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Proper 28
Ps 16 or16:5-11
Daniel 12:1-4a(5-13)
Hebrews 10:31-39
Mark 13:14-23
“Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky, and those
who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.” –Daniel
12.3
When I began to contemplate today’s readings in preparation for this
sermon I noticed a pattern, a theme. I read the Old Testament reading from
Daniel and I thought, “I don’t really want to preach on that.” Then I read
the Epistle and I thought, “Nope. I don’t really want to preach on that
either.” And then I read the Gospel. “Don’t really want to preach on that
either.” But when all three readings say the same thing, albeit in
different ways, then I suppose we must pay attention!
So what is it that they are saying, what do these three passages have in
common? They each deal with what scholars call “the eschaton,” the end of
times. Eschatological literature, like that in Daniel and our Gospel
portion, describe the end of times (the term is derived from the Greek
éschatos, “last”) as it has been revealed to them, most often in a vision
and this is why it is also often called “apocalyptic” literature, from the
Greek apokaélypsis (“revelation” or “disclosure”). There was actually
quite a lot of this kind of literature produced by Jews and Christians
during the centuries around Jesus life. Jesus more than anyone else in the
New Testament (excluding the Revelation to John) speaks about the coming
end times when God will end this wicked age and finally and firmly
establish his kingdom.
But why all this apocalyptic literature? It is weird, the kind of thing we
usually associate with an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie not our Sunday
service. This kind of language makes me uncomfortable.
Dan. 12.1 “At that time Michael, the great prince, the protector of your
people, shall arise. There shall be a time of anguish, such as has never
occurred since nations first came into existence. But at that time your
people shall be delivered, everyone who is found written in the book. 2
Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to
everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.”
That is what Daniel heard and Jesus tells us that of the great trials to
come:
17 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in
those days! 18 Pray that it may not be in winter. 19 For in those days
there will be suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the
creation that God created until now, no, and never will be.
What is this kind of stuff doing in our Bible? Where are the nice
platitudes to encourage one another, to love and support? Where is the
encouragement in this? This is where we are at a disadvantage because of
the blessings that God has given us. We are people who live free and are
able to worship him in freedom. Most of us are fairly affluent and
comfortable in our lives.
But Jews and Christians of the first century, and Christians in many
places around the world to this day, were often being persecuted.
Palestine was a Roman province under occupation by the greatest army of
the day. It was a region that was rife with sedition, so much so that the
Romans had to put down two major revolts in the span of only 50 years and
countless smaller ones. And when the Romans suppressed an uprising, they
did not do it half way! Christianity was an upstart and suspect religion,
originating in that troublesome region. Tacitus’ account of how Nero
blamed the Christians for the fires that consumed Rome in 64 CE indicates
the contempt with which some held the Christians.
"Therefore, to put an end to the rumor Nero created a diversion and
subjected to the most extra-ordinary tortures those hated for their
abominations by the common people called Christians. The originator of
this name (was) Christ, who, during the reign of Tiberius had been
executed by sentence of the procurator Pontinus Pilate. Repressed for the
time being, the deadly superstition broke out again not only in Judea, the
original source of the evil, but also in the city (Rome), where all things
horrible or shameful in the world collect and become popular. So an arrest
was made of all who confessed; then on the basis of their information, an
immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of arson as for
hatred of the human race." (Tacitus, Annales, 15, 44)
It is into this context of torture and persecution that the visions of the
end of the world intrude. The audience already knows the suffering that
Jesus speaks of and they long for the day that it will end, that great Day
of Judgment. And although we do not find ourselves thrown to wild animals
we too, each one of us, find moments, sometime long periods, when we are
tortured by this life. Last night, I was speaking with an old college
friend of mine who is a Baptist minister and we discussed these readings.
He immediately spoke of his own very recent experience of loss.
“We tend to think of this world as permanent, but these passages remind us
that none of it is. Whether it is our impressive twin towers in NY or our
family and friends, they will all pass away,” he said. “Grandad and
Grandma had always been a part of my life, always there, but now Grandad
isn’t there any more. When Jesus speaks of the struggles of these days, I
am encouraged to realize that they are all just part of this world and the
change that we all go through.” He is grieving and coping with the pains
of this world that is passing away.
Yet when Daniel and Jesus tell us about the end of the world it is never
just about the struggles and suffering that will be a part of this age
dying. It is not coincidental that apocalyptic literature often uses the
imagery of the pains of a woman in childbirth to describe the end of this
world. As this world dies a new one is being born, a new creation in which
we shall all take part as resurrected members of the body of Christ.
Daniel already writes of the resurrection, “Many of those who sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame
and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise shall shine like the
brightness of the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the
stars forever and ever.”
When I preached a few weeks ago I stated that Jesus’ crucifixion is
central to Christianity; that it is his atoning sacrifice that enables us
to be reconciled to God. But of course his execution would be nothing more
than another martyrdom if he had remained dead. It is the resurrection of
Jesus that proves he was and is the messiah, the anointed one of God. And
his resurrection is just the first. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians,
1Cor. 15.20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first
fruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a human
being, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human being;
22 for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ.
We too will rise from the dead! Although we suffer loss and grief in this
world, this is not the end! All will be resurrected and called to account
for their lives, as Daniel said, “some to everlasting life, and some to
shame and everlasting contempt.” And so while we continue to live in this
world that is passing away we cannot be complacent. There will be wars and
famines, persecutions and false teachers, there will be great suffering.
In the midst of it we must continue to bring the kingdom of God near by
following Christ and obeying his command to be ever watchful for no one
knows when that time will come. But we do know that when the hour arrives,
the faithful will be raised victorious in Christ.
Amen.
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