Luke 21:25-36
The 1st Sunday in Advent | 12/1/2024 | A Sermon on Luke 21:25-36 | by The Rev. Dr. Judson F Merrell, STS |
25 „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.
26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken.
27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.“
29 He told them this parable: „Look at the fig tree and all the trees.
30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near.
31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.
32 „Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
34 „Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap.
35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth.
36 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.“
New International Version (NIV)
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Brothers and sisters in Christ, grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
In his letter to the Romans St. Paul writes the following:
7 For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone. 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Rom 14:7-9 NIV)
What does it mean to “live for the Lord”? Does it mean to live in comfort and safety? Does it mean to devote an hour a week to church? Or does it mean to relinquish all control and put our faith solely in the Lord that tells us he will return to usher in Salvation for all creation? When this will be, we don’t know. But we know to prepare ourselves and to be ready. We know to be vigilant, to stay awake and keep watch. That was the message we heard last week and it is the message we hear again today. But there is one subtle difference between the Markan text we heard last week and the version from Luke we have today. In our Gospel today, Jesus calls on his disciples to not only be on watch, but to pray. Prayer is where we find ourselves living to the Lord.
In a sermon on this text, Martin Luther said that our Lord is cautioning “his Christians against becoming secure, so that the day of his coming might not come upon them unawares; he comforts them also so that they will not be terrified at the signs which will precede Judgment Day but rather rejoice that their redemption is drawing near.”[1] Luther goes on to say that as Christians, we should rejoice when we see changes in the world around us, even and perhaps especially if they seem bad. Why? Because as Christians we are reminded that the coming of the Lord is a great and terrible day. Luther points to verse 28, where Jesus tells his disciples to stand up and raise your heads when you see these things happening. In the midst of all of this is prayer. Prayer of thankfulness that our Lord is returning. Joyful prayer that God is returning creation to perfection. Jubilant prayer that God is calling his people to live with him in his kingdom forever. We pray this each and every week when we pray “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In the midst of the doom and gloom God’s children find hope, joy, jubilance, and thankfulness. This is living for the Lord.
Jesus’ second coming is a part of our weekly confession of faith and something we hope for. Do we hope for changes in nature, in the sun, the moon, and the stars? No. Do we hope for wars, or distress among the nations. Certainly not. But we hope for Christ to come, and Jesus tells us what has to happen in order for him to return. Thinking about that, we can look at our lesson and see that perhaps what Jesus is telling us is not so much a warning, but instead a comfort so that we can handle those things in a better way. A comfort because in the midst of living to the Lord we are called to pray.
The parable of the fig tree reminds us that the times of cold are needed so that rejuvenation can happen when the warmth comes. The day of the Lord will be like a change from the winter cold to the summer sun. When we see trees start to put out new shoots that is not a terrible thing. It is a sign of newness, a sign of growth, spring is near and summer is just around the corner. The cold and the dreariness are going away, and the warmth and light is coming. Is that not also how it will be with the second coming of the Son of Man? Surely all the cold and dreariness will be there. That is what we prepare for so that we can see the warmth of the outcome…The outcome of all this is that we will be standing before the Son of Man. The outcome is the forgiveness of sins and redemption for all of creation. Why would be not be ecstatic about that? We know that that moment will probably be terrifying, but terrifyingly good. As humans it is hard to realize we are absolutely not in control of everything. We all like control because we like order to our lives. We live by our own schedules. But when we die, we live to the Lord, and to the Lord alone. As we begin Advent today…we wait with our heads high. We pray for the One who will come on the clouds and deliver us from all the misery of the world. May God grant us the patience and the strength to hold fast until the great and terrible day of the Lord. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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©The Rev. Dr. Judson F Merrell, STS
judsonmerrell@bellsouth.net
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
Lexington, SC USA
[1] Klug, Eugene, ed. Sermons of Martin Luther:The House Postils Vol. 1 pg. 37ff