Sermon 11-17-24
O God of all ages, thank You for who You are. You call the church to keep watch in the world and to discern the signs of the times. By Your Holy Spirit grant us the wisdom and the courage to proclaim Your prophetic word, and complete the work that You have set before us; through Your Son, our LORD Jesus Christ, Amen
Many people like to talk about “The good ol’ days,” and we may all long for the days when we felt safe to leave our doors unlocked, rather than locked, bolted and secured with an alarm system. Those days when school arguments were ended with “double dog dares,” instead of knives and automatic pistols are fondly remembered. There seemed to be a greater sense of peace and security.
This all came to an end on 9/11. When the towers fell and the Pentagon attacked, we felt threatened, violated and exposed. Suddenly the threat of terrorism was everywhere. The aftermath of the Columbine shooting left us with never feeling safe in school or walking alone. A cub scout was arrested for bringing his camping utensil to school. Teenagers have been arrested for food fights. Amber alerts remind us that our children are targets which has resulted in more time being spent indoors with video games—some with graphic violence, rather than running, jumping and playing outside.
We live in a broken and sin filled world. The challenge we face as Christians is to live as people of faith in such a world. Today’s gospel text gives us a glimpse of life in a broken world.
The setting of this gospel text takes place near the temple. Some of the disciples are impressed with the new temple that Herod the Great started to build. It was larger than any previous temple and certainly one of the most impressive structures in Jerusalem. The temple was more than simply a beautiful building; it was a sign of God’s presence with Israel. The temple was Israel’s connection point with God. It was a symbol of their identity as God’s people.
Jesus—almost frivolously–tells them that the temple will be destroyed and a time will come when not one stone is set on another. Jesus’ words could be compared to making the statement that the Capitol and Whitehouse will be destroyed. The world as the disciples knew it was going to come to an end—just as it did with 9/11, Columbine, the economic recession and covid.
Like us, the disciples scrambled to figure out how to live in such uncertain and trying times.
The disciples first ask Jesus to tell them the signs that will precede the end times. They believe that if they know the future they will be able to deal with it. There are those today who believe even though the present might be uncertain, knowing the future would help them live with the uncertainty.
So many people seek to know the future. Tim Lehaye with his Left Behind Series and Hal Lindsey with his book, The Late Great Planet Earth, have demonstrated that a person can grow rich spouting their ideas about what the future will be like.
People eagerly look to the stars, crystal balls, tarot cards, tea leaves, and palm reading to get a jump on the future. All of this to no avail. Knowing the future doesn’t help them.
Jesus answered the disciples with strange words. He tells them that there will be wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes and famines. These calamities were common in the days when Jesus spoke to his disciples. He was not giving them the inside track on knowing the future. He was telling them that they didn’t need to know the future—they just needed to know the One who held the future in his hands.
The future will be filled with trials and tribulations just like the present is. As Christians we will continue to live in a broken sin filled world.
Talking about, speculating about the future or prophesying the future is not living out our lives in faith. Trusting in a God who holds the future in his hands is how we live by faith.
Faith does not believe that God will make our lives comfortable and affluent. Faith knows that whatever situations we face God will be with us through those situations.
Faith is not worrying about the future. Faith is being concerned about the needs of others today.
Faith is not just longing for a heaven when we die. Faith is being concerned for others, witnessing to them, and inviting them to experience God’s presence, just as we have.
When asked what he would do if he knew that the world was going to end the next day, Martin Luther replied that he would go out and plant an apple tree. At first this might seem like a strange reply. The idea that Luther was trying to express is that he would live his life of faith exactly the same way whether the end was twenty years away or tomorrow.
The disciples learned to live their faith one day at a time. Let us follow their example and the example of countless Christians who have gone before us—trusting, loving, serving—never knowing if this is our last day or not, but being assured that no matter what God is with us.
Help us, O LORD our God, to rely only on You and to trust in Your promises. Let us be faithful to our confession of hope, which is only in the LORD Jesus Christ. Other hopes disappoint us, but Christ never will. In Him we place our faith for this life and eternally. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
