Proper 28: November 14, 2004.Malachi 4:1-2a Psalm 98 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Luke 21:5-19 First Reading The final Sunday of Ordinary Time gives us texts that continue to usher us into the proclamation An act that formally declares to the general public that the government has acted in a particular way. A written or printed document issued by a superior government executive, such as the president or governor, which sets out such a declaration by the government. of God's ultimate victory in Christ over the forces of this world that defy God. This movement of our lectionary lec·tion·ar·y n. pl. lec·tion·ar·ies A book or list of lections to be read at church services during the year. [Medieval Latin l texts is geared to bring us through the end of the liturgical li·tur·gi·cal also li·tur·gic adj. 1. Of, relating to, or in accordance with liturgy: a book of liturgical forms. 2. Using or used in liturgy. year into the culmination in the new beginning of the First Sunday in Advent and its proclamation of the Lord's coming. This Sunday, while being "Ordinary," is no different. The Gospel lesson provides us with the beginning of the Lucan Apocalypse apocalypse (əpŏk`əlĭps) [Gr.,=uncovering], genre represented in early Jewish and in Christian literature in which the secrets of the heavenly world or of the world to come are revealed by angelic mediation within a narrative . Luke places Jesus' prediction of the destruction of the temple in context as the beginning of his teaching about the utter destruction of Jerusalem (vv. 20-24) and the coming of the Son of Man with power and glory (vv. 25-36). But even within our own portion of this Apocalypse for this Sunday, there is a series of predictions about destructions and calamities. The movement is from the destruction of the temple (vv. 5-6) through false prophets False prophet is a label given to a person who is viewed as illegitimately claiming charismatic authority within a religious group. The individual may be seen as one who falsely claims the gift of prophecy, or who uses that gift for demagogy or evil ends. (vv. 7-8) through human and natural disasters (vv. 9-11) and finally to the persecution of the followers followers see dairy herd. of Jesus (vv. 12-19). This literary movement is actually backward in terms of the time (the persecution of Jesus' followers will take place "before all this occurs"), but the timing is not of ultimate significance. What is important here is that the terrors and the persecution are presented by Jesus as necessary and as opportunities. They are not things to be feared or avoided. When Jesus tells his followers that they will be arrested and persecuted and dragged before kings and governors, it is "because of my name" (v. 12). "This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict" (vv. 13-15). The prediction of the persecution comes with the "good news" that this provides an opportunity for the followers to give an accounting of the hope that is in them and that God will give them powerful words with which to do so. In Thessalonica, Paul (or pseudo-Paul) was presumably pre·sum·a·ble adj. That can be presumed or taken for granted; reasonable as a supposition: presumable causes of the disaster. dealing with some believers who looked on the coming of the end with a different perspective. Rather than seeing opportunity for witness and hope for vindication VINDICATION, civil law. The claim made to property by the owner of it. 1 Bell's Com. 281, 5th ed. See Revendication. by God's hand, some in Thessalonica seemed to believe that the imminence im·mi·nence n. 1. The quality or condition of being about to occur. 2. Something about to occur. Noun 1. of the end-times meant that it was time for a party. "No need to work, I won't be around to use my savings anyway!" Paul provides the same advice as Jesus to believers faced with the coming of the end: Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right (v. 13). As Jesus says to his audience, not a hair of your head will perish TO PERISH. To come to an end; to cease to be; to die. 2. What has never existed cannot be said to have perished. 3. When two or more persons die by the same accident, as a shipwreck, no presumption arises that one perished before the . By your endurance you will gain your souls (vv. 18-19). In other words Adv. 1. in other words - otherwise stated; "in other words, we are broke" put differently , Christians, confident in our adoption as God's children and ultimate redemption, should neither worry over the end nor neglect our Christian duties. Continue to be faithful. Pastoral Reflection Perhaps this is the time of year when faithful evangelical (gospel-based) preachers should take seriously the cultural-religious context of our time and provide a word of hope and gospel to counter the Religious Fiction shelf in your local Barnes & Noble. For the sake of full disclosure, I will admit that I have not read any of the "Left Behind" books or anything else that is shelved near them in the stores. That said, I do not think I am prepared to preach a sermon that counters their arguments. I do not believe it is fair to parishioners (who have faithfully read the books) to say, "I have not read them, but here's why they're wrong." If you do choose to engage them from the pulpit pulpit, in churches, elevated platform with low enclosing sides, used for preaching the sermon. In the earliest churches the episcopal throne served this purpose. , read them, and read Barbara Rossing's recent The Rapture Exposed: The Message of Hope in the Book of Revelation (Westview, 2004) and show your people the hope that is there for them in Jesus' promise that "not a hair of your head will perish." Remind them of Jesus' call not to follow those who will come in his name and say "The time is near!" (v. 8) But do it from a position of knowledge. Regardless of our encounter with current pop-religious culture, it seems to me that the key words of promise for us come in Jesus' words to his followers about their own persecution and arrest: "This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict" (13-15). Jesus Christ Jesus Christ: see Jesus. Jesus Christ 40 days after Resurrection, ascended into heaven. [N.T.: Acts 1:1–11] See : Ascension Jesus Christ kind to the poor, forgiving to the sinful. [N.T. promises to be with God's people even in the darkest and scariest times of life, providing words to mute mouths and wisdom to those of us who don't have all the answers but simply believe and trust. Jesus' prophecy of destruction, of wars, of earthquakes and famines, and of persecution for those who proclaim the name of Jesus puts all of these events in context. They are not the ultimate truth for us. The ultimate truth comes in verse 18: But not a hair of your head will perish. Penultimately bad things will happen. There is no denying it: our preaching should not attempt to deny or minimize it. But it is not a denial of pain to believe and to proclaim that it is not our ultimate destiny. Proclaim the hope and the good news that God will be with us through persecution, through wars, even through death. SM-K |
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