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom
of God is near.” The “signs” are
all around us . . . can’t you see? The
time is a coming . . .
. . . so, what are you going to
do? Are you going to be complacent and
not do anything any different than you have always done? Are you going to be fearful and stick your
head in the ground? Or, are you going to
embrace the day for what it is . . . live it to the fullest . . . love the Lord
. . . love others? What are you going to
do?
As we begin the season of Advent, we
have the opportunity to learn and to be reminded. We cannot change yesterday . . . we cannot
predict tomorrow, but we can embrace the day and live it in such a way that we
love God and one another. In this we
glimpse at the Kingdom of God. In this
we prepare for the gift that is to come.
In this we live. Amen.
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