Actively. Impatiently. Waiting.
Mark 13:24-37
13:24 "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
13:25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
13:26 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory.
13:27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
13:28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.
13:29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
13:30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
13:32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
13:33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.
13:34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
13:35 Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn,
13:36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.
13:37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."
That time of year is upon us again. The time of year where budgets are spread thin and waistlines expand a little bit. The time of year where the excitement of seeing family is met with the hesitancy of... seeing family. The time of year when we anxiously wait upon a baby to be born. It is also the time of year where we generally most often think about Christ’s return. The advent texts always have an influence from those biblical writers who were thinking about Christ’s return. Our scripture for this morning says that “this generation” will not pass before the events that Mark’s Gospel described will take place. Well, that generation has come and went... Some of the natural events described my Mark have happened and yet, here we are. So, what do we make of the scripture that seems to be wrong? How do we apply a scripture to our faith that seems to have made a mistake? Oh, and one more thing, it wasn’t just some random person writing these things either. Our entire scripture for this morning is Mark quoting Jesus. How could the Son of Man have been so badly mistaken? Or was He...?
There are hundreds of events and scriptures in the Bible that seem to have gotten something wrong. Contradictions litter the entirety of the Bible starting with the creation story all the way through the New Testament. This is not to mention the contradictions we encounter in our everyday lives. How do we account for all the differences? How do we apply these seemingly contradictory scriptures to our faith? The only way possible is through understanding and personal discernment and thought. We must understand that the Bible was written by people not much different than ourselves. These people had their mistakes, their shortcomings, their personal understanding of God. All of these factors plus the culture, technology, and time in history are all factors behind these writings. As Christians, we do not dismiss these differences. We embrace them. The Bible is book of human interaction with God. It is study of how different people across many generations and cultures came to the same conclusion that God is with them. It is a collection of stories about faith. Some of those stories will contradict one another. Each day, you write your own story and over the course of time that story will change as your understanding of faith changes. Over time, there should be growth and difference in your story. Christianity was about 30-40 years old when the author wrote Mark. Christianity was heavily persecuted and the Christians of that time needed something to look forward to. As you can imagine, it was a struggle to get people to believe if they thought it would get them killed. They needed encouragement to keep pressing onward to spread the message of Christ and that is exactly what our scripture for this morning was doing. It was written to encourage the Christians of that day and age to keep pressing onward because the end was near. The reward for the courage and strength was within reach. There was a strong belief that Christ would return much sooner than later. A belief that some sect of Christianity has always believed through the course of history.
So how do we apply scriptures that seem to be directed at people 2,000 years ago mired in contradiction and misunderstanding? We can because the root of the message is and always has been the same: there is hope in God. But we must understand that this hope is one that we must participate in. Hope is not something just happens. We have to be active in our hope. We have to prepare for hope. No matter if the end times are today at 3:00 pm or 20 years from now or 5,000 years from now we must be active in our preparation. Some people may think that since the end times could hundred, thousands or even millions of years from now that we do not have to worry about it. But what our scripture for this morning does is remind us that since we do know the time that it could be sooner rather than later. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus was not incorrect in saying that “this generation” would not pass before the events of the apocalypse take place. Maybe Jesus wasn’t referring to the generation to whom he was speaking to in that exact moment. Maybe he was talking to us... Maybe he was talking about 100 generations past ours... We don’t know. One commentator makes a great point: The generation to whom Jesus was referring to, the generation that experiences the things that Mark’s gospel describes, are simply the followers of Jesus who continue the movement that Jesus began and that movement will not be extinguished but instead will endure until it is accomplished.
Today, in this very moment, we are apart of that generation and movement. When we view faith, and more specifically, when we view the end of time like I just described, hope does not disappoint. Salvation becomes a reality because there will come a time, either very near or far, that the world will be radically different. The world belongs to God and He, through various resources, has the power to change it. Living in a way the exemplifies God’s power, grace and love with every single breathe is the sense of urgency that I believe Jesus was the point that Jesus was trying to make. We actively prepare for each day. My wife does an awesome job of laying out the kids clothes each night because she has been less than impressed when I pick out the outfits. Some of you drink a cup of coffee, check facebook, read the newspaper in preparation for each day. That daily preparation should include a short prayer, devotion or study as well. Each morning we prepare ourselves for the day and our faith should be a part of that preparation. We are “that generation” that has been called to relentlessly hope, to persevere in love, and selflessly grant mercy and grace.
But we must ask ourselves is it even possible to live like that? Can we live each day preparing our hearts and minds for the return of our Savior? Can we live each day eagerly for the return of Christ? The answer to this question depends on the kind of love you share with God. Ask a person who has a loved one in the military. How do they wait for the return of a loved one? Ask a person who has a friend or family member who has gone through a long recovery. How do they wait for the return of a loved one? Ask a person who has lost a loved one. How do they wait each and every single day in the hopes they will see that loved one again when they may be reunited again? We often view our relationship with God as one of hearts and rainbows but it is much more than that. There will be sweat and tears. Any relationship involves work to make it sustainable. Faith is work. This work and hopeful wait is what Advent is all about. Advent invites us to wait impatiently for the fulfilment of hope. So can we love God like that? I think so. Can we live a life with our hearts focused on God but our hands and feet firmly planted to the ground so we can help others. I think so. Life is about finding compromises. Faith has a dual objective: first, we do our best to understand God. We do our best to keep asking the tough questions so our faith never becomes stagnant. And second, we must do our best to show others that God loves them. Faith is both inward and outward. We must always be looking inward to see how we can improve ourselves so that God can use us out there. Amen.
13:24 "But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,
13:25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
13:26 Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in clouds' with great power and glory.
13:27 Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.
13:28 "From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.
13:29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, at the very gates.
13:30 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.
13:31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
13:32 "But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
13:33 Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come.
13:34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch.
13:35 Therefore, keep awake--for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn,
13:36 or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly.
13:37 And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake."
That time of year is upon us again. The time of year where budgets are spread thin and waistlines expand a little bit. The time of year where the excitement of seeing family is met with the hesitancy of... seeing family. The time of year when we anxiously wait upon a baby to be born. It is also the time of year where we generally most often think about Christ’s return. The advent texts always have an influence from those biblical writers who were thinking about Christ’s return. Our scripture for this morning says that “this generation” will not pass before the events that Mark’s Gospel described will take place. Well, that generation has come and went... Some of the natural events described my Mark have happened and yet, here we are. So, what do we make of the scripture that seems to be wrong? How do we apply a scripture to our faith that seems to have made a mistake? Oh, and one more thing, it wasn’t just some random person writing these things either. Our entire scripture for this morning is Mark quoting Jesus. How could the Son of Man have been so badly mistaken? Or was He...?
There are hundreds of events and scriptures in the Bible that seem to have gotten something wrong. Contradictions litter the entirety of the Bible starting with the creation story all the way through the New Testament. This is not to mention the contradictions we encounter in our everyday lives. How do we account for all the differences? How do we apply these seemingly contradictory scriptures to our faith? The only way possible is through understanding and personal discernment and thought. We must understand that the Bible was written by people not much different than ourselves. These people had their mistakes, their shortcomings, their personal understanding of God. All of these factors plus the culture, technology, and time in history are all factors behind these writings. As Christians, we do not dismiss these differences. We embrace them. The Bible is book of human interaction with God. It is study of how different people across many generations and cultures came to the same conclusion that God is with them. It is a collection of stories about faith. Some of those stories will contradict one another. Each day, you write your own story and over the course of time that story will change as your understanding of faith changes. Over time, there should be growth and difference in your story. Christianity was about 30-40 years old when the author wrote Mark. Christianity was heavily persecuted and the Christians of that time needed something to look forward to. As you can imagine, it was a struggle to get people to believe if they thought it would get them killed. They needed encouragement to keep pressing onward to spread the message of Christ and that is exactly what our scripture for this morning was doing. It was written to encourage the Christians of that day and age to keep pressing onward because the end was near. The reward for the courage and strength was within reach. There was a strong belief that Christ would return much sooner than later. A belief that some sect of Christianity has always believed through the course of history.
So how do we apply scriptures that seem to be directed at people 2,000 years ago mired in contradiction and misunderstanding? We can because the root of the message is and always has been the same: there is hope in God. But we must understand that this hope is one that we must participate in. Hope is not something just happens. We have to be active in our hope. We have to prepare for hope. No matter if the end times are today at 3:00 pm or 20 years from now or 5,000 years from now we must be active in our preparation. Some people may think that since the end times could hundred, thousands or even millions of years from now that we do not have to worry about it. But what our scripture for this morning does is remind us that since we do know the time that it could be sooner rather than later. Maybe, just maybe, Jesus was not incorrect in saying that “this generation” would not pass before the events of the apocalypse take place. Maybe Jesus wasn’t referring to the generation to whom he was speaking to in that exact moment. Maybe he was talking to us... Maybe he was talking about 100 generations past ours... We don’t know. One commentator makes a great point: The generation to whom Jesus was referring to, the generation that experiences the things that Mark’s gospel describes, are simply the followers of Jesus who continue the movement that Jesus began and that movement will not be extinguished but instead will endure until it is accomplished.
Today, in this very moment, we are apart of that generation and movement. When we view faith, and more specifically, when we view the end of time like I just described, hope does not disappoint. Salvation becomes a reality because there will come a time, either very near or far, that the world will be radically different. The world belongs to God and He, through various resources, has the power to change it. Living in a way the exemplifies God’s power, grace and love with every single breathe is the sense of urgency that I believe Jesus was the point that Jesus was trying to make. We actively prepare for each day. My wife does an awesome job of laying out the kids clothes each night because she has been less than impressed when I pick out the outfits. Some of you drink a cup of coffee, check facebook, read the newspaper in preparation for each day. That daily preparation should include a short prayer, devotion or study as well. Each morning we prepare ourselves for the day and our faith should be a part of that preparation. We are “that generation” that has been called to relentlessly hope, to persevere in love, and selflessly grant mercy and grace.
But we must ask ourselves is it even possible to live like that? Can we live each day preparing our hearts and minds for the return of our Savior? Can we live each day eagerly for the return of Christ? The answer to this question depends on the kind of love you share with God. Ask a person who has a loved one in the military. How do they wait for the return of a loved one? Ask a person who has a friend or family member who has gone through a long recovery. How do they wait for the return of a loved one? Ask a person who has lost a loved one. How do they wait each and every single day in the hopes they will see that loved one again when they may be reunited again? We often view our relationship with God as one of hearts and rainbows but it is much more than that. There will be sweat and tears. Any relationship involves work to make it sustainable. Faith is work. This work and hopeful wait is what Advent is all about. Advent invites us to wait impatiently for the fulfilment of hope. So can we love God like that? I think so. Can we live a life with our hearts focused on God but our hands and feet firmly planted to the ground so we can help others. I think so. Life is about finding compromises. Faith has a dual objective: first, we do our best to understand God. We do our best to keep asking the tough questions so our faith never becomes stagnant. And second, we must do our best to show others that God loves them. Faith is both inward and outward. We must always be looking inward to see how we can improve ourselves so that God can use us out there. Amen.
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