The Rev. Canon Dr. Brett Cane, August 8, 2010
11th Sunday after Pentecost; 8:30 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Holy Communion
“Our Attitude towards Time”
Luke 12:35-48
Opening Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you have spoken clearly of the end of time with your coming again; help us now, by your Holy Spirit, to grasp that reality with anticipation and so be prepared to joyfully welcome the appearing of the kingdom of our Father in Heaven. Amen.
Introduction
At various points in history there is a lot of speculation about the end of time. This happened ten years ago with the tremendous excitement about the arrival of the New Millennium and has arisen again, in some quarters, because of the Mayan prophecies for 2012. These speculations lead some people to dismiss the whole idea of the end of time. For others, it gets them thinking about the possibility of Jesus’ return and asking “Am I ready for Jesus’ Second Coming?” But then the crucial moment passes and nothing happens and so the pressure is off once more – or is it?
Looking at today’s passage from Luke, we see that this is not the view Jesus wants us to have regarding our attitude towards time and his return. According to Jesus, history is still working towards a climax and we are to live and act in anticipation of this. This morning, we will examine our attitude towards time: we will look first at the reality that time will wind up with the return of Jesus and then at how we are to live in the face of this reality – our present responsibility.
The Return of Jesus
The Bible is clear – time as we know it will end with the return of Jesus. If anyone is in doubt about the Second Coming, Jesus clearly states in today’s Gospel passage from Luke that he will return: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Luke 12:40). This is not something that occupies our thoughts much, or even our sermons or church debates. We argue about who Jesus is, whether he is the only way to God, and about appropriate lifestyles, but whether Jesus is coming back or not doesn’t seem to make any difference to us.
But indeed, it should make a difference, because Jesus’ coming back again is mentioned dozens of times in the Bible. The Old Testament is full of passages dealing with God’s coming in judgement: “The Lord…he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth” (Psalm 96:13). As Jesus left the earth physically forty days after his resurrection, the message of the angels to the disciples was: “Men of Galilee…why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). All the way through the New Testament, right to almost the last words of the Bible the fact of Jesus’ coming again is affirmed: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).
The Church has affirmed this truth down through the centuries. In the Nicene Creed written some seventeen hundred years ago which we say at every Communion service, it clearly states: “…and he shall come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead” as does the older Apostles’ Creed we use in our baptismal service: “From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.” In our Book of Common Prayer from the sixteenth century, we declare in the communion service: “Looking for his coming again in glory”[1] reflecting Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:26: “For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” Finally, in our contemporary communion liturgy, we proclaim, “Christ has died…Christ is risen…Christ will come again.”[2] To some Christians, the fact of Jesus’ return is brought home to them every time they look to the future. They will not refer to a coming event without saying, “We will do such-and-such, if the Lord tarries”…in other words, if he has not yet returned. The fact of Jesus’ coming again is very clearly in the mainstream of Christian belief.
How seriously do you or I believe in Jesus’ second coming? What difference does it make to our lives? Now, while Jesus has made it clear to us that while neither he nor we know the time or date of his appearing – “No-one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32) – we are to be prepared. After all, should he not return in our life-time, the moment our life ends in death, we will be face-to-face with him at the great and final day of judgement as we heard last week in the story of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21) – “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you” (Luke 12:20). In today’s passage, he says: “You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him” (Luke 12:40). The key is to be ready. We are to be like servants waiting for their absent master to return, “dressed, ready for service with lamps burning” (Luke 12:35). This is not some picture of casual relaxation. We are to live in anticipation. It is like the pilots of air force squadrons we see in World War II movies or the space fighters in “Star Wars” ready to “scramble” at a moment’s notice. Jesus repeatedly states that his return will be unexpected: “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of” (verse 46) and it will be “like a thief in the night” (1 Thessalonians 5:2). We are to be ready.
So, the return of Jesus is assured – it will be sudden and unexpected and we must be ready for it.
Our Present Responsibility
How, then, are we to be ready and prepare for Jesus’ Second Coming? Are we to abandon our responsibilities in the world and head off to the nearest mountain-top to wait for the Lord to come? That is definitely not the impression Jesus gives in Luke 12. In fact it is exactly the opposite. Jesus speaks of “the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time” and that “It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns” (verses 42, 43). The right answer to the question “How are we to prepare for the second coming of Jesus?” is faithfulness in the duties God has called us to. This implies not only doing the right things but doing them in the right way
For example, in terms of both accomplishments and relationships, are there any loose ends left dangling for you at the moment? Is there work not properly completed, something you know God has been calling you to do but you have been hesitating – even rebelling – at using your gifts and abilities to do what he calls you to do? Are there relationships not properly healed – inasmuch as you are responsible? Remember that Jesus said, “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23, 24). If that applies to reconciliation before we attend earthly worship, how much more so before we attend heavenly adoration?
If we are not faithful in carrying out our responsibilities, there can be negative consequences. In this passage Jesus gives us serious warnings. Do not use any delay in his return as an excuse to do what you like. Jesus states clearly that if we are not prepared when he comes again, we will be judged. He speaks of being “cut to pieces and assigned a place with the unbelievers” and being “beaten with many blows” (verses 46, 47). This is not a very pleasant thought and something we might feel is out of character for Jesus, but it is not. I have often pointed out that Jesus speaks more of hell than of heaven. This is not because he wants to send us to hell but to keep us out of it. When you want to keep children from running out into the road, you do not tell them that there might be unpleasantness or inconvenience if they run out in front of traffic, but they shouldn’t worry because you will still love them anyway! You tell them plainly they could get seriously hurt or even killed. You warn them because you love them. It is the same with Jesus.
But on the more positive side, Jesus’ warnings let us know that we have been given responsibility. What we do on this earth counts for God and others. We matter to God. God is relying on us. “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked” (verse 48). While this refers particularly to the extra responsibility that is required from Christian leaders, it underlines the point that God expects all of us who name Jesus as Lord to live faithfully using the gifts and opportunities we have been given in the time we have been allotted – whether short or long. This is how we make ourselves ready for Jesus’ return.
Conclusion
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning…It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes” (verses 35, 37). What is your attitude towards time? Are you living with anticipation, ready and prepared for when Jesus returns again? Are you making the most of the time God has given you?
[1] Book of Common Prayer, pg. 83.
[2] Book of Alternative Services, pg. 195.
