November 13, 2016
26th Sunday after Pentecost Year C

“When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, “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.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. “When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. “But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.” Luke 21:5-19

“…there are essentially two directions one can go when reading the brief apocalyptic texts in the gospels like this one. First, we can take them as warning and start preparing for the end of which Jesus speaks, either by ordering our lives in a new way or by trying to figure out the events and calendar to which Jesus supposedly alludes. Or we can chuck all that and hear these words as an invitation to live now by faith and hope, inviting the prospect of future tribulation and trial only to sharpen our deep appreciation for the present God has created and given to us as a gift. Okay, so maybe you guessed that I favor the second approach. 🙂 Three brief reasons and then a few words about what that kind of sermon might look like. First, Jesus himself seems to speak against taking his words as a timetable. Here he alerts the disciples that lots of folks will come peddling warnings about the end. It’s as if he expect the Hal Lindseys, Harold Campings, and Tim LaHayes of the world and so warns us about them ahead of time. At other places in the gospels, Jesus is even more explicit, saying that, “no one knows the day or hour.” Second, Jesus counsels believers not only not to be alarmed but also not to plan for those days. Instead, he invites us to a living and active trust so that we may believe a) that the various trials that come are actually opportunities to witness and b) that Jesus himself will equip us to speak and respond when such occasions arise.

Third, there is almost no question that Luke is responding to the crises of early Christian communities and addressing the words of Jesus to them in their hour of doubt and need. This isn’t a timetable — it’s a letter of comfort and courage and invitation. One that we can respond to most faithfully not by predicting the end but by seizing the present moment in which to share our faith and confidence in Christ.” (David Lose, working preacher website, November 10, 2013 11:00 AM, A Public Works Project)

There was a Hagar the Horrible cartoon I once read. The cartoon showed Hagar, the Viking Warrior, trying to incite his troops into battle. “This is the moment we have been waiting for men”, Hagar the Horrible shouted. “It is the moment we do battle. Is everyone here?” The men all shout “Yes.” Hagar continues, “Ok men, repeat after me. ‘I am a Viking Warrior’. ‘I AM A VIKING WARRIOR’, they all shouted. “And I will fight to the death for what I believe”, he shouted. And there was silence. The next panel shows the men thinking intently about what Hagar just said. Finally, one of his men speaks up, “Hagar, the men would like to change that last line to ‘And I will fight hard until dinner time.’”

“…he invites us to a living and active trust so that we may believe a) that the various trials that come are actually opportunities to witness and b) that Jesus himself will equip us to speak and respond when such occasions arise.”

The Point? Jesus wants us to be determined to live the Christ like life of faith and trust up until our last dying breath, but many of us have a hard enough time being a disciple up to dinner time – because life wears us out, and things like fear and pain and loneliness take away our focus. And today, the words of Jesus do not help. Jesus is saying that everything WILL pass away and everything WILL eventually fall apart. Terrible things like fire and floods will happen, along with earthquakes, wars, famines, and disease. There will be hatred and persecution for those who believe in Jesus, but have faith – all will be well. “All will be well?” we ask. Where is the grace in these texts? We know where the law is, because Jesus is inviting us to a level of faith that few can claim they will ever achieve at any time in their lives. The grace comes from the prophet Malachi who says, in part: “The Lord says, for those of you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” Another way to say this is: “A new day is dawning” – and that new day comes in the person of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Dave