Watching and Waiting

WATCHING AND WAITING

Mount Hope UMC

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Matthew 24:36-44 New Living Translation (NLT)

³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.^[a] Only the Father knows.

³⁷ “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. ³⁸ In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. ³⁹ People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

⁴⁰ “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³ Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

            These verses are part of the longest discourse Jesus gives on the Mount of Olives.  Right before he begins his teaching, he grieves over Jerusalem saying that they kill the prophets and stone those went to them.  He says how often he has longed to gather God’s people together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but the Israelites were not willing.  Even with God in their presence, they still longed to do what was right in their own eyes.  These verses also come before Jesus describes the end times and we may reflect and observe that we think we are in the end times now.  I invite you to read the entire chapter of Matthew 24 and 25.  Today we focus on watching and waiting.

We lit the candle of peace this morning.  It’s for the hope of peace on earth good will to all men.  Where is the peace we long for?  Just look around us.  It seems turmoil and confusion reign supreme in our society and in the world.  It seems our own government is waging a conspiracy and war against the citizens.  Sometimes it feels like we’re taking steps backward rather than forward.  Environmental protections are being removed.  Taxes are higher.  Medical costs are increasing.  The least, last and lost are pushed further on the fringes unable to obtain affordable housing, food, education, and medical assistance.  Money is looking funny because it’s not going as far.  Food costs are rising and the food is being recalled for ecoli and other contaminants.  Our legislators are at each other’s throats.  Immigrants looking for freedom in this country are being discriminated against and being locked in cages that we put animals in.  All minorities are being discriminated against.  Wars are taking place in various places in the world.  Foreign governments are tampering with our election process.  Our elected officials are seeking to line their pockets with illegal gains and poisoning our minds and turning us against each other.  What peace is there in these perilous times?

         Pax vobiscum is Latin for “Peace be with you”.  That is how early Christians greeted one another.  Jesus uses this same salutation four times after his resurrection.  John 20:19 says, “On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you!’”  Two verses later in John 20:21 Jesus says, “Peace be with you!  As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” 

         In Greek the translation for peace is “eirene” which refers to a particular kind of peace.  The peace associated with justice or good law.  It is also associated with Springtime because it is the season in which nature blooms and bears fruit.  This suggests that peace is the result of a correct administration of not only legal justice by also of the goods of the land and the shared responsibility in the production of such bounty.  Harmony and peace among the people belonging to the same community is not only something we wish for but we strive for.  So, this greeting by Jesus seems to imply that he is not only wishing his disciples and us peace but reminding us of our duty to be air and just.  Psalm 85:6-8 AMPC says, “I will listen [with expectancy] to what God the Lord will say, for He will speak peace to His people, to His saints (those who are in right standing with Him)—but let them not turn again to [self-confident] folly.

⁹ Surely His salvation is near to those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him, [and is ready to be appropriated] that [the manifest presence of God, His] glory may tabernacle and abide in our land.

¹⁰ Mercy and loving-kindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

            Peace be with you is also a Jewish and Arabic greeting.  “Shalom Aleichem” (Jewish) or “as-salaam alaykhum” (Arabic) and the typical response is “Aleichem shalom” (Jewish) or “was alaykumu as-salaam” (Arabic) which translates “and peace be upon you, too”.  Christian response is “and also with you” or “and with or spirit”.  It is a salutation that reminds us to actively build harmony where there is discord as the Franciscan prayer says “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:  where there is hatred, let me sow love.”

            Somehow today’s Scripture seems out of sync with the Advent season doesn’t it?  But not really.  See we have been conditioned to remember and celebrate the arrival of the baby in the manger.  Mary’s baby.   We have been taught that Christmas is about the birth of Christ and the gifts the wise men brought.  But is this why we really celebrate Advent?  I say no.  Advent is not about the baby in the manger.  It’s about preparation for the second coming of Jesus.  In these passages, Jesus is cautioning us to be on our p’s and q’s.  To be on our toes.  To let nothing go unnoticed.  We are not celebrating the birth of the Christ child.  We’re watching and waiting in hopeful anticipation for Jesus’s return for his beloved church.  And who is the church?  We are the church.

            Can we say we honestly walk in the light of Jesus’s resurrection?  Are we faithful to our Baptismal covenant?  Are we committed to Jesus’ final commandment to love one another as he has loved us?  John 14:27, Jesus said, “I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart.  And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give.  So don’t be troubled or afraid.”  Jesus left us peace.  The peace that the world cannot give and the world cannot take away.  Yet everyday we give away our gift of peace.  We give it away when we question, when we doubt, when we are fearful, depressed, angry, suffering over things we have no control over, and yielding to world systems that will more often than not, disappoint.

         Today is the first Sunday of Advent.  We are not preparing for the arrival of the Christ child.  He has already come and returned to the Father.  We are preparing for the risen Christ who conquered sin and death on the cross at Calvary.  We are preparing to celebrate the return of our hope for peace; the joy of our King; the hope for tomorrow where there is no more pain and suffering; the peace that surpasses all understanding; the joy of our salvation.  The Good Shepherd.  Wonderful Counselor.  Lily of the Valley.  Bright and Morning Star.  And our scripture this morning is about being watchful.  Psalm 130:6 AMPC says, “I am looking and waiting for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, I say, more than watchmen for the morning.”

         Our young saints are counting down the days until Christmas.  They are watching and waiting for Santa.  They will go to bed knowing that in the morning the tree will be magically transformed and in addition to the lights, garland and bright colored balls hung from it, there will be loads of gifts to unwrap and new toys under the tree.  Christmas decorations are up and the sales have begun.  Everyone is preparing and planning for 24 days from now.  We will be looking forward to spending time with family, opening gifts and sharing a meal.  Then back to our normal activities.  But are we spiritually preparing for our morning when Christ will return?  We don’t know the day or the hour, but are we preparing to greet him when he returns? 

         If you’ve ever sung in a choir, there is a saying I learned – “Be ye ever so ready” because you never know when the choir director will point at you to sing a solo.  I used to tremble in fear at the thought of being called out like that without any advance notice.  But that is how it will be when Christ returns.  There will be no forewarning.  We will be eating and drinking, marrying and doing those things we would normally do in life and Christ will come with the sound of a trumpet riding on the clouds – victorious in battle!  Will we be prepared?  Will we be living and waiting in anxious anticipation for Jesus?  Or will we be trembling in fear for his return knowing that we have not been faithful servants?

            Jesus tells the parable of 10 bridesmaids in Matthew Chapter 25, verses 1 through 13 -

         “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids^[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, ⁴ but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. ⁵ When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶ “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’

⁷ “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. ⁸ Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

⁹ “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. ¹¹ Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’

¹² “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’

¹³ “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.

            Our family group was know for singing a song made famous by the Ward Singers called “We Shall Wear A Golden Crown” and the beginning of the song admonishes us to “Watch ye therefore, you know not the day when the Lord shall call your souls away.  Keep you lamp oil trimmed and burning bright and ye shall wear a golden crown.”  Be ye ever so ready for at the appointed time the Son of Man shall come riding on the clouds, shining like the sun at the trumpet call.”  Be patient.  Be watchful.  Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he will strengthen thine heart.  Watch and wait.  Amen.