The Journey Ahead
Mike Bowler
2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13, Luke 21:5-19
May my words and our thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen
We have some pretty hard hitting readings for today which probably will leave us a little perplexed and even anxious.
The Gospel we have heard today is part of what scholars call the “Olivet Discourse”, teachings of Jesus to his disciples whilst on the Mount of Olives that are also found in the gospels of Matthew (Matthew 24:1-25,46) and Mark (Mark 13:1-37). These are prophetic teachings where Jesus is telling the disciples and us of the signs of the end of the age.
The passage from Luke Chapter 21 starts with the disciples looking at and possibly admiring the rather grand and opulent Temple building with its beautiful stonework and decorations dedicated to God. The Temple had been rebuilt over many years. But this building is used by Jesus in the next verse in a prophesy that predicts the building will be destroyed and no stone will remain upon another. This destruction was indeed to happen very shortly after in AD70, when the Romans under Titus completely destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple buildings. Gold leaf was said to have melted from the roof when the building was set on fire, leading to the stones being pried apart to retrieve the gold.
This prompted the disciples to ask when this would happen and what would be the sign that the destruction was imminent.
Jesus goes on to warn the disciples to watch out for false prophets, those who might pretend to know the timing and offer false hope. In these teachings, Jesus was not attempting to sugar coat the future of the world, and certainly was not offering a dishonest and rosy picture for Christians. Jesus was not trying to be the slick salesman that was promising the world and heaven all wrapped up in glitter. Trying to sell the dream.
No, he was being quite straight down the line. Time was short for Jesus. He had to make His teaching quite direct.
There was going to be trouble ahead, with war, earthquakes, famines and disease. There would be other fearful events and even great signs from heaven. There would be persecutions and interrogations. In the middle of this mayhem, Jesus says that we are not worry before-hand how we were to defend themselves, but during those periods of witness, the disciples were told that words and wisdom will be given them by Jesus that will confound their persecutors. This was not a promise of protection from physical harm so much as a promise of spiritual protection.
The description in the gospel passage could so well be a report on news channels in 2022. We have nations at war with one another, destroying lives, families and property in bloody acts of greed and pointless political posturing. Earthquakes, volcanoes and tsunami waves, floods and land slips, drought and poverty, murder, crime and financial doom all appear regularly across our screens and newspapers. We seem to thrive on bad news and indeed it sells stories. Are we in end times? Quite possibly yes. When will all this end? Only God knows and to Him be the glory.
This message found in the Gospels is perhaps not intended to immerse us in a sense of deep doom and gloom. There is a message here that we as Christians can hold on to and use to direct our lives.
“……do not be frightened.” (Luke21:9) and “Make up your mind not to worry before hand….” (Luke 21:13). Being worried, frightened and fearful is a very Human emotion in times of stress. Sadly, so many people in this world today live in this state constantly. It serves to make us cautious and risk adverse, and probably comes from a more primitive instinct to help us avoid danger and ensure survival. Unfortunately, it also leads to a sense of being unable to do anything, almost a level of paralysis with fear and this will have a detrimental effect on our faith and on our effectiveness in working for God on this earth. Worry will also possibly lead us to hang on words of false prophets and sooth sayers. Jesus warns the disciples early in the reading “Watch out that you are not deceived…..many will come in my name…..the time is near. Do not follow them.” (Luke 21:8). These days of mass media and online social networking make it so easy for the naïve and vulnerable person to be influenced. Some people actually make a living from being “Influencers”. So beware of those that appear to offer a hope that is not God given. It says in Isaiah “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
We are warned that “You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, ….” (Luke 21:16) and in Matthew’s version of this prophecy “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:16). As Christians, we can do precisely the opposite! We can, with God’s grace, avoid wickedness which can even be commonplace and socially acceptable. We can take care of and nurture relationships. We can avoid being offended. We can refuse to let others’ hatred come into our lives, to make us bitter and seething. We must not betray others. We can practice love for our neighbours. We can strive to keep love warm. We can endeavour to keep our spiritual lives warm as well. Let us not let love grow cold, as Jesus warned us in the prophesy.
Recently in our home group we watched a video entitled Amazing Grace, the story of William Wilberforce, a British politician and evangelical Christian who lived from 1759 through to 1833. He and others campaigned and fought through parliament to abolish the slave trade that was so entrenched in the economy of the time. He stood up against the wickedness and abomination of the use and abuse of human beings by colonial interests. He fought for 20 years to eventually get an Act through parliament in 1807, abolishing the slave trade in the British Empire. A true Christian warrior, who, with others, was prepared to stand against what was quite acceptable and in grained in society at the time.
The passage from Luke ends with a verse ”By standing firm, you will gain life” (Luke 21:19) or in Matthew’s version “but he who stands firm to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13)
We as Christians can easily grow weary, tired and short on faith. We can become distracted, and we can give up. I’m sure we all feel this, even a lot of the time. We are extolled to continue the journey in the light of Christ to the very end, through this life and into the next. Our prize is stated quite categorically there, the gift of salvation. The journey will be tough, but the end will be worth it. At sports events, those on the side lines that encourage and cheer on the athletes have as much of a part in the successful outcome of the race or match as the athletes themselves. That moral support is so important. It supports athletes, and even armies. So let us as Christians support one another through the journey. In our Anglican Cursillo movement, we have a Spanish word, Ultreya, which means onwards and upwards. We can encourage one anther by sharing stories of our own faith journeys, often through trying circumstances. Let us be encouragers to our fellow Christians as we journey together. Let us cheer one another on until the race is completed.
The job is not over yet. We still have a lot of work to do. There is preparation to be done. We actually need to be busy in God’s work. In Matthew’s version, Jesus says “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14). We can use this opportunity to continue to preach the Gospel, in fulfilment of Jesus’s prophecy. “Preach the gospel at all times. Use words only when necessary.” St Francis of Assisi
So let us pray that through God’s grace
We will not be paralysed into lack of action.
We can keep our relationships and love warm
We will keep out spiritual lives warm.
We can cheer one another along this journey together
We can be discerning about what we hear or read.
We will spread the Gospel through actions and words
An let us remember the words of Jesus as He commissioned His disciples
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)
Amen.