November 30, 2003 (David Hyers)

Jeremiah 33: 14-16

The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Isreal and the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: "The LORD is our righteousness."

Luke 21:25-36

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." Then he told them a parable: "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. Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

The Gospel lectionary text this week is taken from Luke 21. The passage is set during the final week of Jesus’ Ministry. Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem and is speaking at the temple. At the beginning of chapter 21, Jesus foretells of the destruction of the temple on the “Day of the Lord,” the end of history, the full revealing of the kingdom of God. The disciples ask Jesus when will this be and what will be the sign that this is about to take place. Our gospel reading this morning is part of Jesus’ response to them.

As this is the first Sunday of Advent, today’s lectionary reading may be somewhat of an unexpected text. When I think of Advent, I expect to hear about Joseph and Mary, overcrowded inns, little drummer boys and Wise Men. I have tended to look at Advent as a time of preparation, a celebration of the arrival of the baby Jesus. With so many claims upon my attention and time, the season of Advent has also been as much about furious preparations
for Christmas shopping and celebrations as the coming of the Christ Child.

Thursday evening as the turkey-induced stupor began to wear off, I was already getting revved up and ready for Advent, for the arrival of the Wise Men and for the crossing off of shopping lists, the joyful expectation of Christmas Eve services and the dubious anticipation of the yearly vigil to avoid my father’s offer of slightly out-of-date eggnog.

Quickly spinning up to full speed early Friday morning, my mind began to run through the fast and frenzied march through Advent towards December 25th: onward Christmas solders, marching as to war! By 7:00 a.m. I was at Best Buy getting Dad’s gift, by 8:30 I was at Target for Mom’s and Cousin June’s gifts, and then at 9:30 I was at HEB for Tums as eggnog insurance. At 10:30a.m. only 50 more people were in line ahead of me at HEB, and my attention turned towards the text for this morning. I asked myself if this text is a bit out of place.

No traditional images are in this text: no mangers, no angels; no modern images either, no shopping lists, no 6- hours-only sales; no frankincense, no myrrh, and thankfully, no eggnog. Instead, we are greeted with signs and portents on earth and in the sky, roaring seas and waves, fearful and foreboding warnings of the Day of the Lord. These are familiar yet mysterious words about the coming Kingdom of God. The earth is shaken to its foundations; the Powers and Principalities brought to their knees. If the Season of Advent is a time of preparation, of beginnings, joyful arrivals and exuberant expectation, this seems to be an odd choice to begin a season of hope-filled celebration. Advent marks the start of the church year, so why then does the lectionary start at the end of the story? Why begin with the end?

By 11:30 a.m. I was almost to the register. I started to realize that beginning Advent with this text frames the hope of Advent. It focuses not only on the coming of the baby Jesus but also on the nearness of God and God’s Kingdom, made sure in Easter Resurrection. Advent begins a journey not just to a manger but to an empty tomb and the fullness of the reign of God.

I don’t have any easy answers or a secret formula telling me exactly when the Day of the Lord will come or what God’s reign is or what it looks like. Jesus himself speaks of the kingdom in parables, images shrouded in mystery, coming like a thief in the night yet always pointing towards the nearness of the kingdom but without a specific time or details. When asked for a date on the coming Kingdom of God, Baptist preacher and professor, Tony Campolo says (in good Presbyterian style, I might add), “I am on the Welcome Committee, not the Program Committee.” I give thanks that I don’t have to worry about being on the program committee. My own wrestling over this mystery has so far led me to an understanding of the nearness of God’s kingdom that is not only about when but is also about where.

In seminary we often spoke of already and not yet, an understanding that in the person of Jesus Christ, God is reconciling the world unto God’s self and that the new life found in God’s reconciling love has already broken into the world and is here in our midst. We proclaim this in the Eucharist and in our baptisms. Paul speaks of this as an experience of first fruits. However, at the same time, the fullness of God’s plan is not yet here, and we are still waiting and hoping for the full revelation of God’s plan for us and for the whole creation. Jesus encourages us to look for the nearness of the kingdom as we will be able to recognize it as one recognizes the nearness of summer from the budding of the trees.

The text also reminds us that within this season of great joy and great promise is also great risk. The nearness of God’s Kingdom isn’t easy. God’s call to us is costly, and God’s gracious reign isn’t cheaply won. Throughout the stories of Advent there is an ever-present risk. We see Mary and Joseph running to Egypt, the threat of death in the bloody quest of Herod, the struggle of the powers of sin and death against God and against God’s plan. We are reminded that the new life in Christ comes with struggle and conflict. The powers of sin and death are dug in deep and are not going to let go without a fight.

Yet hope and expectation are in the midst of this text, I dare say at the core of the text, just as hope and abiding joy are in the midst, the God whom we know God to be. And so Jesus tells us, assures us to bend ourselves back, to stand up, raise our heads because our redemption, our liberation, our hope is near. Despite the risk, we are not alone nor without hope. Jesus urges us to remain alert, to be on our guard, to be looking for the nearness of the Kingdom of God so that when we see the kingdom, we will not be caught off guard.

Jesus reminds me that in the midst of the chaos of the Christmas season and throughout the seasons of our lives, we might seek to see the in-breaking of God’s reign in our midst and that we might order our lives around the good news of Advent hope and Easter promise.

My deep prayer this morning is that I, that we, might be filled with that hope, the expectation of Advent, of the Baby Jesus, and Christ Jesus, the risen Son of God, and being so filled bend ourselves back, stand up and raise our heads, trusting and living into the promise that our redemption is near, firm in the expectation that as in God’s endings as in God’s beginnings, there is new life in Jesus Christ
.