This last Sunday, we talked about the end.
Not just the end of the service, which people were sad to see arrive, nor the end of the church year, which happens this weekend, but the end of everything. Because the end of everything is something that is spoken of many times in the scriptures, something that is discussed quite frequently in the scriptures, we know that the world had a beginning, science and theology will both tell you as much, but another area in which they both agree is that the world is also coming to an end. Slowly, perhaps, not as fast as people have been expecting, but coming to a close nonetheless.
But the absolute classic trope that comes up every time that we consider and contemplate the end of everything is that nobody knows when it is going to be. Now the scriptures are very very clear that nobody gets to know when this is going to be. Absolutely nobody gets to know when that is going to be, and not only that, but there are no clear clues as to when this will happen. There are unlcear clues, of course. Unclear vague clues that will tell you that things are happening, that the world will be concluding, but any of the things that you are told to take to heart are so vague that not only are they happening now, but they've been happening every year since the time of Christ.
Jesus talks about the signs of things to come, and in doing so, the signs that he gives are things that happen all the time. In the reading that we had from Mark 13 for this last weekend, Jesus talks about wars and rumors of wars, with nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, with earthquakes and famines in various places. And all these things are happening all the time. When was the last time that you woke up, consulted the newspaper, and saw that none of those things were happening? When was the last time that there was no war, nor rumor of war, that there were no earthquakes, nor famines, that everything was fine all the time, has there ever been such a day? Odds are that if you can think of that day, odds are you weren't paying attention. That is, there are always going to be wars going on, constantly, and earthquakes and famines to boot. This is happening all year every year, and if you're looking to these things for a guarantee of a sign of the end of all things, you'll be thinking that we are for sure living in the last days.
And that's the point.
It's the point that you, and I, and all those generations that came before us, ought to be living as though the return of Jesus Christ of Nazareth was absolutely and clearly imminent. A clear and present danger, if you will. The proximity of this return should absolutely make you think that you are living on borrowed time, and that the window that we are living in is narrowing day by day. The concept of this windows of time should be something that we all know about too, you know, perhaps more now than ever. Think about how you shop, and bear in mind that you're reading this blog online. Odds are amazing that nobody has printed this off for you and put it in a duo-tang. If you are reading this online, there's a good chance that you have purchased things online, and if you buy things online, you know that it gets delivered to you. And when things get delivered to you, the nice people at Amazon or ebay or best buy or zappos, or whatever, they'll all send you your goods that you purchased to your house. These stores will also tend to tell you the window in which they are going to ship the goods to your house.
Once you get the indication from the company that the package is out for delivery, then you start a very modern dance, and that dance is the dance where you spend your time rushing over to the window every time a car or truck drives by. You do the thing where you hop over to the window to check out what is happening, and to see if this is your package. Every vehicle that goes by reminds you that there is a package coming to you, and that this could be the one. It probably isn't. It's probably your neighbor's truck backing up into his driveway, and not your goods or services running to you. But as I say, each one that drives by reminds you that there is a package on the way to you.
Understanding this means that you can also understand the possibility of the return of Christ, and the signs that he has submitted to you. He has given you these signs to look at, and we should hopefully take these signs seriously. And it's not that these are the end times signs for sure, but rather that you should look at each sign as it arrives, and have it remind you of the fact that this world is drawing to a close.
The signs are vague not so that you can feel cheated, not so you can know for sure when the end times are coming, but rather that you can see these issues, and understand that the world is going to end, and that you are going to have to meet God, one way or another. Either you're going to him, or he's coming to you, but one way or another, the world that you're living in is on borrowed time, and is likely running out. So, to ask this old Lutheran standby, what does this mean? It means that because the return of Christ could come at any moment, you have to live as though it was coming right now. If you understand that Jesus is coming back, and could be coming back at any time, then you should really, genuinely act as though he is coming back now.
Because, of course, if you did in fact know that Jesus was coming back tomorrow, what would you change? What would you do differently? And if it is anything, I might ask you when you are planning on getting that going? And it's not about living differently, necessarily, in the style of the Millerites, selling all their goods and waiting for the world to end. Instead, it's about thinking differently, and believing differently.
For if Christ were to come back tomorrow, would there be enough time to start behaving completely differently? Odds are not, even if you were able to do so, which you are not. So what to do? If Christ were to return, perhaps you should be believing differently, understanding that you're not as good as you feel other people should be, and that you have to get your head towards repentance, and not towards changing definitions of right and wrong. Your job is not to think about being perfect, as all that will do is lead you to change what you think of as perfect to include pretty much you. No, your job is not to think about your perfection, but about Christ's perfection, and how he applies that to you. You need to be thinking more about the work that Jesus Christ does for you as a sacrifice, a full oblation for your sins, the sins you genuinely have. For us, as Christians, understanding that you're supposed to be prepared means that you're living in a state of grace. Confession and forgiveness are key, and the more of that you do, the more likely you will be to view the Advent of Christ, whether first or second time around, with joy instead of trepidation, welcoming him as the coming king.
