Lift Up Your Heads
Grace to you and peace from God our
Father, and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
It never ceases to
amaze me how the readings in the lectionary for a given Sunday match up with
what goes on in our daily lives. Just think: the signs that Our Lord speaks of
are all over today’s news. Uncommonly powerful hurricanes, unseasonable
blizzards, and other strange weather occurrences happen with alarming
frequency. Are they not “the sea and the waves roaring”? Terrorist attacks and mass
shootings; political speech that become more impassioned than reasonable—do
these things not show “the distress of nations”? Human hearts fail because of these and
many other things and what it all means. These are the signs of the end—not
signs that announce that something has to change, but signs that demonstrate
that things are winding down, that the earth and universe is dying.
Our Lord Jesus
tells us about these signs in order to restrain us from loving this world and
the things we think matter so much. Our Lord tells us about the approaching end
so that we will look not to our goals, but to Him and His heavenly kingdom. Our
Lord makes known these great disruptions because He wants us to be ready for
Him and His coming. You could easily dismiss these words as alarmist. Every
generation has heard preachers warn about how close the end is, and how these
signs are even now being fulfilled. And so you could dismiss these words by
thinking that the end will not come in your life. And perhaps that is true. But
the point is not to attempt to discern when the Last Day will occur. The point
is that we ought not fall in love with, and become attached to, and find
meaning for life in a world that is driving to its grave just as surely as we
are.
For, you see, what
is happening to our world happens to each of us. Here we have no abiding and
permanent life. Here, no matter how hard we work, we’ll do nothing to keep us
from the grave. And here, no matter how well we eat and how well we behave, we
cannot outrun death. Our Lord tells us the obvious: the world, the universe,
all of creation is slowly and loudly grinding to a halt. You can hear it in the
signs Jesus mentions. The death that Adam’s sin introduced is having its
effect.
But I don’t tell
you this to scare you. Rather, I tell you this for the same reason Our Blessed
Lord does—so that you are not disappointed; so that you hold the things you
prize at arm’s length; so that you see the big picture; so that you know the
truth. And I remind you of what Our Lord tells you so that you are watchful—so
that you fix your eyes and ears and your full attention solely and most surely
on Our Lord, His promises, and His coming kingdom. But most of all, Our Lord
tells you these things so that you do not lose heart; so that you don’t give
up; so that you don’t believe that this is all life has to offer. Jesus is the
Lord of life, and He shows you how all things will end. He does so because He
knows that you are prone to look only at what you know and feel now, and to
forget what lies ahead.
When the disasters
of the world become more frequent, when the actions of men attempt to cause
terror, do not be afraid. Instead, hear the Word of Life: “When these things
begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws
near.” The world and all that it has to offer will grind to a halt. But
even then He will neither abandon nor forsake His creation. Instead, in mercy, He
will take all that He made—beginning with His children, the crown of His
creation—and He will recreate it. You will see a new heaven and a new earth. Soon—very
soon—we will have the fullness of Him whom we have loved. Soon—very soon—we
will have life as Life Himself intended us to live.
So these signs of
the end which our news casts report? Do not let them scare you. Do not let them
cause you to lose heart. Instead, hear the news and rejoice. Rejoice not in
people’s tragedy, but that such awful news announces that your prayer is being
answered; that Our Lord’s kingdom surely comes. And with His coming and His
kingdom, our Lord brings the promise of Life as Life was meant to be—in full
and earnest communion with the Father, by the power of the Spirit, through Our
Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, to whom belong all glory, honor and worship.
In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God which passes all
understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.
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