Keep awake…for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.
The Rev. Scot Sherman
The First Sunday of Advent, November 27, 2022
Isaiah 2:1-5 • Romans 13:11-14 • Matthew 24:36-44
I grew up in the 1960s in Atlanta Georgia. I was a happy child, which is kind of amazing since I grew up in a culture that taught me to be afraid. At Mt Carmel Elementary, we actually watched films about how to survive a nuclear attack, and practiced getting under our desks to “duck and cover!”—there was even a catchy song! And at the Baptist church, we saw a film that was even scarier (!),“A Thief in the Night”, based on our gospel text. The idea was something called “The rapture,” a word that does not occur in the Bible, but comes from a convoluted way of reading the Bible that began in the 19th century. We were taught that true believers will be raptured—caught up into the air to meet the Lord and disappear with him for 7 years, while things go to hell in a hand basket here on earth during the Great Tribulation with the Antichrist in charge. Larry Norman sang about it, “I wish we’d all been ready/there’s no time to change your mind/the son has come and you’ve been left behind.” This was a lot to put onto a 10 year old.
Of course, this strange twisting of scripture is still around. The “Left Behind” movies and novels have popularized it. Maybe you’ve seen bumper stickers on cars that say, “Warning: In case of the rapture, the driver of this car will disappear.” I prefer the other one that says, “When the rapture comes, can I have your car?”
Thankfully, the rapture virus never really made its way into the Episcopal Church. You can safely say, that Holy Innocents is a rapture free zone! Still, every week, you face East and say, “He will come again to judge the living and the dead.” What goes through your mind when you say or sing that? What are you longing for?
For the disciples, this was a pressing question. Jesus had been using Messianic language referring to himself and talking about coming in power. He predicted the complete destruction of the temple, and terrible things happening. They’re asking a sensible question: “when is this going down?” His answer is surprising: “I have no idea. Only the Father knows. Just be ready.”
Decades later, Matthew is writing to a community that is also asking, so, when is this “coming”? Should we settle down and pick out curtains, or be ready for the end soon? Jesus answer is to them is basically, YES!
He uses the example of the people in Noah’s day. They didn’t know when the flood would come, but they heard the warnings. Dale Bruner says in his commentary on Matthew that their problem was “nonchalance about God,“ which is the “beginning and end problem for humanity.” Jesus is saying, you don’t know when the end is coming, or frankly, what any moment will bring, so live in the light of what I’ve taught you every day. Take it seriously. Wake up!
The Rapture theology sees Jesus as the thief coming to steal the good Christians away into the clouds, but that’s not what’s going on in this text. No, Jesus is saying, as you live your life, don’t forget the story you’re in.
I think this gets to the psychology of faith, of how the gospel message gets inside you and shapes your imagination: Jesus is God in solidarity with us; in his death, he entered the worst of human evil, injustice and suffering; and—here’s the good news-- God brought new life of resurrection out from that darkest place. That act of new creation changes everything, but—here’s the thing—for it to change everything, it’s going to take all of history. The work that God began is gonna take the time that it gonna take. Christian faith is a choice, an act or orienting ourselves towards the promise of that resurrection reality, living our lives in light of that promise. “Keeping awake” and “being ready” is about a constant turning to God, turning to this promise.
Isaiah paints that picture of history. Things roll along, and terrible things happen. But underneath it all, all the nations are streaming up to God’s mountain, God’s promised future, where we will beat our swords into plowshares and our spears into pruning hooks.
You know, when I was a child, I remember being in the back seat of the car (no seat belts yet!), and watching the rain flow up the windshield of our car as we drove. I was mesmerized by that. I remember my Dad how that was possible, and him explaining, “the force of the wind is stronger than the force of gravity.”
During Advent, we remember that no matter what’s happening in our world: wars, rumors of wars (what’s happening in Ukraine, what may happen with Russia or China), terrible events (7 mass shootings in the last 7 days)!—we REMEMBER that Christ has died, Christ has risen and Christ is coming again. We REMEMBER that the wind of the Spirit is at work in this world to draw us to God’s promised future of justice and peace. When you hear the bells ringing in a few minutes, let them wake you up to God’s promises, to choose the way of love. Let them wake you up to the story you’re in. Amen.
The Rev. Dr. Scot Sherman