Sermon thoughts by Pastor Glenn Johnson, Welcome Home, Community of Christ, 2003 E Cienega, Covina, CA 91728.
Matthew 24:36–44/24:43–51 IV — Be Ready
First Sunday of Advent (Hope)
Isaiah 2:1–5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11–14
Sunday, November 27, 2016
Be Ready
Are you ready? It's such a short simple question: Are you ready? But all at once it triggers excitement, anticipation, hope or maybe even fear, hesitation, doubt. Are you ready?
The Gospel of Matthew has been called the most Jewish of all the gospels. Written for an audience in the Jewish sect near Jerusalem that was following the teachings of Jesus, Matthew borrows from the gospel of Mark and from another source called Q source to compose a story that depicts Jesus life in a way that emphasized parallels to Moses. "Jesus goes up on to a mountain to teach and there talks about the law. He looks like Moses. Jesus delivers five different sermons of this sort, just like the five books of Torah. There are a lot of elements in this story that resemble Moses' traditions, from the killing of the babies, in the birth narrative, to the Sermon on the Mount, to even to the way that Jesus dies, just like some of the prophets died, as martyrs to their prophetic calling." (L. Michael White)
But unlike Moses, the Jesus sect is expecting Jesus' imminent return. In fact, Matthew seems to be addressing several problems that were affecting his audience because of their expectation that Jesus was going to return. So in Matthew 24:36-44, a part of Jesus' Olivet discourse, we read:
Matthew 24:36-44 (NRSV)
36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
In Jesus voice, the gospel of Matthew addresses two problems: false prophets and dwindling faith. As the years following Jesus death grow and now even as the temple has fallen, some pretenders are claiming to be Jesus and others are beginning to doubt if he will ever return.
It is interesting that the collectors of the lectionary scriptures begin the Advent readings in Year A with this eschatological appeal to "be ready." I find value in understanding the advice of this scripture as it applies to our present need to be ready.
If we understand the Kingdom of God (Basileia tou theou) as both a present and future divine dominion, then this call to "Be Ready" is profoundly practical and theological. Even as we prepare ourselves as Christians through Scripture study and spiritual formation we also are simultaneously called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in community.
This scripture seems to be well timed for the political anxiety and divisions surrounding the recent US elections. "Be ready." The Christian community is called to be in the forefront. In April of 1972, W. Wallace Smith shared inspired words when he wrote: "These are portentous times. The lives of many are being sacrificed unnecessarily to the gods of war, greed, and avarice. The land is being desecrated by the thoughtless waste of vital resources. You must obey my commandments and be in the forefront of those who would mediate this needless destruction while there is yet day."
Nearly four decades later, in 2010, Stephen Veazey wrote similarly inspired words: "It is imperative to understand that when you are truly baptized into Christ you become part of a new creation. By taking on the life and mind of Christ, you increasingly view yourselves and others from a changed perspective. Former ways of defining people by economic status, social class, sex, gender, or ethnicity no longer are primary. Through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a visible sign of the coming reign of God."
Are you ready? Are you ready for that unexpected hour? Are you ready to mediate needless destruction while there is yet day? Are you ready to form "through the gospel of Christ a new community of tolerance, reconciliation, unity in diversity, and love is being born as a visible sign of the coming reign of God"?
Pastor Glenn Johnson frequently preaches and presides over worship services at Welcome Home, Community of Christ, 2003 E. Cienega, Covina, CA 91728. Worship services are held at 4:00 p.m. Sundays followed by table fellowship and dinner. There is no charge for the meal and there is no offering plate during meal times. Pastor Johnson is a volunteer pastor and is not compensated for his ministry. Donations are accepted to support the table fellowship, Wednesday Love Lunch ministry and other programs of the congregation.
