First Sunday after Advent

November 30, 2008

the Rev. Ken Kroohs

(Isaiah 64:1-9; Ps. 80:1-7 & 16-18; I Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 13:24-37)

RUNNING TO MEET OUR LORD

St. Christopher’s, High Point, NC

MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH ... AND THE MEDITATIONS OF ALL OUR HEARTS ... BE ALWAYS ACCEPTABLE TO YOU --- OUR STRENGTH AND OUR REDEEMER AMEN

One strong memory from my childhood is waiting for my parents to come home. We would be in the living room watching television ... long after we were supposed to be in bed .... and listening for the car door. When the car door slammed we had to pick up whatever we had left out, turn off the TV, vault over the stair railing and get upstairs – in the dark – before the door opened.

If my parents could have had a webcam feeding a cell phone I would have been in big trouble!

I kept remembering those times as I read various materials about Advent. Jesus tells us to be ready, to be prepared, to be alert .... reminded me a lot of waiting for my parents to get home!

The questions about this passage and similar passages are many. But what it is NOT, is what it frequently -unfortunately – presented as .... it is NOT about standing around waiting for a special day. And it certainly is NOT about trying to manipulate God to cause the day to come sooner. It has been argued that when Israel’s population and land area have grown to some magical point, then Jesus will return. Therefore some people have used that justification to encourage people to move to Israel. Others have argued that a nuclear war in the mid-east would fulfill some of the predications and therefore we should be encouraging antagonism in hopes the war would start.

Talk about missing the boat!! Talk about focusing on the wrong things!!

It may help if we look at the Greek word which is almost always translated “watch” — and that’s a good translation. However the Greek word has implications the simple word “watch” can miss.

When we “watch” there is an implication of passiveness. Certainly we can get involved ... just be around when I “watch” a basketball game! But the essence is somewhat passive.

The word Jesus used has more implications. Some Bible translations say “be alert” and that clearly is part of it. We are not simply to “watch” as we might view the leaves changing, we are to watch in an alert fashion. We are to be alert for what will happen.

There is also the connotation of “discernment”. We are not simply to “watch” passively with little concern for what we see. We are to seek to understand what we see. We are to seek to discern what all of it means.

But most importantly there is the implication of expectation. We don’t just watch to see what happens. We don’t even simply stay alert so we can report what we saw. Or even only seek to understand it.

We are to be expecting .... expecting the wonderful gift ... expecting the change in our lives and in our world. Here is possibly the closest connection with Christmas as we know it. As we alertly wait it is as a child expecting that special Christmas present. Young children do not understand disappointment. They cannot conceive that their hopes will be shattered ... that there will not be a pony under the tree! We are to wait with that attitude.

We are to watch with that childish sense of expectation. We are to watch completely confident we will not be disappointed. That’s what the word “faith” means.

As I focused on the word and sense of “expectation” it struck me that this word may help us understand the dichotomy between Christian churches ... or Christian teachings better than any other single word.

What are we expecting? What are we waiting, alertly, expectantly for?

In some churches the wait is for judgement. The most descriptive word would be “fear”. In some churches the preaching is about how we should be afraid of this day. Maybe we can be confident that we are OK but we should be afraid for other people. Or maybe we wait expectantly that those other people will be punished .... hurt ... sent away. In either case the feeling is a negative feeling about this day. The preaching may be about how we as individuals can be confident and glad but there is that strong emphasis on the negative.

Please know that preaching, that theology has a solid scriptural basis. Whether I agree with it or not you certainly can built a solid case for it from scripture. Even what we heard today can be used to make this case.

But you can also build a solid case for the exact opposite. Let’s look again at the gospel. “After the suffering, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heaven will be shaken. Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in the clouds’ with great power and glory.”

Is that a negative image? An image of tumult and danger and pain? Or is it a positive image?

Notice the first phrase: “after the suffering” .... Jesus has just spent considerable time talking about the problems and dangers ... horrible things that will happen. As I read over that section earlier in this chapter I find few things that could not be found in history, and in today’s newspapers. These include people claiming to know God’s mind ... teaching false doctrine in Jesus’ name. It all has and will happen.

Now Jesus speaks about when these horrible things will end. The opening section is actually Jesus quoting from the 13^th chapter of Isaiah so he is linking back to the Jewish scriptures. Jesus uses the third person to speak about “the Son of Man” coming in the clouds. ... “clouds” usually indicates the presence of God. Remember Moses on the mountain and Jesus at the transfiguration.

Look at those portions together. Isaiah said the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give light, the stars will fall. Sounds fairly dramatic and forbidding doesn’t it? .... Dramatic - yes, but not necessarily forbidding. Have you been to a show when the star is about to enter the arena? The house lights go down so the true star is highlighted.

Consider it that way ... the lights will go down, the powers will be shaken and then the real star ... Jesus ... will arrive in the power of God. Not an expectation of a forbidding time but an expectation of a wonderful time.

“Elect will be gathered from the four winds” .... This is one of the phrases some people use to argue that our eternal future was set before we were born. They use the word “elect” as “chosen” - but “chosen” basically arbitrarily.

I don’t believe that is what it means. As we look at other scripture we get a different teaching. For example when Jesus speaks about dividing the sheep from the goats based on who fed or clothed the “least of these”. It is about who we are and what we did. Not some decision made before we were born.

I do believe He is using “elect” in the sense of those who have lived up to God’s standards .... which in reality none of us have done. So how does God make the division? I have some thoughts of that but I believe our primary hope is in God’s mercy and love. However some people, I believe will choose to turn away from God.

Jesus then says a couple of confusing things that have received lots of different interpretations. However the first one is fairly clear. “When you see these things taking place ... you will know He is near” — Again, a dichotomy of understanding. Those churches who focus on fear link the phrase “when you see” back several verses to the negative things Jesus says will happen in our world. But to do that requires ignoring what Jesus said just before the “when you see” phrase ... twisting the scripture to make it say what they want.

Then Jesus says “this generation will not pass away” — frankly I have never heard a good explanation for that phrase unless Jesus is using it metaphorically to mean all human beings, because Jesus immediately says no one knows the time ... not the angels, nor the Son. If this was all a clever puzzle to tell us when the end will come ... then obviously it would be possible for the angels and the Son to figure out the puzzle. Consequently I do not believe it is some puzzle for the clever preacher to explain. Rather, it is what Jesus says it is ... a teaching about how we are to stay alert and expectant.

Bring it all together .... we have a passage where Jesus tells us to wait ... alertly ... with understanding ... expectantly for a wonderful day ... the day when the real “star” will appear.

Rather than fearing the return of my parents it would be more like ... use your imagination here ... as if I had cleaned the house, done the dishes and gone to bed on time! I would be waiting expectantly for my parents to return with joy and happiness.

Jesus tells us to live as if we expect Him to return tomorrow. To live as if we expect Him to return tomorrow and we are joyfully waiting His return.

Rather than living in fear of punishment we live in expectation of great joy.

Rather than acting to avoid wrath, we act to embrace love.

Rather than standing passively, waiting .... we run to meet our Lord by living as He wants us to.

AMEN

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CLICK HERE TO RESPOND: I would enjoy reading your comments about this sermon. Please feel free to discuss content or presentation. (If you wish to use another email system send your comments to: ken@st-christopher.com)