Luke 21:25-36 (NRSV)
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and
the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of
the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding
of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power
and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand
up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig
tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see
for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also,
when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is
near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until
all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but
my words will not pass away.
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not
weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and
that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it
will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be
alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these
things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
Year C
First Sunday in Advent
November 29, 2015
Title: What About Tomorrow?
Cross~Wind
Going deeper [Here is the Bible study on which I based the sermon]
[Luke 21:25-28 contains sayings
concerning the coming of the Son of Man.]
[Passages such as this sound
strange to us. Yet, we must let its strangeness challenge us. For those who
embrace it, Christian faith individually means so much. Yet, we must not
embrace the subjectivity of the gospel. In fact, the saving work of Christ extends
beyond the churches. The whole creation stands at the window eagerly awaiting
the arrival of the day of redemption for the children of God.]
Luke 21:25-36 (NRSV)
25
“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the
earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. [The
reference to the sea may be an echo of language about the sea found in Psalm
46:2-3 and 89:9. This upended response of nature to the appearance of the
divine is typical of the response of creation to a theophany (see, e.g., Exodus
19:18).] 26 People will faint
from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of
the heavens will be shaken. [The signs will point to an event that would
utterly disrupt their world. In Isaiah 24:17-20, nature will experience terror
and punishment from God.] 27 Then
they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ [here is the point of the
passage] with power and great glory.
[Scholars have generated an enormous body of scholarly literature concerning
the “Son of Man,” which is Jesus’ favorite self-designation in the gospels,
occurring some 72 times in the synoptics. In brief, the New Testament figure is
based on the divine being seen by Daniel in Chapter 7, describing him as one
“like a human being”, an exalted angel personifying the Jews and perhaps to be
identified with the archangel Michael.[1]
This is the first time that Luke has mentioned the future coming of the Son of
Man in the context of the passage from Daniel (common in synoptic gospel
traditions, cf. Mark 14:62), but it is by no means the first time Luke has
described Jesus as the Son of Man within the context of his gospel. Luke
clearly identifies Jesus as the Son of Man in the conflicts with the Pharisees
early in his ministry concerning the ability to forgive and the status of
Sabbath law (5:24; 6:5). Later, Luke describes the Son of Man as the sign for
“this generation” in the same way that Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites
(11:30). Furthermore, the Son of Man will return at an unexpected hour (12:40)
and “the days are coming when [the disciples] will long to see one of the days
of the Son of Man, and [they] will not see it” (17:22). At his own trial, Jesus
claims, “from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the
power of God” (22:69). Finally, the disciples see Jesus ascending to heaven in
a cloud and are told that he will return in the same manner (Acts 1:11), while
Stephen sees Jesus, the Son of Man, at the right hand of God (Acts 7:55-56).
Thus for Luke, the identity of Jesus in the form of his earthly ministry, his
present exaltation and his future return, are all encompassed by the title “Son
of Man.” Thus, in the New Testament, Jesus uses this term to describe himself
in two contexts: his earthly life, mission, and fate (e.g., Mark 2:10 and
parallels), and his role as risen, exalted and returning savior and judge. The
two roles have a close relationship, symbolized by the fact that Jesus always
uses the expression to refer to himself in the gospels. We cannot fully
understand either role without reference to the other.] 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and
raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” [Isaiah 17:12
mentions the distress and confusion among people at the Day of Judgment. The
prophets emphasize the shocking nature of that Day by inverting the imagery.
The Lord does not come to rescue Jerusalem from its enemies. Rather, the
enemies will destroy city and temple, for which compare Isaiah 13:9-13;
34:1-17; Joel 2:1-11, 30-32; 3:14-17. In other words, people will find it
nearly impossible to believe that they are actually seeing the destruction of
Jerusalem and the temple. To those who encounter these dreadful experiences, it
will feel as though the world is ending. Yet, the coming of the Son of Man in a
cloud is a time for rejoicing, not terror, for the disciples know the Son of
Man, Jesus. This Son of Man will be the one whose coming brings their
redemption near (21:28; cf. Luke 1:68, 2:38). In the New Testament, the
accepting, rejected and crucified savior is also the risen, exalted and judging
savior. Further, it is in his latter capacity as judge that Jesus intends his
words in verse 28 to bring comfort and encouragement to his followers. In
contrast to the fearful response of people in “the world” in general, Jesus’
disciples can face the dawning judgment with confidence and hope. Barth will
stress that Christ is the one who summons, so they lift up themselves to God.
They should look to the exalted, royal man, who has come to them as their
Brother and will come again, and is now present with them below even though
Christ is above. As they look up, they are part here below in the holiness in
which Christ is the One who alone is holy.[2]
The redemption of which Jesus speaks in this passage, as often elsewhere,
signifies the deliverance of his followers from both the destruction about to
claim the inhabited world and from its attendant, ongoing powers (e.g.,
Zacchaeus’ deliverance and change of life in Luke 19:9). The usage is rooted in
the Exodus tradition of deliverance, and, as there, is normally understood
corporately (as in Luke 24:21, “But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem
Israel”). The notion of individual deliverance, apart from the body of followers
that grew up around Jesus, is quite alien to the gospels, however much it has
become a staple of latter-day Christian thinking. Further, the deliverance
envisioned is predicated not upon Christ’s death or resurrection, but with his
return.[3]]
29
Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30
as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that
summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking
place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. [When trees regain their
leaves, the disciples will be able to interpret that as a sign that signals the
changing seasons. In the same way, the disciples will also be able to interpret
the signs of the end to show the change of the times. The fig tree is a deciduous
tree that thrives in the dry Mediterranean climate, and in the summer, its
foliage is bright and seems to lend a bit of a “tropical” feel, sharply
distinguishing between winter and summer. Therefore, using this parable and the
knowledge of the identity of the Son of Man, the disciples have no reason to
fear the end times. If they are able to interpret the signs as easily as they
can interpret the seasons, and they realize that they know the One who is
coming to bring their redemption, their fears should abate.]
[Pannenberg says the event of
Easter confirms the message of Jesus to the degree that it at least partially
fulfills the intimation of the coming divine rule. The end did not actually
come before the generation of Jesus passed away. Nevertheless, for Jesus
himself the final salvation of the rule of God became a reality with his
resurrection from the dead.[4]
Pannenberg will also stress that biblical notions of the end find no support in
our scientific knowledge of the world. The scientific end of the universe looks
to a remote future. One cannot readily argue that the biblical picture of the
end and the scientific end coincide. However, in phenomena that threaten the
survival of the race we may see signs of the end that point to possible disasters
for us that our beyond our imagining. Yet, signs of the end are not the end
itself and do not enable us to calculate when it will come. No one knows the
time. That we have to count on an end of this world and human history finds
support in the inner logic of the historicity of our sense of meaning. As he
develops the idea, the meaning of individual events occurs in the context of
the totality, which must have an “end.”[5]]
32
Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things
have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words
will not pass away. [To whom does “this” refer? Commentators have proposed
several answers. (a) Jesus’ contemporaries; (b) the Jewish people; (c) human
beings in general; (d) the generation of the end-signs. As scholars have noted,
if Jesus is referring to his contemporaries, the saying would apply only to the
first generation, and would create obvious difficulties for subsequent
generations, including the generation that likely produced Luke’s gospel. For
an increasingly Christian audience, option (b) would become increasingly
irrelevant. Option (c) seems too general to be meaningful, leaving option (d)
as the most plausible referent, if the writer of Luke’s gospel is writing after
the destruction of the temple, when many events would have impressed themselves
upon their witnesses as the very end-signs of which Jesus spoke. From Jesus’
perspective, when they see these things unfolding before them, they are to
remain steadfast, confident in their faith. These events — though disturbing on
one level — should not surprise the disciples because Jesus had already spoken
about them ahead of time. In short, Jesus’ words are to reassure his disciples.
Continuing to provide the disciples with reassurance, Jesus tells them “this generation will not pass away until all
things have taken place” (21:32). This is in contrast to heaven and earth,
which will pass away, but is in parallel to Jesus’ words, which will not pass
away. Therefore, “this generation” should put their trust in Jesus’ words, as
Jesus is a trustworthy prophet. While this statement would have been important
for the disciples’ faith, it would have also been significant for Luke’s
audience. Assuming that the gospel of Luke was written after 70 A.D. (80-85
A.D. are generally accepted dates), Luke’s audience would have known that
Jesus’ prophecies about the destruction of the temple came true. Jesus has been
depicted as a prophet whose words the audience can trust throughout the gospel;
there is no reason why the audience should not also trust his words about the
end times. This exhortation, then, is to trust those words rather than the
fleeting nature of heaven and earth, which will not last (21:11, 25-26, 33).]
34
“Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation (using
a Greek word found only here) and
drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you
unexpectedly, [While the list here is unique, its concerns are common as
threats to Christian morality. Compare the lists in Matthew 13:22; Romans
13:13; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Galatians 5:21; 1 Peter 4:3-4; 2 Peter 2:13).] 35 like a trap. For it will come
upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all
times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that
will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” [This is counsel on
how to prepare for the day of the Son of Man.
The disciples are to be always ready, by their ethical life and their
life of prayer. That day will come
suddenly. Christian morality, in one sense, depends, above all else, on the
belief expressed in the final verse in our passage, that Christians will have
to give an account of their lives when they “stand before the Son of Man,”
their judge and savior.]
[The end of
the passage stresses the need for vigilance, an ending that is unique to Luke.
Through security in Jesus’ identity and promises, the disciples should heed his
exhortation to “be awake!” The danger of security is apathy, and that was not
the goal of Jesus’ exhortations. Instead, because the disciples know their
redemption is drawing near (21:28), and that the kingdom of God is near
(21:31), they are to stand up straight (21:28) and be alert in prayer. Even
though they know all these things were to happen, they could still miss the
signs of the end by not continuing to wait and watch. Luke knows his audience
will not miss the final coming of the Son of Man for the end would affect the
whole earth (21:35). Yet if they do not continue to be watchful, they will not
be able to present themselves as faithful followers who will stand in front of
the Son of Man. Knowing who is coming and that one can interpret the signs of
the end, followers of Jesus need not be anxious. Watchfulness is Jesus’ exhortation
to faithful disciples in expectation of the fulfillment of God’s promise of
coming redemption.]
Introduction
Have you noticed how often a movie
looks toward a post-apocalyptic situation, sometime after a major war, or a
dystopian future, where the future takes a very negative turn? The most recent
example, I suppose, is Hunger Games. This movie looks backward to a time when a
major war broke out that led to tyranny in government.
So is the Apocalypse going to
happen now?
A journalist named Lawrence Joseph wrote
Apocalypse 2012: A Scientific
Investigation Into Civilization's End, a book which predicts widespread
catastrophe beginning this month. He looks to the sky and sees "signs in
the sun, the moon, and the stars," just as Jesus did. Specifically, he
notices that on December 21 of this year, the sun will line up with the center
of the Milky Way for the first time in roughly 26,000 years. Joseph says,
"Whatever energy typically streams to Earth from the center of the Milky
Way will indeed be disrupted on 12/21/12 at 11:11 p.m." Well, he pieces
widely scattered facts, some maybe and probably, and draws a frightful
conclusion.
Application
Of course,
if you are going to make a prediction of the end, you had better be right. You
will undermine your authority if you are not.
The
Christian hope is that creation, humanity, and each individual life, will find
redemption. The time will come when the human story is over. Jesus tells here
that God will write the end. We are accountable for how we participate in the
story God is writing, but God will write the end.
What steps should we take?
So what steps should we be taking
as we wait for the Son of Man to come, and for God's plan to be complete? We
could do no better than follow the advice of the British poster created at the
start of World War II the one that said, "Keep Calm and Carry On."
The British government intended it to raise morale among the British people in
the face of an apocalyptic invasion.
As you might imagine, this sign has
inspired a number of parodies, such as:
"Keep Calm and Have a Cupcake."
"Keep Calm and Go Shopping."
"Keep Calm and Party On."
"Wear Flip-Flops and Pretend It's Summer."
"Keep Calm ... Oh, Who Are We Kidding?"
"Now Panic and Freak Out."
None of these matches the truth and
simplicity of "Keep Calm and Carry On." That is what Jesus would have
us do as we face an uncertain future.
Keep calm
To help us keep calm, Jesus offers
the lesson of the fig tree.
"Look at the fig tree and all the trees, as soon as they sprout
leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So
also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God
is near" (vv. 29-31).
Jesus makes the point that the
coming of the kingdom of God is every bit as natural as the springtime
sprouting of leaves on trees. Keep calm, he seems to be saying, these
apocalyptic developments are as predictable as the change of seasons. Even
though some of the events of the future will be frightening, the God of the
created universe is in control.
Yes, it is hard to keep calm when
there is "distress among the nations"
(v. 25) and "the powers of the
heavens" are shaken (v. 26). It is difficult to maintain serenity when
we receive a cancer diagnosis from the doctor, a layoff notice from an
employer, a breakup text message from a romantic partner, or a failing grade on
a final exam. Nevertheless, Jesus assures us that God is in control, and there
is one thing that will remain the same forever and ever: The words of Jesus
himself. "Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away"
(v. 33). "Keep calm," says Jesus. "The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life" (John
6:63).
“The end” is not so much a matter
of chronology but rather a debate over who, in the end, is in charge. As H.
Richard Niebuhr put it, eschatology “does not lie in the time-factor so much as
on the God-factor.” Eschatology, as John Howard Yoder says, is the peculiar way
we Christians remind ourselves of the weird truth that “There is no significance
to human effort and, strictly speaking, no history unless life can be seen in
terms of ultimate goals.”
In her classic devotional book Streams in the Desert, L.B. Cowman
quotes Charles Spurgeon:
“Why do you worry?
What possible use does your worrying serve? You are aboard such a large ship
that you would be unable to steer even if your Captain placed you at the helm.
You would not even be able to adjust the sails, yet you worry as if you were
the captain or the helmsman of the vessel. Be quiet, dear soul — God is the
Master!”
Carry on
The second half of the British
poster says, "Carry On." It is not enough simply to keep calm and
meditate on the words of Jesus; the challenge for all of us is to "Keep
Calm and Carry On." This means that you are to "be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation
and drunkenness and the worries of this life" (Luke 21:34). It means
that you are to "be alert at all
times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that
will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man" (v. 36).
Here is how Elizabeth Achtemeier
puts it.
"It has often
been thought that an emphasis on the end time and the coming of the kingdom
lead to otherworldliness, passivity in this life, and acceptance of the status
quo. Christians constantly attempt to shape their lives according to the ways
of their Master,"
This means carrying on in Christian fashion, focusing our
efforts on love, justice, mercy and faith.
Reinhold
Niebuhr put it this way:
“Nothing that is worth doing can be
achieved in our lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope. Nothing which is
true or beautiful or good makes complete sense in any immediate context of
history; therefore we must be saved by faith. Nothing we do, however virtuous,
can be accomplished alone; therefore we must be saved by love.”[6]
William
Barclay once said:
The only way to prepare to meet God is
to live daily with God.
Conclusion
Obviously, the end of the world did
not come on December 21, 2012. The Maya simply created a Long Count calendar,
not predicting the end of the world.
Nevertheless, we Christians know
that God is at work in the long march of history, and is moving us toward the
day when the Son of Man will come with power and great glory. This may be a
fearful time, but it will ultimately be a celebration, for God will replace all
of the brokenness and injustice of this world by healing and righteousness.
Until then, Keep Calm and Carry On.
God is working his purposes out,
and our focus should be on walking in the path of Jesus the Christ.
[1]
(see John J. Collins, “Old Testament Apocalypticism and Eschatology,” The New Jerome Biblical Commentary
[Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1990], 303).
[3]
(see Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Gospel
According to Luke X-XXIV [Anchor Bible 28A; Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday,
1985], 1350).
[4]
Systematic Theology Volume 2, 366.
[5]
Systematic Theology Volume 3, 589,
590.
[6]
Niebuhr, Reinhold. The Irony of American History. New York: Charles Scribner’s
Sons, 1952, chapter 3.
