What Happens if Tomorrow isn’t Tomorrow?
Luke 21:25-36
December 8, 2024 anno Domini
What happens if the sun doesn’t rise tomorrow? What if the darkness of night remained? Then the wind picked up to tornado strength? What if tomorrow didn’t happen like you expected it to happen? Where would you look? I’d look at my generator and wonder why I put off having it wired into my electric panel.
Last week’s reading prompted us to ask the question, “Do you want Jesus to come?” This week’s text asks an equally important question, “Do you think He will come?”
It’s a question of faith, not only of believing Jesus’ Words, but also of the way you act when Jesus’ Words come true. It’s a question for your eyes and your heart. Where are you going to look? What is your heart set on?
This is how Jesus describes the end. Everything that is created will be shaken. It will be worse than the days of Noah. There the three institutions God created for man were preserved in the ark – the family, the church, and the government. If the sun did not rise tomorrow do you think the government could remedy the problem? And if the government could not turn the lights back on, how do you think people would react? If the winds rose to hurricane speeds across the state would you even be able to gather your family together? And if you did, what could you do?
You may not want to think of such things, but don’t take it out on me. I only preach here. These are the Words of Jesus. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
You have a few options before you. You can try to hide from the end. You can practice “ostrich” epistemology – bury your head in the sand. What I don’t see I don’t know. Jesus tells us the two common hides are passions and pleasures. Get drunk or buy more stuff. Diversion or distraction. Or both. Dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of the world. Dissipation is the word for a hangover. The Greek word for dissipation is crapula which says it all. Option #1 is hide.
Option #2 is to see the world is ending and try to sop it. It may be that we’re running out of fossil fuel, or we are polluting the planet to the point that the climate is changing. Thirty or forty years ago, it was believed that the world population was growing so fast there would be mass starvation and death within a decade. It was also believed that the planet was cooling so fast a new ice age was coming. The Bible does say that creation is groaning under the consequence of human sin, so all these things are possible. You could try to fix it. Buy an electric car. Put solar panels on your house. Don’t have children. But since we can’t even make it rain when there’s a drought, do you think we can save the planet from its end? Not according to Jesus and He should know. He was the chief architect and builder of this place.
The unbelieving world hides or thinks it can stop the end of the world, but you are not of the world. Jesus isn’t speaking to the world. He’s speaking to His disciples in the Temple courtyard sometime during Holy Week. He is speaking to you.
For you the end is not darkness, but light. When the world goes dark because the heavenly bodies of the sun, moon, and stars are shaken, everyone will see the true Light of the World – the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now, to those who did not believe, to those who laughed at the news that God became a man, that sin is real, that there is only one way of salvation, and it is a man named Jesus dying on a cross outside Jerusalem, well that day will be terror. They will know the truth and that truth will judge them guilty. Their supposed light will be shown as darkness. Their good deeds as evil. But not for you.
Every Word you heard from God, every doctrine you were taught, the Creed you confessed, every sacrifice you made, every mockery you endured, will be vindicated and revealed. When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near. You believe in eternal life and that day you will feel it. You hope for the resurrection of the body and on that day no more glasses, hearing aids, walkers, canes, braces, Advil, doctor’s appointments and health insurance.
For those who do not believe in Jesus the end will be the end, but in the mystery of the faith, the end of the world is not the end for the believer. Jesus tells us this parable to reveal the mysterious truth, “look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near.” In 13 days, the daylight hours will begin getting longer. After December 21 Spring is just around the corner. That’s how we should look at the end of the world. When everything is shaken on earth, then the Kingdom of God is near.
How can your eyes see this, and your heart be set on it? Only by the Word of the Lord. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Only by God’s Word do you see the world and yourself for what they truly are. Humans are sinful and we brought the whole of creation under God’s judgment and damnation. While the government and our families serve God’s good purpose, they cannot save us or creation. Law and order restrains sin outwardly, but we cannot end its corruption. God would have us stop looking in at ourselves and down on the world for an answer.
Lift up your eyes and see that the Son of God came from heaven to earth, that He became flesh and dwelt among us. Lift up your eyes, like the Israelites in the wilderness who saw the snake on the pole. You see the man on the cross, the One who bore the sin of the world. He is your Savior. He died for you. He rose for you. He’s ruling for you and He’s coming again for you. Straighten up. Raise your heads. Look for that.
Every Lord’s day in the communion liturgy you hear the words, “Lift up your hearts.” And you respond, “We lift them up to the Lord.” Don’t let your hearts be weighed down with the anxieties and cares of this world. Don’t medicate your heart with drunkenness and riches. Lift up your heart to Jesus. Fix your mind on the things above. Your heart already dwells in heaven by faith. Your heart is united to Jesus in the Lord’s Supper. Don’t give your heart to things that are easily shaken. Hold to the unshakeable Word of your unshakeable Savior
Dr. Luther gave an illustration in one of his sermons about how we should approach the last day. Approach it like a prisoner in the castle of some robber-baron. The days are dark and long and then one day you hear a tremendous boom, and your prison starts to crumble. The beams of the ceiling crack, rubble and rocks are falling around you. You look out the tiny window of your cell. What do you see? You see your King, your Lord, with His army and cannons, arrayed against your captor and your prison. He has come to set you free and take you home.
Raise your head and look for that. Lift up your heart and believe. The Son of Man is coming. Your redemption is drawing near. The Kingdom of God is at hand. In the name of Jesus. Amen.