the future descending
like a bright chandelier
*Strikes
hammer against metal
It's
a sort of surprising sound, isn't it?
And
it certainly isn't a sound we expect to hear here, right now; is it?
*Strikes
hammer against metal
No,
the sound is a little too abrasive for this calm service.
This
sound is not fitting here, now.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
The
sound we expect these days is the gentle ringing of the jingle-bells.
Yes,
that sound is more suited for the season...
As
Christmas approaches, we anticipate the coming feast with jingle-bells, not the
sound of metal upon metal;
but
Isaiah tells us the Prince of Peace comes
*Strikes
hammer against metal
with
this sound;
*Strikes
hammer against metal
the
sound of weapons being beat into gardening tools...
Just
as the sound of metal upon metal isn't what we expect to hear;
this
God destroying weapons instead of enemies, is not what we expect either;
it
surprises us...
God
has a way of doing that, of always surprising us.
No,
God's ways are rarely what we expect;
but
as we wondered together last week; maybe what we're not expecting is exactly
what we need...
That's
how it always seems to go with God;
we
never expect it.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
In
fact, that is exactly what Jesus confirms to the disciples today in the Gospel:
"About
that day, about that hour no one knows."
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Stay
awake.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Be
ready.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Our
response to this sound,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
just
as our response to these words of Jesus,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
reveal
that Jesus' analysis is not only spot-on;
but
that we would also do well to heed Jesus' exhortation to us;
us,
the most unsuspecting of all people...
After
all, it is Advent; so it is altogether right and salutary that we should
"be ready..."
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Here
is a little example of how we would do well to attend to Jesus' words; there is
a scene in those "Left Behind" movies depicting these words of Jesus.
We're
all familiar with the scene. You know the image; two folks sitting together and
suddenly the one who is the "True Christian" disappears;
leaving behind those dirty and dumb unbelievers,
or
maybe you've seen the bumper-sticker, "In the case of a rapture, this car
will be unmanned."
This
depiction of Jesus' words must be one of the more terrible interpretations of
Jesus' words!
Just
listen to what Jesus himself says, the one who is taken is NOT the
believer, but the unprepared one. Jesus' analogy likens the ones
who disappear to the unprepared folks who weren't on Noah's ark...
The
problem is the simple fact that such an obviously wrong reading
has made it into some B-film,
and that when we
hear these words of Jesus, we're also just as quick to imagine these words of
Jesus as some kind of divine threat, reveal that Jesus is right; we're not
prepared and we need to get ready...
This
way we all imagine God working,
how
we all hear Jesus' words,
reveal
that Jesus was right,
we're
not ready, and we desperately need to heed Jesus' advice, we need to get
prepared
Us,
who are so quick to turn the words of our savior into a threat, reveal
how unprepared we are for the savior to show up this Christmas.
Here
is why we would do well to really listen to Jesus' command; because Jesus isn't
making threats, but rather offering promises;
promises...
Jesus
is saying,
you
bean-counters out there,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
you
who imagine God is just waiting to consume the world with wrath,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
you
who have trouble loving yourself,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
you
who think if God knew the "real you" God wouldn't be so loving,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
"you," Jesus says;
be
ready.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Be
ready,
You be ready.
Be
ready because the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
Be
ready,
because
the unexpected God is on the loose;
in
the unexpected hour,
at
the unexpected place,
to
the unsuspecting sinner...
When
you're dragged to church,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
when
it feels like your life is falling apart,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
when
your best isn't enough,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
at
the cross,
*Strikes
hammer against metal
to
you, to me, to us;
*Strikes
hammer against metal
God
comes...
For
us bean-counters out there,
storing
up the good-deeds in the bank,
and
trying to keep those bad-deeds as hidden as possible,
be
ready
because there's a thief prowling;
and
this thief is never the one we'd expect: God.
That's
how Jesus says it goes, though,
and
since Jesus has told us what to expect,
Jesus
expects us to be ready.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
That's
it,
finally
we don't, we never
expect
God to quit the business of being godly,
to
become a decidedly ungodly creation, a human;
and
we certainly would never expect that God-human to resort to
thievery, we would never expect that divine God to get sullied all for the godless.
That's
exactly what Jesus says happens, though
how Jesus says God
works;
whether
we expect it, or not...
That's
always how it goes for sinners-in-denial, like me and you;
we
never expect God to show up like this,
we
expect a God-wielding weapons,
we
expect a God too dignified for breaking and entering;
but
God works in ways we're not expecting;
thank
God.
This
one we wait on during Advent, Jesus;
has
given us a glimpse into the mind, into the heart of God,
and
so then, this Jesus calls us to be ready for this unexpected thing God is
doing...
Advent
is here, and Jesus exhorts us,
"be
ready,"
be
ready for God, the divine thief, to break into that bank of saints and sinners,
all to steal away the sinners;
*Strikes
hammer against metal
to
save them, to save us, to save me, to save you.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Be
ready because God,
God
is
so interested in getting near you,
in
being God for you,
that
God will not only cease being godly and become a human,
but
God will even quit being just by resorting to thievery to steal you.
So,
"be ready," it will happen at an unexpected hour.
Be
ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour,
RIGHT
NOW
*Strikes
hammer against metal
Right
now, as you sit in a pew you've sat in any number of times before,
right
now, as you thought you were just coming to church,
right
now, as you thought today was a day like any other,
the
Son of Man comes.
*Strikes
hammer against metal
The
Son of Man comes at the unexpected hour!
HERE
*Strikes
hammer against metal
NOW
*Strikes
hammer against metal
YOU
*Strikes
hammer against metal
NOW
God
steals you,
NOW
you belong to God.
The
unexpected person,
in
the unexpected place,
at
the unexpected hour;
you, here and now.
Amen.
Advent
begins now,
*Strikes hammer against metal
God
quits all that godly business now,
God
is on the loose prowling for unsuspecting sinners now,
be
prepared for anything,
it's
Advent;
be
ready.
*Strikes hammer against metal
Amen
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