All Delighted People Raise Your Hands...

Luke 21:5-19:

When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, Jesus said, “As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another, all will be thrown down.” They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” and Jesus said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”

Then Jesus said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. This will give you an opportunity to testify. So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; for I will give you words and wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair on your head will parish. By your endurance you will gain your souls.

Prayer: Lord may the words of my lips and the meditations of all our hearts be a gift of your strengthening presence for our endurance. Amen.

Intro: Hello, my name is Ryan Cosgrove and I am an intern at the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington State, or just the LPPO. I thank you for the opportunity to be here today. Holy Cross is an Advocating Congregation with the LPPO, and part of that relationship is staying in touch, so that is why I am here today. Again, thank you for this opportunity to be here with you today.

The LPPO is about God’s work of Justice and sustainability in the world. The LPPO is part of this work through creating networks of individuals, congregations, and community partners. These networks work together in projects of justice, and in advocacy by engaging society and the government.

So, in some ways, it could seem like an odd Sunday for an LPPO representative to be present. Today we hear Jesus speaking about the end. And, often when we think about the end, we think about it as a time when all work in this world ends.

What could engaging justice have to do with the end?

The idea that the end is a time when human efforts for justice come to an end is a very popular one. In fact, there are many Christians who are actively trying to bring about the end of the world in an attempt to provoke God to intervene and bring the end. In this thinking, the Christian perpetuates tensions in the middle east or destroys creation so God will finally intervene.

So, what could justice have to do with the end? It seems there is no thinking about the end that touches upon justice. These ideas, while incredibly popular in contemporary North America, are actually not unique.

Paul addressed these questions when he dealt with the church in Thessalonica. And, while Paul critiqued the idea that we can just sit back and wait for the end, Jesus does to.

These sayings of Jesus are in the context of replying to anxious questioners about how to anticipate the end. When Jesus tells those around him that even the temple will fall, they get anxious. “Teacher,” they ask, “when will this be and what will be the signs that this is about to take place.”

You can almost hear their voice waver as they ask this question. For those living in Jesus’ time, the idea that something as monumental as the temple could fall, appropriately enough, created anxiety.

And we know it isn’t too hard to relate to these hearers.

We too, when we hear about earthquakes, hurricanes, or towers in New York falling wonder what God’s plan could be. Honestly, we can understand the anxiety of Jesus’ hearers.

And, that is what is so popular about much apocalyptic literature. Many are trying to figure out a time-table to God’s plan. In many ways much of our anxiety about the state of the world is about the same question, “Teacher, when will this be and what will be the signs that this is about to take place?

It is a perennial question then: how are we to anticipate the end.

But notice what Jesus does not do when he responds to this question; Jesus does not give a time-table to predict the end.

In fact, in an apparent insightful glimpse into human nature, Jesus even refutes those who will try to provide a time-table. “For many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘the time is near!,” Jesus says. “Do not go after them,” he adds.

Jesus does not offer a time-table.

Jesus does something much more powerful. Jesus reframes the question altogether. Jesus moves the question from signs to predict the end, to how one is to live into uncertainty in the present and future faithfully. Jesus couches all of this talk in a promise.

Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush, I mean he is frank. He is clear that his followers will face difficulty, but more importantly he is clear that his promise remains true even in these difficulties. Jesus says, ‘Not a hair on your head will parish.’

Can you imagine how absurd this must have sounded? ‘Um, excuse me Jesus, but you just said we will be arrested, and persecuted, handed over to synagogues and prisons, brought before kings and governors, betrayed by friends and family. Oh yeah, you also said some of us will be put to death!

Well, I don’t care about whether my hair lives, what about me?!?’

Absurd as it sounds, Jesus is trustworthy. In the midst of anything, not a hair on your head will parish. Jesus puts all the anxiety and all the uncertainty in the context of a promise.

That promise puts all anxiety into its proper place and opens a new way forward. Instead of the future being something to be afraid of, it becomes an opportunity.

Now the future, intimidating as it may appear, is nothing to be terrified of. Now, the future is no longer threatening, now it holds a promise. When your faith brings you before kings and governors, it is an opportunity to testify about the same God who provides and sustains you in the midst of any difficulty.

Just as Jesus has testified to a promise to sustain us in the midst of difficulty, we too become testifiers of God’s promises.

God’s economy is remarkable.

We’re given a promise, and with that promise we testify to others about that same promise, and while we testify the promise continues to sustain us. God is deeply present with God’s good creation.

Jesus says we will be a given a word and wisdom when we testify. Isn’t that remarkable?!

At best, we might think God promises to be with us in times of difficulty, and then when we testify before kings and governors it’s all us.

That isn’t the case, though, Jesus promises to provide for us in the midst of all that. When we testify God provides for us!

That testimony of God’s love in the midst of challenges is what we’re called to. In fact, it is part of the work of the LPPO and the work of an advocating congregation.

In today’s climate of tight budgets we’re called to testify for those who are often ignored when budgets are drafted. In the midst of these challenges, when it would be easier to hole up, wait for the end and hold onto what’s ours, we’re given a promise and called to share it.

We’re pulled from being turned in on ourselves, given a promise and turned toward those around us in need.

Jesus is clear there will be challenges, but we should not be terrified. These challenges, combined with God’s promise become opportunities.

We have this promise and it is written on our hearts and lips, a promise we are called to share. In these times, Jesus promises to provide us with a word and wisdom when we face difficulties.

And another thing about Jesus’ promise; Jesus’ promise of God’s presence is not the promise of an abstract deity. Jesus gives this promise as a person, not as an abstract deity.

You see, these difficulties we’re told to expect:

being betrayed,

being handed over to authorities,

even being killed.

Jesus has already experiences them.

Jesus gives this promise as a God who deeply understands the pain of these challenges. When Jesus sustains us, giving us endurance by his promise, it is not abstract. Instead, it is the promise of a God who suffers along with those oppressed. It is a promise of a God who understands your anxiety and frustration. Jesus doesn’t refuse to give a time-table to patronize creation, Jesus doesn’t give a time-table because that wouldn’t save creation, only a promise can do that.

Jesus doesn’t side step the question about how we are to know the end is coming, Jesus does something more powerful.

Jesus experiences these challenges himself, and promises his sustaining presence in the midst of these difficulties. In your work, you are not alone, you have a sustainer as you testify to God’s love.

As you engage in book studies about the role of the public church, God is with you. As you prepare for Housing and Homelessness Advocacy Days, God is with you. Yes, you may face challenges, but that is where God’s presence is assured. No longer do you need a special code to divinize the sign of the times, so make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance, for Jesus will provide for you. In your work as an advocating congregation, you will never be left to your own devices.

Amen.