What does it matter?

Luke 2:1-20

Tradition has us trained to think that Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem while she is 9 months pregnant. But I tend to disagree with this notion. No midwife, then or today, would permit such a journey at that time in her pregnancy. So, I suggest an alternative theory.

I suggest that Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem when she was 6 or 7 months pregnant in response to the census. Then, they stayed with family until the baby could be born. They enjoyed being with Joseph’s branch of the family, getting to know cousins and aunts and uncles. They connected with a local midwife who monitored the pregnancy.

We know from recent scholarship that the Greek word traditionally translated as “Inn” actually referred to the guest room, or the upper room. It’s the same word used for the place where the last supper was held, and where the disciples gathered after the crucifixion.

We also know now that there was often a place for the animals in many homes. Bringing them in at night kept them safe from harm and theft, and in the winter kept the family warm. Perhaps with many guests in town, the guest room was full of people gathered for meals.

When the time came for the birth, they would have wanted some privacy. So, the men moved the animals out, cleaned the stable area, and put fresh hay in the manger. The women added some blankets and pillows, some jars of fresh water, and sent for the midwife. The women sent Joseph to join the men elsewhere in the house, and invited him to be with Mary only after mother and baby were cleaned up and ready for company. 

The new little family has a few minutes alone to celebrate, but they are soon joined by other family members, wishing them well and praising God for a safe birth.

Even this time together is interrupted, however, because outside the town some shepherds are having an amazing experience of their own. A host of angels appears before them, and Angel Gabriel invites them to go and see the baby who was just born. Gabriel announces, “This baby is a savior and good news for all people.”

Matthew’s version of the Nativity of Jesus tells the story of some magi who visited the family, probably several months later. The Magi were wealthy people, well-connected to royalty back home in the East, perhaps Persia. The Magi, visiting a new king, welcoming him into the world of power and politics with royal-appropriate gifts. (We’ll talk more about that in a couple weeks.)

But in Luke, the point of the whole story, the earthly presence of the Son of God, is to make sure all are welcome in God’s presence. Beginning with shepherds, who were among the lowest people on the social listing of who’s who, Jesus frequently speaks with, eats meals with, and invites interactions with the poorest and lowliest and outcast people of that time and place.

So, the shepherds leave the fields and head to town to see this new baby. Apparently, they assume the sheep will be safe under the care of the angels while they are gone. … I notice with a chuckle that in this painting, one of the shepherds is a woman with a large basket of eggs – much more usable in the moment than gold, frankincense and myrrh. 

[The Adoration of the Shepherds. Bartolomé Esteban Murillo | Wikimedia Commons]

I usually end the Christmas Eve service with singing “Go tell it on the mountain” remembering what the shepherds did as they left Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus. They went through the town back to the fields, glorifying God and singing God’s praises.

Tonight, this week, this year, I hope you spend some time pondering:

What does it mean to you that Jesus Christ has been born,

that he is the Son of God,

and that he sent the Holy Spirit to us to continue his mission and ministry of welcoming all,

even those we think of as outcasts and not worthy of God’s love and mercy?

Amen

 

Jesus is God with us

Matthew 1:18-25

Today’s Gospel reading from Matthew picks up where Luke’s story leaves off in the telling of Mary’s pregnancy. Luke relates the appearance of Angel Gabriel and the annunciation to Mary that she will have a baby. Instead of sharing the news with her fiancé Joseph, she hurries to see Elizabeth and stays there 3 or 4 months until after John the Baptizer is born. By the time she returns home to Nazareth, she is noticeably pregnant.

Joseph hears about it, and is furious. How could she possibly be pregnant?! He talks with Mary – probably yells at her, expressing his frustration. Yet, he declines to make a big fuss over it. He promises to end the betrothal quietly and let her figure out what comes next for herself.

Angel Gabriel probably says, “Yikes! I’ve got to fix this! Mary and Joseph were chosen for this; they need to be together for this to work according to God’s plan.” So, Gabriel appears in Joseph’s dream and explains a bit of the plan to him. Mary has now had months to ponder the future with the baby, but it’s new news for Joseph. Now that he understands that this is God’s work, he’s all  for it.

I can imagine Mary and Joseph’s conversations as they grow closer over the next few months. How will they raise a child, God’s child, the son of God? Will they tell the neighbors? What will the child be like? Will he have special gifts, and how will they handle that?  

It may help them to consider the names they have been told. Gabriel told them both to call the baby Jesus – actually Yeshua or Joshua. The name means God saves. Ye or yah in Hebrew means God, shua means saves. Yeshua, God saves.

According to the internet, Yeshua/Joshua was the 6^th most common name for boys in Judea in Jesus’ time. Today, Joshua remains a very popular name in the US, frequently appearing in the top 10 of baby names.

It’s helpful to think about what God’s salvation means. In the ancient world, healing is not the absence of illness. Healing means a person or community is connected to God. We frequently hear Jesus say, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” What he means is that the broken relationship between them and God has been healed.

So, Jesus’ role, his purpose in coming to earth as a human, is to help people get reconnected to God. Everything Jesus did focused on helping people find God in daily life and in their relationships with each other. When people respect each other, treat each other with kindness, the community is healed.

The angel also tells Joseph that Jesus will be known as Emmanuel – God with us, God with the people. Wherever Jesus went among the people, God was present with them. In every interaction, every healing, every parable, every conversation, God was present. God’s presence continues through the gift of the Holy Spirit, always present with us.

There are, of course, many ways of telling people that God is present with them. Feeding them, providing clothes and housing, visiting when they are ill or in prison. Beyond that, ensuring that all people have safe places to be, a warm welcome wherever they go, justice and mercy no matter who they are. Just like Jesus mentions in Matthew 25.

Some people just naturally share God’s presence with others. This week’s episode of “On the Road with Steve Hartman” featured two men. The first is Dr Michael Zakoffer, who sees patients whether they can pay him or not. It’s obvious that he cares about them, and their health and well-being.

Dr Zakoffer was joined by Secret Santa, a wealthy retired guy who has gone around the country every year handing out hundred-dollar bills to folks at Christmas time. In the video, we saw Secret Santa give gifts to people in the doctor’s office, at the grocery store, and at the food pantry.

The last gift we saw went to a fellow in an apartment building. He explained that he was going to give the hundred dollars to some people in the building, because they needed it more than he did.

You may not be able to give out hundreds of dollars to people at any time of the year. But you can offer a smile, a welcome, a tissue, or some food with those you encounter. You can bring Emmanuel, Jesus’ presence, wherever you go. Amen

 

Will the real Messiah please stand up?

Isaiah 35:1-10; Matthew 11:2-11 

Decades ago, a number of game shows were popular on prime time TV. One of them was To Tell the Truth, with host Gary Moore, and panelists Bill Cullen, Peggy Cass, Orson Bean, and Betty Carlisle. The panelists asked questions of three guests, only one of whom was the true practitioner of a certain art or ability. At the end of the questioning, Gary Moore asked. “Will the real make-up artist, ventriloquist, or birdhouse maker, etc. please stand up?” And we would laugh and point at the results of who guessed correctly.

… In the ancient world of Jesus, there were a number of texts in the scriptures that were interpreted as pointing to a messiah. Once Jesus had lived, died, been raised, and ascended, his followers mostly looked at Isaiah to describe the coming messiah, especially the texts we now call the Suffering Servant songs from Isaiah 40-55. Christians widely interpret this servant as Jesus Christ, seeing prophecies fulfilled in His crucifixion and atonement, where He is "pierced for our transgressions" and "crushed for our iniquities" to bring healing to humanity. Christians especially see the meaning for the suffering in the last line of Isaiah 53:5: By his wounds we are healed, or saved.  

In contrast, the Jewish interpretation sees the servant as the collective nation of Israel, suffering for their own sins and the sins of the world, though historical Jewish interpretations also saw a future Redeemer in this figure. [Credit to AI Overview for these summaries.]

It’s impossible to know, of course, what John the Baptizer was thinking, which texts were on his mind as he thought about the messiah he was supposed to be pointing to. But here are some suggestions.

Genesis 3:15 … ¹⁵ I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” …  The messiah will conquer the enemy.

Numbers 24:17 … ¹⁷ I see him but not now; I behold him but not near—a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the foreheads of Moab and the heads of all the Shethites. … A star will point to the messiah, who will be ruthless in defeating the enemy.

Daniel 7:13-14 …  As I watched in the night visions, I saw one like a human being  coming with the clouds of heaven. And he came to the Ancient One and was presented before him.  To him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed. … The messiah comes as a ruler from beyond time and place and has an everlasting rule.

Clearly, the anticipation for the messiah is of a king whose reign will last forever. Kings typically gather an army to defeat the incumbent ruler, and it’s clear that Jesus is not doing that. Jesus is not hanging around with the Zealots and other folks who are actively trying to get rid of the Romans. He is not buying and stockpiling weapons.

We are wise to remember the word messiah means anointed one. Several men were anointed to serve as leaders in Israel’s history: Prophets Elijah and Elisha; Kings Saul, David, Solomon and others. Those who are anointed have God’s calling to serve as leaders among God’s people.  Anointing didn’t make them perfect, just called to serve.

Jesus, too, is called to serve, just not as the traditional image of king. His anointing is shaped by the words of Isaiah in our first reading last week and today: Lions lying with lambs, babies playing near snakes’ nests, sight for the blind, sound for the deaf, streams in the desert, and level roads for walking.

John the Baptizer was observing what Jesus was up to, and was stunned that Jesus wasn’t bringing the winnowing fork and the ax. “Is it you,” he wonders, “or someone else we should be looking for?” In other words, “Will the real messiah please stand up?”

… We know what kind of a messiah Jesus intended to be. He is the suffering servant who gave his life for us, so that we may have life in his name. We often talk about having a Christ-like life. Christus, or Christ, is the Latin translation of the Hebrew word mashiach, or messiah. Have you ever thought of it as a Messiah-like life? What does that do to your image of how to follow Jesus? I hope it expands it a bit.

… So, a story: In 1985, Fr Augustine Milon, a Franciscan friar, was serving in Chicago’s west side Back of the Yards neighborhood. He had noticed that the area was plagued with violence, homelessness, drug abuse, and gang activity. He couldn't stop the violence but he could feed people, so he started a one-room soup kitchen. Since then, his soup kitchen became Port Ministries, a wide-ranging organization that responds to the needs of the community. Today, they host a bread truck that travels the neighborhood, a health clinic, home visitation, and an after-school program.

As Gloria Dei leaders and members explore what is next for the congregation, we can learn from Port Ministries by checking to discover what is missing in our neighborhood. It doesn’t mean that we have to actually do the ministry, but rather to notice what is needed and check around to see how we could make that ministry happen through partnerships and creative thinking.

We, today, are Jesus’ living body on earth. We are called to Christ-like, Messiah-like living. What does it mean for us as a congregation? As individuals? So, let me ask you – “Will the real Messiah-like person please stand up?”  (Invite folks to stand up!) Amen

 

Looking for the Savior

 

Isaiah 11:1-10; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12

Isaiah speaks of a time when the violence of his age will become peaceful and just. Paul makes it clear that it is past time for the Jewish people to welcome Gentiles and see them as equally included in God’s chosen people.

And Matthew tells of John the Baptizer shouting at the crowd that they need to repent and be baptized as an act of repentance. Criticized by the leaders, John accuses them of not bearing fruit. In other words, they are not leading the people according to God’s rules, and they are bragging about their importance in the community.

Too often, violence, prejudice, and imbalance of power and wealth impact the lives of those who are victims or survivors of that violence or imbalance. We have only to watch or read the news to be reminded how unfair, how unbalanced our world is.

In the midst of the mess of this world, it’s clear that we need a savior. Not a savior for us individually. But a savior who makes life different, new, for the whole world.

… John the Baptizer is looking for a savior who asserts himself, who uses his power to demand justice from the leaders. He is looking for someone to throw fire on everyone who refuses to repent and change their ways.

However, Jesus is a much different savior. As a savior, Jesus seeks to heal all sorts of relationships. He seeks to literally heal those who are ill or disabled, so they can return to being active and respected members of their community. He seeks to heal the relationships among people, so leaders respect people and treat them fairly. He seeks to heal the wounds caused by prejudice that causes one group of people to disrespect and judge other people as not as good.

… Jesus came to save the world, the Cosmos as John’s gospel puts it. But, the saving is mostly carried out one relationship at a time. A couple stories caught my attention this week.

In September, three Augustinian nuns made the news by escaping from the nursing home they were forced to move into. Life was different away from the cloister. Among other things, they had to eat with men! They escaped the home and returned to the convent building they had long called home. Since then, they have been using social media to keep the community informed about how they are doing.

According to their Instagram account, Rita, 82, can be seen rushing about the cloisters and dabbling in boxing lessons. Sister Regina, 86, has gotten so used to climbing four flights of stairs, she forgets to take the recently donated stair lift. And Sister Bernadette, 88, regularly shares sharp-witted observations about matters both sacred and secular over a cup of coffee.

They have the support of the Salzburg, Austria, community, and except for these online interactions, observe the vows they took when they joined the order 60-some years ago. Unfortunately, there are some secular and religious legal matters that confront them. In the meantime, the folks in Salzburg, and thousands of online followers have been trying to save them from being forced back into a nursing home.

… Another story involves an 88-year-old veteran named Ed Bambas. Ed had retired, but lost his pension when General Motors went bankrupt. Then his wife got sick, and they had no health insurance, so they had lots of medical bills. He had nothing left to sell, and no income, so he went back to work as a cashier in a grocery store, working 5 days a week.

 Australian influencer Samuel Weidenhofer heard about Ed, flew to Michigan, and filmed a video with Ed sharing about his situation. Weidenhofer then shared the video with his audience and set up a fund for him. Within days, there was almost $2 million donated for Ed. Now, he can go back to being retired.

While this story is about one person struggling financially, it causes me to think about all the veterans who struggle financially. And all the folks who have more month than money. I certainly hope Ed sets up a foundation or fund to help others with similar struggles, because there are lots of folks who need saving financially.

… The Pew Research Center measures issues and trends in the US and around the world. This chart shows religious participation by people in any faith or Christian denomination in Florida. I notice two items: 59% say they believe in God or a higher power; and 31% say they attend religious services monthly.

I don’t think John the Baptist was measuring religious participation in Judea and Galilee. But it was clear to him that there were lots of people following the Roman gods, or not worshiping at all, and definitely not obeying the commandments.

I don’t think God cares whether we are Lutheran or Methodist or Muslim. What God cares about is that we take time each day to pray and worship God, because then we are more likely to be aligned with God’s purposes.

“Return to the Lord”, John shouts. John calls the people to confess their sins and shape up. “Jesus will come soon, so you can be saved. But first, pay attention to what God wants for you, for us all. “

… Jesus didn’t come to save us because we believe, but came to save us so that we will believe. He cares that we have a commitment to follow him, to worship him. Jesus cares that we have enough to live on, because when we have enough, we can share what we have with others. Jesus wants to save us from whatever draws us away from God, so we can be filled with God’s blessings. Amen

When will these things be?

 Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44

If I ask you, “What time is it?” How do you respond? (9:50 am, time for the sermon, etc) Those answers are about chronos / chronological time. It’s the time we live in, day after day. We set our clocks in accordance with a standard set by an official person. If we travel east or west, we need to adjust our clocks to the local time.

We spend our day focused on time – when to get up, when to eat or feed the family, when to go to work or church, when to go to bed, and so forth. We try not to be late, or too early. We calculate how long it takes to get somewhere. Recently, L moved from 5 minutes away to 10 minutes away from the church, and it was an adjustment.

When he walked the earth, teaching and preaching and healing, Jesus lived in chronos time. Of course, there weren’t clocks in the ancient world; the sun told people and critters what time it was. Jesus rose before dawn to pray, he noticed when it was meal time, and when it was time to be home or set up camp for the night.

… There are other words for time, that refer to other aspects of time. The Greek word Kairos refers to an opportune moment in chronological time. Joyce and I had known each other when our children were in elementary school. She and her family moved and we lost touch. Forty years later, she had no way of knowing I had been divorced and had gone to seminary and was now a pastor with a new husband. Joyce and her husband Ned were looking to buy a home in Florida and looking for the best location. I was in the office the day they came in to check out the church near their prospective home, and now the four of us get together regularly sharing meals and stories. Our meeting in the church was a Kairos moment.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus uses what is happening as a Kairos teaching moment. There were some men prepared to stone a woman for adultery. Jesus heard the story, stooped to write something in the dust, and the men suddenly disappeared. Jesus instructed the woman to change her life.

… The Greek word aion, or aionios, refers to eternity, forever. It is a relative term, for us humans who exist in chronos time. For children waiting for Santa, Thanksgiving to Christmas is an eternity. The last month of pregnancy is an eternity. Ten courses of radiation or chemotherapy is an eternity. Getting our home rebuilt after a hurricane is an eternity.

In Bible terms, aionios starts “In the beginning…” as Genesis 1 says, that God made everything that is. As we study the Nicene Creed, we discover that it is almost impossible to comprehend that Jesus is God, from the beginning.

In the West, we tend to think of time as linear. One thing follows another, and is only slightly connected to the past. We remember Easter, but we don’t relive the grief of his death, so we don’t feel the true joy of his resurrection. In Jewish thinking, the present and the past are connected. Jews observe Passover each year and relive the past, so their celebration is a reliving of the freedom found in following Moses out of Egypt.

And beyond that, when we think of time as cyclical, as eternal, we can more easily imagine Jesus showing up in a Kairos era, living a chronological life and dying, to return to the eternity of God’s time. At the same time, Jesus is still God, because he lives eternally as God.

Every year on the first Sunday of Advent, the readings are chosen to help us understand Jesus' place in God’s history. Jesus cautions the disciples, “Stay awake. Stay alert. Because you don’t know when or how God’s reign will show up.” The disciples and Paul live and think in chronos time. They expect Jesus to return chronologically soon, because it is what they understand, even though Jesus said several times, only God knows the time.

… Two thousand years after Jesus, there are still people trying to predict when Jesus will show up. For me, Jesus returned in the resurrection and the forty days between then and the ascension. And then, he returned with the sending of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Through the gift of the Holy Spirit we see Jesus all the time, if we are paying attention, in Kairos moments. I often hear stories of Jesus showing up at hospital bedsides or cemeteries, reassuring the sick or grieving of God’s love. Jesus shows up when we give a dollar to a homeless person on the corner. Jesus shows up when we reach out to include an outsider in whatever we are doing.

We believe Jesus shows up in the anointing oil for healing. And we believe he is present in the bread and wine or juice of Holy Communion. We can feel Jesus touch us with the oil on our foreheads, and with the bread swimming in our blood to all parts of our bodies, from our lips to our fingers and toes.

… Since Jesus is more likely to show up in kairos moments of our daily chronological lives, it’s important that we pay attention, keep alert, to what is happening around us. Zachaeus was a small-sized man, and he struggled to see what was happening because taller people blocked his view. He climbed a tree, and saw Jesus. What’s more, Jesus saw him in the tree and invited himself to lunch at Zachaeus’ house.

When we are actively watching for Jesus, we may just spot him, and amazing things could happen. Amen

 

How does Christ reign in your life?

 

Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43

Unlike most of the festivals in the Church year, today’s Feast of Christ the King is a relatively recent addition to the Church calendar. Just over 100 years ago, in 1922, Pope Pius XI published an encyclical named Ubi Arcano, in which he urged people to seek the peace of Christ. It was written in the aftermath of World War I, and after the fall of several powerful ruling families, including the Hapsburgs and the Romanovs.  In contrast, Pope Pius pointed to a kingdom which will have no end.

In 1925, Pius published Quas Primus, another encyclical in which Pius established the Feast of Christ the King. Its message countered the increasing secularization and nationalism of the world. So, the Feast of Christ the King is intended to declare to the world that Jesus the Christ is the everlasting ruler over all people and powers, much better than any earthly king or ruler could ever be.  

… Even with this explanation, I still struggle with the title of Christ the King. Everything I read in scripture tells me that being a king is the last thing on Jesus’ mind. He calls stinky fishermen and treasonous tax collectors to help in his ministry; he eats in a field with the poorest people; he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey, not a steed; he challenges social norms by healing on the sabbath; and so forth. Faced with death, he submits to torture and crucifixion with few words of defense.  In Philippians, Paul quotes a hymn in which Jesus empties himself of his divinity and humbles himself to the point of death.

These are not the behaviors and attitudes of a wanna-be king, in the usual sense of what kings are like. For thousands of years, even the best kings and elected leaders have ruled with power over everyone else.  They have fought hard to maintain status and control, and get rid of any who were perceived as threats. They punished or forgave based on how it would benefit them.

In contrast, Jesus allowed himself to be ridiculed, tortured, and put to death. From the cross, he offered grace to his family and followers. He forgave the criminal who believed in him and promised him paradise after death. He asked God the Father to forgive those who were killing God the Son, because they didn’t know it was part of God’s plan.

… So, Jesus reigns from the donkey, from the picnic blanket, and especially from the cross. We can look again to Pope Pius for what it means to us that Jesus reigns over all that is. I have adapted his formal words in Quas Primus #33 for this sermon.

·       Jesus reigns in our minds as we affirm the truths he taught with his life, death and resurrection.

·       Jesus reigns in our wills as we obey the commandments.

·       Jesus reigns in our hearts as we love God above all things and cling to him alone.

·       Jesus reigns in our bodies as we seek the sanctification of our souls and justice for God’s people.

In other words, Jesus asks us to turn our whole lives over to him, to allow him to govern our every thought and deed. What does that mean for us? Here are some ideas:

Begin and end the day with prayer. In the morning thank God for waking you up, and ask God to guide you throughout the day. In the evening, take time to reflect on your day. Identify those things you need to confess and ask for forgiveness. And identify those things for which you give thanks.

During the day, notice what Jesus might have noticed: a hungry person, someone having a hard time, someone with a disability, someone many people consider as “other”. While you may not be able to heal them, or resolve their circumstances, you may be able to offer a word of comfort or support or a prayer.

Seek ways to have civil, respectful conversations with people who have different opinions from you. You don’t have to agree with them, and it is fair that you share your own opinion. These conversations don’t need to be lengthy, just respectful.

When someone offends you or a loved one, see them through Jesus’ eyes, with grace and mercy. Forgive them. And don’t hold onto the hurt, let it go.

…So, a sort of story. It will start by sounding like it’s about partisan politics, but it’s not about that.  

I confess that when Marjorie Taylor Greene first rose to prominence, I disliked her. Her firebrand approach to politics, her brash and outspoken manner, and especially her support of MAGA and Donald Trump angered me. She stood for values different from mine. I judged her without knowing much about her.

Lately, she has changed her approach to MAGA and political speech. She has begun to speak out in favor of extending the Affordable Care Act subsidies, pointing out that her young adult children will now pay high amounts for health insurance. She publicly stood up in support of the survivors of sexual abuse.

And Marjorie has been appearing on talk shows and news shows I watch. On those shows, she has lowered her tone of voice, and insists that her whole intention is to listen to and speak for her constituents in Georgia. Now, I began to appreciate her heart, because I could hear her.

And I was stunned, and more, I was saddened to learn Saturday morning that she is resigning from Congress. Now, I will miss her voice. I’m sorry to have judged her without knowing more about her. I had failed to grant her grace and mercy.  

This failure to really hear each other is what has led to our country’s divisive politics. We refuse to hear each other, and fail to give each other grace and mercy. We fail to respect each other as children of God.

… If Jesus really reigns in our hearts and minds, we need to listen to each other’s hearts. If Jesus really reigns in our lives, we will work to be more open to seeing Jesus in each person. If Jesus really reigns in our lives, we will forgive easily and let go of our pain.

This week, I hope you will consider how Jesus lives and reigns in your life. Amen`

Hope is the better way

 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19

The closer the story of Jesus gets to the end, the more intense the situation gets. We remember that the Gospels were written decades after Jesus lived. All but Mark are thought to have been written after the temple was destroyed by the Romans in 70CE. That event would figure large in the writing of the story, just like Pearl Harbor, the assassination of JFK, the 9/11 attacks, and the COVID pandemic figure into the stories of those respective times, and have an effect on us decades later.

In addition, in the world of the Thessalonians in the 40s and 50s, the Roman/Greek world often experienced persecutions of certain groups. Some caesars insisted that people worship them like gods, and it was hard to avoid such worship because it was present everywhere in the culture. And sometimes, the caesar declared that the Jews and the Christians were not permitted to worship within the city limits. That is why Paul often looked outside the cities to preach about Jesus.   

Jesus knows that the changes he brings will cause upheaval in the societies of his followers. He could be looking ahead, or his words could reflect the trauma of the conquest of Jerusalem by the Romans. “Be aware, he cautions, that hard times may be ahead for you, and be prepared to remain faithful no matter what. If you are arrested and tried, don’t worry. It will be an opportunity to testify about me and God’s love. You don’t even need to practice what you will say, because the Spirit will give you the words.”

This passage from Luke is called the “Little Apocalypse”. It follows a pattern of warnings about calamities followed by the reassurance of God’s provision for the faithful. We are called to endure the trials of the day knowing God is present, even if it doesn’t seem like it.

And, in the face of times of trial, we are not to sit back and wait for the end to come. Paul urges the folks in the church at Thessalonica to earn their own living. The Greek words used here actually say that some folks were meddlesome, busybodies. Not only were they idle, not working, they were advocating for others to also focus on getting ready for the return of Jesus.

… For centuries, beginning soon after the death and resurrection of Jesus, people have been trying to predict when Jesus would return, even though Jesus said plainly that no one knew, except God the Father. Paul believed Jesus would return during his own lifetime.

In our times, we may remember some groups who thought the turn of the 21^st century meant the coming of Jesus. Y2K messages were everywhere, and we were told that computer software might not be able to handle the challenge of the change from 1900 to 2000 dates, and to be prepared for the end of the world. 

Just before that, in 1997, the Heaven’s Gate cult believed that the arrival of the Hale Bopp comet meant they could catch the tail of the comet to go to their celestial home. Thirty-nine people died together by suicide. And, according to Reddit, some are now predicting that Jesus will return in 2033, the 2000^th anniversary of his death.

… For us today, we can focus on all the bad stuff that is happening, near us and around the world. Certainly, there are wars and insurrections today, and sometimes it’s hard to know who to support. Certainly, there are financial stresses today. Political decisions have an effect on our own budgets and on the budgets of the folks who have few resources. We tend to take sides instead of working together to find solutions for all. It seems like our country is on the brink of disaster, one way or another.

In response, both Jesus and Paul tell us to remain faithful and testify about the good news. Trust that God is present and active against the evil forces that hurt God’s people. They tell us to work together to strengthen and benefit our communities for the common good.

Above all, we are to hope. One definition of the word hope is “the refusal to quit.” After the dire warnings of social upheaval and promises of God’s presence, Jesus talks about spring and summer.  In verses 29-32, just beyond our reading, Jesus says: “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. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

So, we may live in despair, sighing and groaning and grumbling about how bad things are today. Or we can look to Jesus’ promise to be with us and live with hope for better things to happen. We can look with hope for better things, good things, that happen every day.  

We can: Look and listen for the joyous laughter of a child. Use our AARP card to get discounts at hotels and restaurants and appreciate the savings. Savor the flavor of our favorite cookie or cake. Notice the pot-hole that was finally fixed. Give thanks for medical professionals for their care for so many illnesses and conditions. Thank current and veteran soldiers and police officers for their service in keeping us safe.

When we just need a moment, we can take a walk outside and notice how nature keeps on going and renewing itself. The future is held within a seed, which grows in the most surprising places. How can we not hope, when we see the persistence of a seed growing into a flower, ready to spread more seeds? 

This week, I hope you will take some time for hope. Instead of worrying about the current and anticipated calamities, I encourage you to seek out those circumstances that bring you hope. Amen