Matthew
24:36-44
Lots
of people try to predict the end of time, the end of life on earth as we know
it, the coming-again of Jesus. But Jesus says only God the Father knows when those
things – or that event -- will happen.
Today’s
text is part of a longer passage in which Jesus predicts the coming of enemies
and the destruction of Jerusalem. Since the Gospel of Matthew was written after
70CE when the Romans destroyed the temple, we assume that the author knows about
this terrible event. Has this disaster shaped his story of Jesus? Does he
believe it signals the impending return of Jesus? It certainly seems so.
Jesus likens the coming of the Son-of-Man to the coming of the flood. No one
believed Noah when he began building the ark. No one even believed him when it
began to rain buckets.
Jesus
warns the disciples -- and us -- to be alert, aware, awake to what is happening.
Life will go on, as it does day after day. We will be fishing, or enjoying a
cup of coffee, or playing music. And suddenly one of us will be taken and the
other left behind. We will be saved from the terrors of the coming disaster.
We
always assume that being taken is good news for the ones who are taken. We also
assume it is we who will be taken because we are good, and that it is the evil
ones who are left behind. But how do we know that we are the ones Jesus is
coming for and not the other person? What makes us so sure? Are we really ready
to be taken?
Jesus
warns us to be ready for anything, including the thief in the night, including
the end of days, including the Son of Man. But, what does it mean to be ready?
In
the next part of this chapter and the next chapter, Jesus goes on to tell us
what it means to be ready. We are to be like good servants, fulfilling whatever
responsibilities the master has given us, always ready to be good servants. We
are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned as if
we were caring for Jesus himself.
I
have heard many times that if some are taken and some are left behind, the
Lutherans will choose to stay behind, to care for those suffering from the
disaster. The Lutherans will stay here to bring Jesus to those who don’t yet
believe.
If we focus on being Jesus’ hands and feet and
heart with those who are hurting, we won’t have time to think about when Jesus
is coming again. Except, let’s remember that when we do these things, Jesus
comes through us to those we help.
For
example, the residents at Dogwood Manor Assisted Living Community in Georgia
wanted to help people in the community. They learned that premature babies struggle
to stay warm, but tiny hats are an easy way to help warm. The residents began
to knit caps for preemies. It was one way to “keep the old people out of
trouble” and help others at the same time.
Ed
, who is 86, wanted to take part too, but he had never learned to knit. He went
to a fabric store, where the staff sold him a how-to-knit book, some yarn and
some needles. Ed says the first few hats took a long time, but after a while he
began to get into a groove and soon, his sofa was covered with little caps.
Another
example: Paul is a counsellor in a high school in Chicago. His school is mostly
filled with black and Latino youth. The day after the election of Mr Trump as
president, Paul expected the school to be full of anxiety, fear, and hate
because of what they had heard Mr Trump say about them. He spent the time
driving to school thinking about how to help the students.
But
he arrived to see something very different from what he expected. Before he
arrived, some of the students had printed posters and put them on classroom
doors throughout the building. They read:
"Dear
Undocumented Students, in these classroom there are no walls."
"Dear LGBT
students, in these classrooms you are accepted."
"Dear Female
students, in these classrooms you will be respected."
"Dear Mexican
students, in these classrooms you are not a rapist nor a drug dealer."
"Dear Black
students, in these classrooms your lives matters."
"Dear Muslims,
you are not terrorists."
In
the midst of fear and uncertainty, these students took control of what they
could manage. They created a safe space for everyone in the school.
These
days, we can complain that we are too old or too young, or too rich or too poor
to make a difference. But Ed and Paul’s students prove otherwise. They could
spend time looking for Jesus to come again, but chose instead to help others.
Today
is the first Sunday in Advent. We begin by remembering that Jesus has come to
us once already, as an infant. He died and was raised, and appeared to the
disciples and other followers. In a way we could say he has already come again.
Then he ascended into heaven, and sent the Holy Spirit to be his presence on
earth. So, we could also say he has already come again. And, whenever we do
kind things for others, Jesus comes again through us. So, we could also say he
has already come again.
I
suggest we focus not on wondering and debating about when and how Jesus will
come again, but on being his hands and feet and heart right here in our
community, today. In many ways, Jesus has already come again, if we look for
him, if we pay attention.
Here
is your challenge for this week: What do you already do to bring Jesus to
someone else? What else could you do to bring Jesus to someone else? You are
neither too old – remember, Ed learned to knit at age 86 – or too young –
remember, high school students made their school a safe place for all – to bring
Jesus to someone else.
Please
pray with me: Powerful Lord Christ, we pray that you will come to be with us.
We pray for your mercy and your presence to be made known to us. Help us to see
you in the faces of others, and lead us to bring your presence to those who
need to see you. Amen
