SERMON FOR NOVEMBER 11
Malachi 4.1-2a; 2
Thessalonians 2.1-5, 13-17; Luke 21.5-19
I’m preaching today from the Gospel text: Luke,
chapter 21, verses 5-19: Jesus foretells the future:
It’s my observation that Scriptures like this often
make people uncomfortable. Whenever
Jesus starts talking about the future, especially a future that threatens
violence and judgment, people can get stirred up: Some of us don’t like all the
hysteria and hoopla about “the end of the world.” On the other hand, some of us are simply
afraid of being “left behind.”
But when we read today’s verses carefully, they show
us that, although they start out sounding like a prophecy about what we call
the “end times,” Jesus ends up communicating to his followers a truth that
has everything to do with here and now:
The setting of this account is straightforward: Jesus and some of his
followers are talking about the Jewish temple, the most spectacular building in
all
So, some of Jesus’ followers were talking about the
temple—no doubt impressed! But Jesus
doesn’t seem so impressed: “As for these things that you see, the days will
come when not one stone will be left upon another; all
will be thrown down.”
Why did he say that?
When you first hear Jesus’ remark, it almost sounds perversely
pessimistic (“Oh, sure, the temple’s beautiful now, but, I can tell you, it
won’t last.”) But Jesus wasn’t just
being negative. He knew something that
his followers could not have known, and he wanted to teach them something about
themselves and about himself, using the temple as a
starting point.
You see, what Jesus knew that things were going to
change and during that time of change, his followers would find themselves in
situations that would be almost unbearable.
Within the lifetime of most of his followers, that beautiful temple
Herod had built would be completely destroyed by the Romans—so leveled that all
of it that remains standing today is one little wall. And while that was all happening, many of
those men and women who believed Jesus’ words and followed him day to day would
be hauled up before Roman courts where their faithfulness would cost them their
lives. Some of them would have their
skin stripped off while they were still alive; some would be mauled and eaten
by wild animals; some would be burned as human torches to light the night for
the parties of the Roman emperor. Jesus
saw all that coming.
And that’s what Jesus wanted his followers to think
about: Change. The
terrifying uncertainty of the future; the near-impossibility of what they would
have to do, & their absolute helplessness in the face of both.
Today, most of us are in the same situation. The future is rushing toward us at what seems
like light-speed, yet we face each day pressures that nearly paralyze us with
the demands they make on us. We go to
jobs where openly being a Christian can get you fired, and where even those who
profess Christianity don’t always live it (including ourselves!). We live in home and suffer through marriages
where words are not even shared, much less love. We hear planes flying
overhead—to and from Wright-Patt—and wonder what’s
coming next. And, all the while, we try
to convince ourselves that we’re doing to be able to “hold it all
together.” After all, we have the
Internet, direct t.v., caller-i.d.,
etc., etc., Things
are faster and better, new and improved all the time. Surely that will be enough to keep us safe
and secure. But, deep down, we know
better.
And so does Jesus.
“Don’t be deceived by substitute saviors,” he says. They come and go. Just like Herod’s temple, things that seem so
solid, so sure; everything from which you seek security and strength is passing
away even as you look at it. Life can be
so beautiful and wonderful, but horrible things happen, and we can’t predict
when, or be ready for them.
So, what are we to do? The disciples immediately begin to question
Jesus. Tell us “when.” Tell us “what to look for.” How can we get ourselves ready for the inevitable? And, again Jesus answers: “You
can’t.” When the winds of time shift the
sands you’re standing on, and all that you have held so tightly to evades your grasp, “Make up your minds,” Jesus says, “not
to prepare your defense in advance.” Because you won’t be able to. Instead, he promises, “I will give you everything you need just when you need it.”
The good news of this text is that, in the face of our present
challenges and whatever the future may bring, God will provide a way for you
and me to endure. He will tell us all that we need to know and
all that we need to do. Our only
security and supply can be found in God Himself. We cannot—we dare not—depend upon ourselves
or any other human effort. When the
winds begin swirling and the armies begin marching; when “nation rises against
nation” and parent against child; even if we are threatened with death because
we follow Christ--He promises, “I will give you words and wisdom.” Even in death, you will not perish. And “by relying on God’s strength in the
midst of your weakness—by that endurance,” Jesus promises, “you will
gain your souls.”
So, today what are you trying to endure:
Worry about the future? Have no fear,
Jesus says. God knows what’s going to
happen, and he will always give you just what you need (Luke
Temptation? Keep
resisting. God promises that you will
not be tempted beyond what you can bear; he will always provide you a way to
resist (1 Corinthians 10.13)
Just bone-tiredness? Hold on; God
promises that you’re not working vain; he will reward you with the fruits of
your labor in due season (Galatians 6.9).
The frustration & frenzy of
dragging yourself from day to day? Take a deep breath and rest in
the Lord, for Scripture tells us that in our quiet waiting, God will give us
strength (Isaiah 30.15a).
When
I face challenges I must endure, the best defense God has given me is memorized
Scripture. I have many favorites, &
they have stood me in good stead over many years and many challenges. I strongly encourage you to learn these or
others that you can hold in your heart for your time of need:
“I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians
“Do you not know?”
The prophet Isaiah says, “Have you not heard?
The Lord is the
everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or
grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the
faint, and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will
faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted [away];
But those who wait
for the Lord shall renew their strength,
They shall mount up
with wings like eagles,
They shall run and
not be weary,
They shall walk and
not faint” (Isaiah 40:28-31).
“Come
to me,” Jesus says, “all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Nearly
everyday, one person or another says to me, ““I don’t know if I can make it”; “I
don’t know how much longer I can stand it”; “I am so tired; I’m just
exhausted.” God knows how you and I feel;
he is right here with us—in us. And he
says to us, “Don’t worry. When you run
out of strength, or even when you’re afraid you’re going to—learn on me.” For when we reach the end of ourselves, we
are more likely than ever to hear the still, small voice of God, assuring us,
“Here, I’m here. I’m not “somewhere out
there”—I’m right here with you, inside you.
I’ll never leave you. And,
in my love—although you are only human—weak, fragile, flawed--you can bear
all things, believe all things, hope all things, and endure
all things (1 Corinthians 13:7).
In today’s lesson, Jesus isn’t talking
about the end of the world. He’s talking
about our world. “Get ready,”
he’s saying, “Life is coming.” But I’m
with you. Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
Copyright © November,
2004
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by permission only. Contact Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church