Good morning. It’s great to be back with you and I’m going to be here for the next few weeks. Given that we’re going into Epiphany, which means “divine manifestation,” I thought I’d do a sermon series on apocalyptic literature in the bible and see what “divine manifestation” we could unearth. This week we’re looking at a text from Matthew, next week is from Revelation, and the following week is from Daniel. All three texts represent different eras and forms of apocalyptic literature.
This from of writing has been used for thousands of years and many people believe it is telling about a literal time and place to come. Personally, I’m not sure that’s true. The word apocalypse comes from a Greek word that means “revelation” and what God has repeatedly shown is that we don’t have to play guessing games about how to live because God reveals what we need to know. The point of the writers of apocalyptic texts was not to speak to a generation sometime down the line in a code that no one would understand until that time had passed. The biblical writers were speaking to their people in that time in a way that was supposed to make a difference to them in their daily lives. Often times, I feel that the real miracle of the bible is that it still speaks to us across all this time and continues to offer relevant revelation to us here and now.
But before we go further, let me tell you that I’m a very humble person when it comes to the bible and all the ways God reveals God’s self in the world. I assure you that anything I share with you is #1 faithful and #2 represents an earnest effort of study and reflection. But are there more or different things that can be said that what I share? Most definitely, YES!
All this buildup leads into today’s biblical passage. I don’t know about you but when I read this text I immediately thought of the Left Behind book series. Now, I’ve not actually read those books but I felt compelled to find out a bit more about them because I suspect that I’m not the only one who thought of the connection. So, I started with an editorial synopsis of the first book in the series entitled Left Behind. Let me share with you what I read:
Now, when I finished this reading, I couldn’t figure out what the deal was with these books. Is this the same book that a decade ago was causing people to change their lives and get “right” with God? To me, it sounds much more like a dark comedy than a call to Christ.
Piloting his 747, Rayford Steele is musing about his wife Irene’s irritating religiosity and contemplating the charms of his “drop-dead gorgeous” flight attendant, Hattie. First Irene was into Amway, then Tupperware, and now it’s the Rapture of the Saints. Steele believes he’ll put the plane on autopilot and go visit Hattie. But Hattie’s in a panic: some of the passengers have disappeared! The Rapture has happened, abruptly driverless cars are crashing all over, and the slick, sinister Romanian Nicolae Carpathia plans to use the UN to establish one world government and religion. Meanwhile, Steele teams up with Buck Williams, a buck-the-system newshound, to form the Tribulation Force, an underground of left-behind penitents battling the Antichrist.
So, what’s up with this thing we call “the rapture?” Where did we get this idea and is this what the scripture is telling us? Well, most biblical scholars say that this passage is not about a rapturing of the saints. The idea of rapture is a fairly young one in the history of Christianity. It only dates back to the 1800’s and even scholars who believe in it admit there’s no biblical evidence for their belief.
And if we are talking about biblical evidence, why would Jesus go from consistently talking to people in a way that was about their present lives to suddenly talking about something that would not happen or make sense for thousands of years? Well, he didn’t. This passage is part of a larger text where Jesus is talking about recognizing the Messiah, something which he said to them would happen in their generation and would be ongoing. In the 2 verses prior, he says, “Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not.”
Most biblical scholars say this passage is about eschatology and eschatology is nothing more than a fancy word that means the God’s ultimate destiny of humanity. So what is the ultimate destiny of humanity? Some people do think rapture is a part of God’s ultimate vision for the world but there are many other beliefs as well. Let me offer up a couple of other visions for you to consider.
A famous theologian named Paul Tillich says that our destiny is to finally see and understand our incredible brokenness and disconnect from God and one another fully. And that when we see this, we’re then open to truly living in the presence of God. Jürgen Moltmann says that faith is found in hope. He feels that our ultimate destiny is not about the last days but rather the Christian hope and living fully into God’s vision for us here and now. Even Jesus shared an eschatological perspective during his ministry by talking about things that were of final and supreme importance. He spoke about the coming of the Kingdom of God in present and ongoing tenses and demanded a new and higher righteousness here and now.
As you can tell, there are more visions for the ultimate destiny of humanity than just the Left Behind books. So, what is this text about? Well, it is about Jesus coming into our lives. And quite clearly something significant happens when Jesus comes into our lives. Let’s reread part of this text thinking that Jesus wants us to know something about our destiny.
36“But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.When read it that way, it seems much more like the “when and where” of Christ’s revelation will be a part of our everyday life and everyday function. We won’t know it or know what it looks like until it happens.
Now don’t get hung up on the fact that this passage mentions the flood story. It’s not saying anything about sinfulness or judgment. Jesus was just using a familiar story that people would know to say that people were going about their business unaware of what would happen next.
And it’s the same today. This passage is telling us that we simply do not know when experiencing the presence of Jesus is going to happen. Much like the time of Noah, we’ll be going about our daily business when Jesus’ presence is revealed to us. But here comes the key to all of this. When that happens, when we really see and understand what Jesus Christ and the Gospel are truly about, we’re transformed and rather than being left behind… we might even be called ahead.
So, again, we need to ask, what is this ultimate destiny in Christ’s presence that we need to be watching for? Simply put, it is the salvation we find in Christ. To really find Jesus and get the Gospel is to finally see and understand the freedom, grace, and deliverance we experience in Christ. Christ shows us a way of understanding ourselves, of connecting with the other, and of knowing our place in the universe. Knowing the presence of Christ shows us the way to a meaningful life and connects us to our purpose in the world today.
You know what that’s like don’t you? You know, it’s the sensation of recognizing and embracing the reality that we each have value. It’s realizing that there are purposes larger than ourselves and that we’re supposed to be a part of them. It’s waking up to see the needs around us and of claiming the power to make a difference in the world. It’s encountering deliverance and being called ahead to lay foundations for others rather than being left behind.
Christmas has come and gone and part of my holiday always includes watching the classic movie, It’s A Wonderful Life. You know, this movie is a great example of finally recognizing the presence of the Gospel in our lives. The main character George Bailey, is going about his daily life unaware of what his real purpose is. He’s focused on a vision of the future that will in fact never come. It’ll never come because he’ll soon be transformed when a series of events break through to George and he at last understands his purpose. In finding this, he experiences deliverance from his old ways of living. He then leaves behind his old notions of fumbling through life and then lives into new meaning with those around him. He realized that all along he was called ahead to pave the way for sustainable housing and to be an integral part of his community.
This brings me to the final point of the what I think the scripture is telling us, which is that when you get the Gospel, when you really experience the presence of Christ, you’re called out and called ahead, leaving behind your previous ways and focus. We’re told that: 40… two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.
This is the story of what it’s like when someone has awareness of purpose. They then have direction, a pull toward something else and then leave behind where they were to go out and live into their true purpose… a call if you will.
Call stories where one is called ahead and something is left behind are throughout the entire Bible. You don’t have to look very far to find these stories. Consider the story of Zacchaeus. When he encounters Jesus, he drops everything to go out and fulfill a new purpose. There’s also the story of Simon and his brother Andrew in the book of Mark. Jesus tells them follow me and you will become fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed him. Even a Donkey found new purpose and left behind its village when Jesus told his disciples to go into a certain village to find a specific donkey that he had use of. They did that and the donkey then bore Jesus into Jerusalem. So if even a donkey can find new purpose through Christ and leave behind an old life, then where does that leave us?
Well, it leaves us looking for what we are supposed to do with this purpose and meaning that’s been revealed to us. Trust me, I know that most of us don’t feel like we’ve been connected with our ultimate purpose or destiny in the world and many don’t have the privilege to follow inner desires. But we all have something in us… some cause or purpose that’s larger than ourselves that calls to us, pulling us toward it. And if we live into that purpose fully, there’s a feeling of being called ahead that leads us to go do the work of Christ in the world.
Look around you. We’re living examples of what it means to live out that call. I left behind a home, friends, and a career to go to seminary and become a minister. Also, many of us belong to ministries where we feel called out to share the Gospel with those around us. Look at the different ministries of this church. What about Soup and Serenity, the resale shop, the deacon’s food pantry, and countless other causes First Pres works with? Or outside the church, many are involved in scouting, the Bridges program, and much much more. These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the ways we’ve encountered Christ’s call and were called ahead to make a way for others.
I suspect we leave behind lots of things as well. We sacrifice an afternoon of leisure to be with one another and help someone move or cope with tragedy or celebrate births. We let go of grudges because the hold us back from our work in the present. We leave behind old behaviors because we are called ahead to live into something bigger than what we have always known.
This is the real heart of the matter. Jesus’ presence shows us the way to live into something far more fulfilling and rewarding than anything we could have conjured on our own. What we’re talking about here is not just a J. O. B. We’re talking about vocation. So when this scripture passage tells us that we need to be vigilant and watch for Christ’s presence in our lives, it’s because this is of supreme importance. Embracing Jesus’ revelation says more about ultimate vision than the notion of rapture could ever express.
Sisters and Brothers, we truly are called ahead… but not so that others will be left behind. We are called ahead to pave the way for others to experience the revelation of Christ in their lives. So, when we ache for deliverance from meaninglessness, look for Christ. When we need direction, look for Christ. When we hunger for purpose, look for Christ. I assure you that we won’t know exactly when but we’ll find him in everyday places, showing us a new and more excellent way. This is our charge, to be watchful, open to seeing, and ready to embrace Christ’s revelation in the world. Amen.
