Our text for discussion … Luke 21:25-36,
| Luke 21:25-36 NKJV | Luke 21:25-36 NRSVue |
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25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” 29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with [a] carousing (dissipation), drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may [b]be counted worthy (have strength to) to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” |
25 “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. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”[a] 29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. 34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.” |
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.”
Let’s note the context … to help us get an idea of the timing of the events …
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- Luke 21:1-4 The widow’s two mites
- Luke 21:5-6 Jesus Predicts the Destruction of the Temple
- Luke 21:7-11, 12-18, 19 The Signs of the Time, including persecution
- Luke 21:20-24 The Trampling of Jerusalem
The Parable of the Fig Tree
29 Then He spoke to them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.
The Importance of Watching
34 “But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with [a] carousing (dissipation), drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch therefore, and pray always that you may [b]be counted worthy (have strength to) to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”
From Barclay’s commentary …
There are two main conceptions here.
(i) There is the conception of the second coming of Jesus Christ. There has always been much useless argument and speculation about the second coming. When it will be and what it will be like, are not ours to know. But the one great truth it enshrines is this — that history is going somewhere. The Stoics regarded history as circular. They held that every three thousand years or so the world was consumed by a great conflagration, then it started all over again and history repeated itself. That meant that history was going nowhere and men were tramping round on a kind of eternal treadmill. The Christian conception of history is that it has a goal and at that goal Jesus Christ will be Lord of all. That is all we know, and all we need to know.
(ii) There is stressed the need to be upon the watch. The Christian must never come to think that he is living in a settled situation. He must be a man who lives in a permanent state of expectation. A novelist, in one of her books, has a character who will not stoop to certain things that others do. “I know,” she said, “that some day the great thing will come into my life and I want to keep myself fit to take it.” We must live forever in the shadow of eternity, in the certainty that we are men who are fitting or unfitting themselves to appear in the presence of God. There can be nothing so thrilling as the Christian life.
The Hope of Anxiety
Luke 21:25-36 NRSVUE
Has anybody here ever heard of the term “doomscrolling?” What does it mean?
Doomscrolling is when you scroll through your computer or phone and focus on sad or negative news stories or social media posts. One reason we may doomscroll is because we’re trying to protect ourselves from the dangers around us. It can give us a feeling of control in a world that is out of control. This practice can become addictive and adverse to our health. We assume getting information about risks and then protecting ourselves or preparing for the “what if” will keep us safe, but we end up feeling worse, experiencing anxiety, anger, sadness, and uncertainty.
You might think it strange that we’re talking about anxiety during the first week of Advent when all we want to think about is Christmas trees and Advent calendar chocolates (the good kind). But our sermon reading today is quoting the Christ child himself, all grown up, of course, and he’s talking about his return and the state of the world at his return. Let’s read Luke 1:25-36 (NRSVUE).
Luke 21:25-36 (NRSVue)
25 “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. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”[a] (at hand)
29 Then he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees; 30 as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. 31 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
34 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, 35 like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place and to stand before the Son of Man.”
The Context of the Gospel of Luke
Luke was the only Gospel writer who is commonly identified as a gentile. He was a gentile physician (Colossians 4:14), and the audience to whom he was writing was primarily Gentile and included a man named Theophilus who was assumed to be a high official in the Roman government. Barclay’s Commentary reports that each of the Gospels was written from a particular worldview that could be represented with a symbol. For Luke, Barclay’s symbol was a calf. Barclay writes:
“The calf is the animal for sacrifice; and Luke saw in Jesus the sacrifice for all the world. In Luke above all, the barriers are broken down and Jesus is for Jew and gentile, saint and sinner alike. He is the saviour of the world.” (Barclay’s Commentary, “Luke”).
Barclay further notes that Luke did not emphasize Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy, so he rarely quoted the Old Testament. Instead, he places the book’s events within the context of the reigning Roman emperor and other Roman events. Luke also writes about Jesus’ lineage as beginning with Adam, the first human, rather than Abraham, the founder of Judaism.
Luke’s Gospel was written in the last decades of the first century and may have used Mark’s Gospel, which was written earlier, for some of its material. This means Luke could have witnessed Christ’s crucifixion, the executions of Peter, James, and Paul, the temple’s destruction, and Nero’s persecution of the church. It was in this reality that Luke wrote his Gospel, emphasizing the saving work of Jesus regardless of what life throws at you.
On this first Sunday of Advent, we read of the good news of Christ’s coming and a world in complete disarray. It’s a paradox. We say something is a paradox when two things that seem to contradict one another are both true. Some other paradoxes include Jesus is a baby in a manger but also the Savior of the World; Jesus is fully man and fully God; and Jesus died to bring life. Notice that the Gospels are full of paradox. In our sermon text, Jesus tells his listeners that there will be suffering (Luke 21:25-26) but also comfort and redemption (Luke 21:28, 31). Suffering and comfort seem like opposites, but both can exist at the same time.
Our sermon text takes place inside the temple where we find Jesus seemingly irritated by something. Maybe it was people’s reaction to the splendor, or perhaps it was the wealth. It could have been the restrictions placed on who could enter the temple. Jesus takes this opportunity to say, with a loud voice, that everything they were looking at and amazed by would pass away. Let’s read the sermon text again, this time using The Message Bible.
It will seem like all hell has broken loose — sun, moon, stars, earth, sea, in an uproar and everyone all over the world in a panic, the wind knocked out of them by the threat of doom, the powers-that-be quaking. And then — then! — they’ll see the Son of Man welcomed in grand style — a glorious welcome! When all this starts to happen, up on your feet. Stand tall with your heads high. Help is on the way!
He told them a story. “Look at a fig tree. Any tree for that matter. When the leaves begin to show, one look tells you that summer is right around the corner. The same here — when you see these things happen, you know God’s kingdom is about here. Don’t brush this off: I’m not just saying this for some future generation, but for this one, too — these things will happen. Sky and earth will wear out; my words won’t wear out. But be on your guard. Don’t let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping. Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap, for it’s going to come on everyone, everywhere, at once. So, whatever you do, don’t fall asleep at the switch. Pray constantly that you will have the strength and wits to make it through everything that’s coming and end up on your feet before the Son of Man. (Luke 21:25-36 MSG)
Let’s consider these themes on the first Sunday of Advent: anxiety is shared by many, mending happens after breaking, and the redemption of the world is the outcome.
Anxiety is common.
Jesus says that “it will seem like all hell has broken loose” and people would feel as if “the wind [was] knocked out of them by the threat of doom” (Luke 21:25-26, The Message). Jesus understands the fear and anxiety are common. In fact, Jesus prayed to his Father “if you are willing, remove this cup from me” (Luke 22:42). Our elder brother Jesus knew what anxiety felt like, but he continued to move forward anyway.
We might question our faith when we doomscroll through our media feeds or worry about the uncertainties presented in our world. Author and theologian Frederick Buechner [pronounced BEEK-ner] writes in his essay titled “Grace” that God’s grace looks something like this:
Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are, because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you. (Buechner, “Grace”)
We can take heart in the midst of anxiety because we have hope in Christ, expecting the righteousness of God to win out over any and all uncertainties. We also have our experiences of deliverance to comfort us. In Luke 21:29-31, Jesus reminds his listeners that they have lived through difficulties before. He uses the example of a fig tree to remind us that the past can help us make sense of the future. In the fall, the tree sheds it’s leaves and looks barren. But in the spring, we see the buds start to form and we know that one season is ending, and another is beginning. Experience is a good reminder. Reminding ourselves and each other of God’s care and comfort during previous trials can encourage us to take heart.
Mending happens after breaking.
You may have heard stories from people who have broken a finger but didn’t realize it, thinking it was just a bad sprain, only to have it x-rayed a week or two later to discover the bone was broken but already knitting back together and not in a good way. Their doctor had to rebreak the bone for the finger to heal properly and regain its motion and use.
The systems of our world, based on longstanding inequities and harmful cultural norms, must be mended, renewed. Jesus warns in Luke 21:25-26 about instabilities that will be revealed, resulting in people “[fainting] from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (v.26). Often, these verses are interpreted as if the fear and foreboding are coming from evil, but Jesus sets the record straight in Luke 21:27-28, saying,
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. (Luke 21:27-28, NRSVUE)
Theologian Caroline Lewis writes this about the upheaval necessary to uproot harmful practices and introduce God’s loving community:
But the birth of Jesus is an apocalypse; God’s revelation of God’s very self that will change everything, that will reveal a new world order. And worlds that depend on certain powers and privilege are not prone to entertaining alternative views of authority. The birth we anticipate will bring with it deaths we have to accept.
We often interpret these passages as applying to individuals, but much of the Bible is concerned with the way human beings live in community with one another. Authors Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan write in their book, The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth, that “God’s dream for us is not simply peace of mind but peace on earth.” Thus, the world systems that marginalize, separate, and divide people (think about patriarchy, racism, classism, ableism, to name a few) will not exist in the fullness of the kingdom of God which is built on mutual love, respect, and flourishing. Anything that divides us and them will pass away.
The redemption of the world is the outcome.
We seem to have the opportunity to think the world is ending during every generation. People living through the plague during medieval times might have thought the world was ending, and servicepeople fighting in WWI and WWII also probably considered that the world’s end was near. Jesus says in Luke 21:32 that “this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place.” We’re encouraged not to get caught up in doomscrolling or unhelpful ways of coping with anxiety, “weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life” (Luke 21:34).
With all the brokenness we witness, the anxiety we may feel is understandable. Herein lies the hope. While we look forward to Jesus’ second coming and the fullness of the kingdom, we experience the kingdom now. Jesus told us what his kingdom values are. Consider:
But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:27-31, NRSVUE)
Jesus, whose birth we will be celebrating in a few weeks, is returning to redeem the world by mending its broken and hurtful systems and by comforting those who have had to live in anxiety’s grip within the shadows of those systems. In the meantime, we prepare for Christ’s return by living lives of love toward others and celebrating Jesus’ righteousness as it inspires hopeful expectations within an anxious world.
Call to Action: This week, notice your feelings of worry and anxiety as they come up. Remember that Jesus also felt anxious and take a deep breath in and out. Give thanks for the Incarnation, Immanuel with us, and for the promised Second Coming as you move through the world, extending kindness and grace to everyone as you participate in making God’s dream of peace on earth a reality.