Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122:1-9, Matthew 24:36-44, Romans 13:11-14
Advent means coming. It is a time of waiting. Waiting expectantly. What are we waiting for?
We wait for Christmas for the celebration of Jesus’ birth, his first coming. Because this marks an event in the past, we know what to expect, and we prepare accordingly.
We also wait for Jesus’ return, his second coming. Because it hasn’t happened yet we don’t know quite what to expect. We have some idea but not the detail, so how do we prepare?
We’ve been told to expect the Second Coming at any time so we must always be ready. We prepare by “laying aside the works of darkness and putting on the armour of light”. We do that all the time so what’s so special about Advent?
“The themes of the season of Advent are very much like those for Lent. We are called, in essence, to observe a holy Advent by living honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy, but by putting on the Lord Jesus Christ and making no provisions to gratify the desires of the flesh. Does that not sound a whole lot like the admonition we give on Ash Wednesday when we call upon people to “observe a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting, and self-denial, and by reading and meditating on God’s Holy Word?” Let us, then, heed Paul’s call and remember that essentially we prepare for Christ’s coming, in the past and in the future, by being alert and reshaping our lives in the way that our Savior demands.” GBOD, UMC.
On that Day
That said, let’s have a look at what Jesus says in the Matthew passage about the day of his return. He spoke of two people together then one is taken away and one is left behind. How do you understand that? Who is taken and who is left? There are people who are so confident of their interpretation of the Bible’s teaching on the Second Coming that they have written books and made them into movies, picturing graphically the events of that day. Most prominent in this genre is the Left Behind series. But maybe it isn’t quite as clear as they make out.
The prevailing interpretation is that it is Jesus’ chosen ones who are taken (off to heaven) and the bad people left behind. This idea actually comes from 1 Thess 4:17 where Paul says Jesus’ people will “be gathered in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air”, and, it is assumed, continue in that direction to heaven.
“We tend to read [this back into Matthew] as if the “saved” are the ones who are taken away, and the others are left behind. But [Danielle Shroyer believes] that’s not what the text points to at all. In the reference to Noah and the flood, it’s the people who are swept away and taken who are the ones on the “outside.” The ones who stay–the ones on the boat–are those who are saved.
“Likewise, in the metaphor of the thief, the thief comes and takes someone away. It’s a kidnapping story, not a Peter Pan-whisking-you-away-to-Neverland story. The hope for those who are ready is that their doors are locked and they stay put, right where they are.
“If you aren’t yet convinced, keep reading into chapter 25, where we get to the story of the bridesmaids. Again, the ones who weren’t prepared were gone when the bridegroom came, and they missed him. The bridesmaids who stayed put were there to greet the bridegroom with lamps burning brightly.
The earth is Jesus’ home
“This ought to make perfect sense to us, because Jesus has made it abundantly clear in his life, death and resurrection that the earth is his home. It’s a dual citizenship, certainly. He is Lord of Heaven and Earth. The creator of the universe has made this planet his home. Makes sense of earth’s special status.
“The entire Book of Revelation describes Jesus coming to live with us forever, here on Earth. “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them” (Revelation 21:3).
“And in the Apostle’s Creed, we proclaim that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father, and from there he will come to judge the living and the dead. We do not say he will then turn around and go back.” -Danielle Shroyer
So, who wants to be left behind now?
An aside on Earth being Jesus’ home.
He made it with loving care and he’s pretty keen on it, even though he cursed it on account of human sin. That just made our job of looking after it harder. The earth, the entire earth, is the Lord’s and He being so keen on it gives us all the more reason to look after it well.
When Jesus came the first time he came to purify his earth-keepers, to put us in a right relatinship with him. This required that he redeem us. Our redemption, when complete, brings about the redemption of the earth, the release from its curse. I, personally, could never reconcile Christian faith and abuse of creation.
Securing promise
Mixed in among the somewhat dire warnings about the future apocalypse is Jesus’ promise that when he comes he “will gather his chosen ones from one end of the world to the other” (24:31). Jesus promises that we are with him until the end, at the end and beyond – now and forever.
We need this promise because of the unexpectedness not only of the end but of much of life.
We try to make life orderly but we can’t keep it that way. A typhoon, a broken ankle, a lost job, a heart attack, the death of a loved one, or so many other personal, poignant, and unanticipated set-backs can easily keep us on the back foot.
“And we know this. We know life is precarious, unpredictable, and for these reasons also precious, but we often deny or are afraid to speak of that fact.”
“Jesus’ promise does not insulate us from an uncertain future, but it does promise that we will not face that future alone. Come hell or high water – and this seems as appropriate a phrase as any to capture much of this chapter – Jesus will be at our side, granting us courage in the face of life’s adversities and remaining with us even through death, drawing us into new life.
“If we believe this is true, then what might we dare? What might we venture or risk, knowing that all loss and disappointment, as difficult as they may be, are also occasions to experience more deeply the healing presence of the one who came, comes, and will come again, always for us and all the world?” -David Lose, Working Preacher
Until He comes
What might we risk? We might risk persevering in prayer regardless of how it sems to turn out. One of the dangers of praying is that we can become over-burdened by the negative stuff we’re praying about and against and become despondent. Even though we’re committing it to God and we know he’s powerful and faithful and just, when we don’t see justice coming through for so many people we can get thoroughly downcast. See Psalm 42.
We talk about the second coming in advent because that’s what we’re waiting for and because that is what sets the pattern of our lives until it happens. Advent, like Lent, is a time to pursue God with enthusiasm. Seek his company, his love, to be in his presence all the time, to hear his voice and follow his leading. And do it all with a grateful heart, believing his promises.
May this prayer help anchor us in Jesus’ promise of presence and blessing, the one thing that is sure and certain amid all the uncertainties of this life: Lord God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”