Sunday, December 2, 2012
1 Thessalonians 3: 9-13
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy we have in the presence of our God because of you? Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.
Now may our God and Father himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come to you. May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you. May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.
Luke 21: 25-36 (Jesus is teaching)
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint with terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.
Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the earth. Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”
Some of us who explore the Bible for answers get off on Biblical prophecy. It is easy to get caught up in a “Star Trek” like understanding of predicted future events. Jesus himself instructs his disciples to look up to the sun, moon and stars in order to read the divine plan and times. Every human culture has recorded these end time stories which predict an impending catastrophe that would mark the end of history. In a few short days, the calendar for the Mayan culture will end, will we wake to another reality on December 23, if we wake at all?
In the words of St. Paul and Jesus, the end of human history as we know it, is all about the second coming of the risen Christ to this earth. Paul says that the Lord Jesus will return with all his holy ones. Jesus links disturbing earthly signs with the return of the Son of Man coming in a cloud. The Son of Man is a self descriptive term for his second ministry to earth, not in his Christmas appearance, but in his second, yet to happen, appearance as the risen Christ. The change foretold is the coming kingdom of God to earth when this Son of Man will bring full redemption and judgment upon the earth.
The time and place of this second coming will always be open to conjecture for every generation has experienced terrible times that may be likened to the prophesy of Jesus. The word used by Jesus for generation means both the generation that heard his words and every succeeding generation throughout history. The prophesy was fulfilled in A.D. 70 when Jerusalem was destroyed but is yet to be fulfilled as humanity awaits surrounded by recurring ominous circumstances. Look around you in our time, would not the words of Jesus apply to our circumstances? Are there not wars, anguish, perplexity and fear of terrorists? Does our world not appear to be turned upside down? Could the Son of Man return in 2012?
The answer is that God may schedule earth for the terminal event at any moment into the future, possibly in the next hour. These biblical speakers, however, are equally concerned with the faith circumstances of believers as they wait for God’s timing. The Thessalonians had been gifted with a slight taste of the other side and were awaiting the full Monty of God’s grace and loving acceptance. Paul, despite multiple negative circumstances in his life, was encouraging the Thessalonians because of their shared joy of this present salvation and the salvation to come for which their wait anticipates.
St. Luke shares a warning about a negative wait for eternity. Speaking to believers he warns, “Be careful” as you live life, not to become weighed down or robbed of the only real joy in life by dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life. Dissipation is a fancy word for self indulgent behavior and has been translated careless ease. Drunkenness is self medication with alcohol but today we have many other more sophisticated selfish life and joy avoidance techniques. All of us are influenced by the anxieties of life regarding food, shelter, a career, marriage, family, social acceptance or spare time. The list can include anything and everything when legitimate concerns turn inward and downward.
Instead, with the love and assistance of the risen Christ, let us stand up, lift up our heads and rejoice with the soon coming Kingdom of God's full redemption.
G.Goslaw
Landers, Ca
