“If I Had Only Known” (Matthew 24:36-44)

We live in a time of wars and rumors of wars.  There are earthquakes and famines.  We have seen many astrological signs in the sun, moon, and stars.  Nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the seas . . . hurricanes have wreaked havoc across the globe in our time.  More than once we have been told that the world is going to hell in a handbasket.

Signs, signs, everywhere signs . . . anyone up for an apocalypse?

 

There have been many predictions of the end of the world since the first century . . . and, yet here we are.  For the 21st century I am only aware of three predictions: Heinz Von Foerster predicted in 1960 that November 13^th, 2026 would be the end of humanity due to overpopulation; the Messiah Foundation International predicts that the world will in 2026 when an asteroid strikes the earth; and, Kent Hovind, a Christian evangelist, is speculating that 2028 is the “most likely” year for the rapture.  I imagine that there are more out there, but for now most of us are more concerned with the “signs” we are seeing around us in our world today.  Whether we want to admit it or not, those “signs” have created in us a little anxiety.

 

After all, how many times have we heard that the world we live in is going to hell in a handbasket?

 

As I said, probably enough to keep us on edge.

 

Jesus always told his disciples and followers he would be back.  Being inquiring minds . . . they wanted to know . . . WHEN?  Of which Jesus only told them that no one knows . . . not the angels in heaven . . . not the Son.  Only God knows and God isn’t telling anyone.  All Jesus would tell them is that it could happen at any time, in any place . . . Poof! Just like that! 

 

Our scripture reading is dealing with that issue.  The followers and disciples want to know.  In the previous part of this reading Jesus has given them what many Bible scholars and theologians have called the “mini apocalypse” . . . the talk about the second coming . . . the establishment of God’s kingdom . . . new beginnings.  Exciting stuff and they want to know when it is going to happen.  To which Jesus answers, “I don’t know.”

 

Instead, he tells his followers and disciples . . . keep watch, be prepared, be ready.  “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come . . . you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”  For those who are ready it will be no big deal . . . for those who are not, well, they will be left behind.  Jesus says, “Two men will be in the field; one will be taken the other left.  Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.”

 

Jesus tells them to keep watch, be prepared, and be ready.

 

And so it is that we kick off our first Sunday in the season of Advent with a message of preparation . . . a call to readiness.  This first season of the church’s liturgical calendar is a time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus . . . and, a call to preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  Each year we kick off the liturgical year with this season of preparation for the coming of Jesus . . . pretty much since the first century or at least of the establishment of the “church”.  Another year, another call to prepare.

 

Here we go again . . . one more time!

 

Someone once said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.  Are we followers of Jesus crazy?

 

 I don’t know.  But what I do know is the power of regret.  Regret can cripple us in our journeys . . . freeze us in our growth as God’s children . . . can stymie any relationship . . . and can keep us from ever realizing God’s Kingdom in our time and place.  As I read Jesus describing Noah and how the people were caught off guard . . . I get the feeling of regret.  As I hear him tell of two in the field and one gets left behind—regret.  Grinding at the mill and one gets left behind—regret.  Regret that they were not the ones who were saved.  And, I imagine, that they thought to themselves, “If I had only known.”

 

How often have we uttered that statement to ourselves during our lifetimes?  I have heard it more often than I care to over my lifetime.  I have heard a husband and wife say it at the death of their loved one . . . if I had only known, I would have done things differently.  We have all said it . . . if I had only known.  We have all felt the sting of regret.

 

If we had known, would we have done anything differently?

 

Well, here is the thing . . . the followers and disciples of Jesus did know.  They did know that Jesus was going to come back.  What they did not know was when he was going to come back.  Thus, he told them to be on the watch, be prepared, be ready.  Apparently for Jesus it was not just about doing business as usual because we see in two examples that people were doing just that and one got taken and the other was left behind.

 

What are the followers of Jesus supposed to do?

 

Primarily Jesus called upon his followers to live as he lived . . . to love God completely, to love others, and to establish God’s kingdom in their time and place.  As followers we are to do this.  While doing this we are to be “watchful”.  Watchful for what?  Watchful for those opportunities in which the love of God can be expressed in our daily lives towards others . . . of expressing the same grace showered upon us by God is showered upon those we encounter . . . of sharing the presence of Jesus with another.  We are to watch for those who are unloved . . . uncared for . . . left out . . . ostracized . . . forgotten.  They are all around us if we have eyes to see.

 

We are to be prepared.  Preparation begins with our own lives . . . inward and outward.  How is our relationship with God?  How is our prayer life?  Are we doing the things that strengthen our souls?  Are we pausing to allow the awesomeness of God and God’s creation to be discovered?  Are we studying and learning more about Jesus, his life, and his example?  And, lastly, are we practicing it on ourselves and others?  After all, practice makes perfect.

 

Lastly, we are to be ready.  I imagine that if we do those two things we will be as ready as we will ever be.  After that it is the grace of God . . . and that is how we go forth into the world, by the grace of God.

 

The way things are going I cannot say whether or not this is the end.  Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t, but I can say that like those Jesus is talking to in our scripture reading this morning—we know.  We have been warned.  Jesus is coming and we really have no room in our vocabulary for regret.  We know.  The time is now that we do what we would have done if we had known . . . because we do know.

 

As we enter into this season of Advent let us open our hearts to what we do know . . . God’s love for us . . . and let us explore its power to change the world to a better place as we make room, once again, for the coming of Jesus.  Let us be watchful, prepared, and ready.  Why wait for tomorrow when we can live it today as a gift to the One who is to come.  Amen.

 

“Looking the Other Way” (Luke 23:33-44)

Today marks the last Sunday in the liturgical year and is always known as “Christ the King” Sunday.  Next Sunday we kick off a new liturgical year with the start of Advent.  “Christ the King” Sunday celebrates Jesus’ messianic kingship and sovereign rule over all creation.  Judging from our scripture reading Jesus had one heck of a coronation.  It doesn’t come close to the big shebang we recently witnessed with the coronation of King Charles in England.  What happened to Jesus is a far cry from what one would consider to be a “celebration”.

What happened to Jesus was crucifixion.  He was nailed to a cross.  The cruelest of ways to die . . .  slowly and painfully.  The message is loud and clear.  Rome is doing what Rome can do . . . crushing humanity out of anyone and everyone who does not follow their rule.  The bodies hanging on the cross serve as a message to anyone who see them.  There is no denying the message.

 

Though they probably did not mean to do it . . . the Romans blew it.  It has been said that the worse thing anyone can do is to make another person a martyr . . . especially of a person who has a great following.  People rally around martyrs and their causes, giving birth to movements.  Martyrs die unjustly.  Their executors are clumsy and brutish in carrying out  the orders of those in power.  Chaos surrounds them.  At Jesus’ crucifixion we witness it all . . . the division of his clothing through gambling . . . the unruly crowd shouting and sneering , , , the soldiers taunting and making fun of him.  Even those crucified with him hurled insults at him.  And the crowd of onlookers standing off to the side watching it all.  All of it was to convey a message . . . don’t mess with us!

 

There was a message, and it did come through loud and clear . . . it just wasn’t the message the Romans intended.

 

The one criminal got it.  He proclaims it as he rebukes his fellow criminal for taunting Jesus.  “Don’t you fear God since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve.  But this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he acknowledges what he knows . . . Jesus’ kingship . . . “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

 

He knows.

 

So do those who are executing Jesus . . . they know exactly what they are looking at even though they act as if it is some sort of game.  Even in their mocking they know . . . they know who Jesus is.  They just choose to look the other way and deny the truth.

 

And also, the bystanders . . . those who have come to witness.  The faithful.

 

One bible scholar states that the writer of this passage in Luke’s gospel uses the Greek word “theoreon” which means “watching” for the activity of the host . . . or those who are watching.  The word implies that they know exactly what they are looking at.  They all look and understand: Rome is doing what Rome does, and Jews are doing what Jews do in response: they gather, they bear witness, now and in every century.

 

They all know.  The question becomes . . . how does one respond to what they know?

 

A couple of weeks ago, on the church’s Facebook page, a quote was shared. It was a quote by William Wilberforce that said: “You may chose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”  Therein lies the dilemma . . . what does one do with that knowledge?  How does one respond to what they know?

 

William Wilberforce was a British politician, philanthropist, and leader to abolish the slave trade who lived from 1759 to 1833.  In 1785, he became a Christian, which resulted in major changes to his lifestyle and pushed him to a lifelong concern for reform.  One of those reforms involved ridding Britain of slavery and the slave trade.  He became the leading English abolitionist campaigning for over twenty years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807.  The act abolished the prohibited slave trade within the British Empire though it did not abolish the practice of slavery.  Wilberforce believed in his Christian faith and was convinced of the importance of religion, morality, and education.  He attempted to live his life according to the teachings of Jesus and to treat others as Jesus would.  Though he resigned from Parliament in 1826 due to failing health, he supported the campaign that led to the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 which abolished slavery in most of the British Empire.  He died three days after the passage of the act.

 

Because of his conversion . . . of accepting the knowledge of who Jesus is and what Jesus stands for . . . he determined that the only response was to embrace that information and live it.  He could not look away in good conscience and live his life knowing what he knew. 

 

So, it was for those gathered there at Golgotha.  There was no denying the message.  Those gathered were witnesses to what they were seeing . . . of knowing.  What would they do now that they knew?

 

Remember . . . it is not always a good idea to make a martyr of someone.  Especially in the case of Jesus.  The crucifixion was meant to be a strong message to the people that it was over.  Enough was enough.  In the end though it births a movement as they embraced Jesus and his message going across the world sharing the “good news” and inviting others to the live life as Jesus.  Inviting others to help build the Kingdom of God.  The “way”—Jesus’ way—was born. 

 

And here we are today.  Descendants of those first witnesses.  Called to be bearers of what was affirmed and confirmed on that fateful day of Jesus’ crucifixion.  Called to live the words and follow the example of Jesus and his life.  We are among the faithful who have gathered . . . who have showed up . . . and we are being called to bear witness for God’s grace and love through our Lord and Savior Jesus.   And we know it.  We know it for we have seen it . . . we have received it.  We know. 

 

But like those first witnesses . . . how will we respond?  Will we choose to look the other way, or will we embrace the truth and live that truth out?  The choice is ours and we have already completed the most difficult step of all . . . we showed up and we are here.  It is up to us from here.  What will we do?

 

Think about this.  Jesus, while in the garden praying, prayed a simple prayer to God as he struggled with following through with the events that were about to take place.  He prayed: “Thy will be done.”

 

 And, this . . . the prayer Jesus taught his disciples and us:

 

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.

 

Because we know we cannot look the other way . . . but the choice is ours.  May we make the right choice.  Amen.