Pentecost 25, 2010, Immanuel Chapel, Luke 21:5-28 & Psalm 98
An artist set up his easel in a popular park. Passersby crowded in as he brushed his canvas with dark blues, grays and greens. A storm off an ocean coast emerged on the canvas. In the waves crashing high against the rocks the people could sense crushing power. A few more brush strokes added a figure in a small boat floundering in the churning maelstrom. Certain doom loomed ahead on the unforgiving rocks.
Then the artist turned his painting upside down, 180 degrees. Gone were the storm and the crushing waves. Now they beheld a waterfall cascading down out of an azure sky spilling into a pool where greenery and flowers flourished in the Eden like ever present mist that rose up. A boy sitting on a rock fished from the water’s edge.
One painting, showed two realities. It all depended on one’s point of view. This morning, using the gospel lesson and Psalm 98, we behold two realities in a single scene. It all depends on our point of view.
Some people listening to Jesus teach, called attention to the beauty of the temple. Its gleaming stones, gold and silver plated gates, offered the appearance of “a snow-clad mountain.” Blue, scarlet and purple tapestries lent it opulence. But Jesus turned the picture 180 degrees. The days will be when “not one stone shall be left upon another.” The temple priests did not recognize that he who was born to bring peace and goodwill among men was in their midst. They rejected Jesus, who was again teaching in the temple as he had at age twelve. They did not know that he, the stone they rejected would become the chief cornerstone of a new temple God was building of those who trusted and believed in Him. From their point of view he was deficient and dangerous.
But the people wanted to know, when? What are the signs? However, Jesus does not focus on events presaging the demolition, but on preventing our eternal destruction. He warns us not to be misled by many who will claim to speak in the name of the Lord, and insist they know the times and seasons when the end will come. When we hear of wars and tumults, don’t be terrified. These things must come, in a broken world. However, the end is not connected to the events that bring doom and despair, tumult and terror.
God has another reality to show us. Psalm 98 calls to us, “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.” Our rescue at the Lord’s hand from the doom and despair, tumult and terror of a broken world, calls forth new songs of joy and praise. What God did in delivering his people Israel from slavery in the time of Moses, God would do again through Jesus. His right hand and holy arm were fastened to a cross. However, in the weakness of his crucifixion Jesus crushed the power of sin, death and devil that threaten doom and despair and cause tumult and terror. Thus God remembered his steadfast love for the humans he created and demonstrated faithfulness to his promises. His cross stood outside Jerusalem at a crowded crossroads where all could see so that the ends of the earth would know that God’s work of salvation was taking place “in the sight of the nations.” So the almighty and ever-living God kept his great and precious promises.
Jesus now expands his descriptions of dire times. People will grab hold of believers and deliver his people into the hands of government officials, simply because we are followers of Jesus. Once again Jesus turns the picture 180 degrees. “This is your big chance. This is your opportunity to witness to the marvelous things which God has done in Jesus Christ. Don’t worry that you haven’t had enough evangelism training. Don’t even give it a thought beforehand. Jesus says, 'I will give you a mouth and wisdom.'” Elsewhere Jesus says that the Holy Spirit will teach us what to say. It’s through the Holy Spirit that we are able to say, “Jesus is Lord.” No wonder Jesus says, “None of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.
Looking once more at the picture of dire events, Jesus informs us that we may find opposition in our own families. We may be dispossessed of our homes, driven into a life as refugees. Some may even die for the sake of Jesus name. Now did we bargain that we might have to pay the ultimate price because we are marked with the cross of Christ in baptism? Martin Luther writes of the cost of our salvation, “Jesus suffered torture and pain and perished before the whole world. Furthermore, in His own kingdom He was so miserable and poor that he had no place where he could lay his head. No crown, royal adornment, or pomp could be seen about him-nothing but cross, nails and blood. There he hung unable to touch either heaven or earth and unable to stand up on His feet.” Jesus paid the ultimate price that we would have the ultimate security. Though we are in it for the duration, we are assured that we will gain our lives for eternity.
Pastor Jim Edge, whose church in Texas is just a stone’s throw north of the US/Mexican border told of a Mexican citizen whose life had been threatened by a drug cartel. One of his employees had been shot and killed for no apparent reason. The business owner was to turn over a large part of his profits or else. Pastor Edge spent time with this total stranger. He shared the love of Christ with him. “The end result was awareness of and confidence in God’s providential care, in good times and bad, life-celebrating times and life-threatening times. The man returned to his home to face an uncertain future on earth, yet with the absolute certainty of his eternal future.” (Jerry Kieschnick, “Perspectives”). In Christ, there is always a picture which is 180 degrees from that which is before our eyes. There is always a different point of view.
The heaven themselves will be shaken. Still these do not portend the end. This is, according to St. Paul, an inward groaning of creation as it, along with ourselves wait for our adoption as God’s children to be completed. Once again, the psalmist offers a view of another reality. It’s not enough that we have seen our salvation, but he calls all creation to join in singing a new song to the Lord. “Let the sea roar and all that fills it…Let the rivers clap their hands.” The hills are alive with the sound of music, dancing with the stars. We are called to join in as heaven and nature sing. And to use every instrument of music available to, “make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.”
There is a saying that if you can keep your head while everyone else is losing theirs, maybe you don’t know what’s going on. But in the kingdom of God, you do know what’s going on, even though everyone else is “fainting with fear and foreboding of what is coming on the world.” That is the time to straighten up and raise your heads that you might get a good view of what is really happening. What will we see? We see Jesus coming in power and great glory. We see our redemption drawing near. We see the hopes of God’s people on the verge of fulfillment. We live as people with heads held high and eyes lifted up for our help comes from the Lord. O sing unto the Lord a new song, for he has and is doing marvelous things.
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