When it feels like the end of the world …

 

Jeremiah 33:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13; Luke 21:25-36

Even if we have never been there, Notre Dame has been a huge symbol of faith for millions of Christians. It took almost 100 years to build it, and it has stood in the heart of Paris since 1260. It is more like a character, a person, than just a building. For many of us, it is one place where we can go to spend time in God’s presence. Even if we are there only in our imagination.

And so, many of us wept on April 15, 2019, when we saw the images of the Cathedral of Notre Dame on fire. It felt a bit like the world was ending. Would they be able to save it, or was it so badly destroyed it would be gone forever?

And yesterday, we rejoiced when we saw the images of the restored cathedral looking fresh and clean. French President Emmanuel Macron had promised it would be rebuilt, and 5 years later we celebrate the restoration of this symbol of hope and faith.

… Prophets speak God’s word to a specific people at a specific time and place with a message designed to challenge or encourage them, depending on the circumstances. Jeremiah writes in the middle of the conquest of Judah by the Babylonians. He shouts at the people with his words, “You foolish people! This destruction is a result of your lack of trust in God, your lack of righteousness. You deserve this desolation!” And yet, here and there, he includes a hint of promise, “The days are surely coming when God will restore Judah and there will be faith and righteousness in the land.”

Martin Luther wrote that the Old Testament is the cradle or swaddling clothes of Christ. While today we Christians like to look at this passage from Jeremiah and similar passages in the Old Testament as a promise of Jesus to come, it was first a promise to a people who felt like the world was coming to an end.

… Jesus’ words to the disciples are similar. It may feel like the end of the world is coming, but stay faithful! The Son of Man is coming, and with him comes the redemption of the world.

Most scholars believe the book of Luke was written in the 70s or 80s, 40-50 years after Jesus died, and a few years after the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans. They destroyed the temple so thoroughly that only a few remnants are left for archaeologists to identify.

It surely felt as if the world was coming to an end! The temple had been the center of the world, the place where God resided, the place where believers brought their animals and grains to offer in worship, the place where they received forgiveness of sins. They must have been afraid that God would abandon them and move elsewhere.

In contrast, Jesus had shown them that God doesn’t reside in the temple but in himself. When they believe in Jesus as the Son of God, as God’s very presence with them, the temple is unnecessary.

Instead of dread at the destruction of the temple, Jesus says, look for all the little signs of the presence of God. For example, notice the leaves on the fig trees and the promise of fruit to come. As it turns out, the destruction of the temple and the persecution of Jesus’ followers by the Jewish leaders led to the rapid spread of Christianity around the Mediterranean Sea.

… Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians is the oldest writing in the New Testament. It is believed he wrote this letter about 49-51, while he was in Corinth. At this time in history, there was a strong belief that Jesus would return any day, bringing an end to the world they knew. When that didn’t happen, many people stopped believing.

Paul’s letter is a message of encouragement to remain faithful to Jesus and to live Jesus’ way of loving each other and all people. In that way they will be blameless, righteous in God’s eyes, whenever Jesus comes.

… As we begin the season of Advent, we are like the Thessalonians, wanting Jesus to come now. Last week, someone asked me if we can sing Christmas carols before Christmas. My answer was, “No, there are so many lovely Advent hymns, let’s enjoy them all first.”

And, of course, in Advent, we practice patience. We know the schedule – four weeks of Advent before Jesus comes again as a baby. Four weeks of remembering why he came into the midst of us humans. Four weeks of preparing our hearts and minds for the coming of baby Jesus. Four weeks of remembering that he grows up to deliver a message of good news to those who fear the world is coming to an end any day now.

… In the meantime, and beyond, of course, we all have times when it feels like our world is coming to an end. We or a loved one gets a cancer diagnosis. A hurricane rearranges our world. Another war begins. We read or watch TV news and it all seems bad.

We need Jesus’ encouraging words today as much as the people who heard them first did. “Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Some days we need to hear these words. Some days, those we love need to hear them.

The world is not ending, it will continue. We are not alone. Jesus loves us and cares about what we are going through. We have nothing to fear. We have been redeemed; we are God’s beloved children. This is the good news of Jesus, and we don’t have to wait for Christmas to celebrate it. Amen