Community Church Sermons
August 12, 2007
Pentecost
11
Luke 12:32-40
Rev. Dr. R. Tim Meadows
Listen to this Sermon!
Be prepared. Most of us encountered these words early in life from either our association with scouting or diligent elders who wanted to teach us responsibility or both.
Preparation is such a part of our lives. We prepare for work, recreation, family visits, vacations, etc. If there is an activity in life that someone has not written a preparation manual for, I am not aware of such. So, it should not surprise us, when we find these instructions for discipleship among the words of Jesus.
Be prepared, Jesus said for the Father wants to give you all the goodness of the kingdom. Be prepared for the Son of Man will return to you in an hour you are not expecting him. Unfortunately, this section of Luke’s gospel is one frequently seized on by revivalists and fundamentalists who want to sound the alarm that Jesus is coming, ready or not, and woe be unto you who are not ready. The story in these hands becomes a means of frightening people, when it was intended to be a story of good news. No doubt Jesus intends to sound a note of preparation with these words according to Luke, but there seems to be much more to Jesus’ message of preparation than a forewarning of cataclysmic judgment. Why is Jesus teaching the value of preparation? For what purpose is he getting us ready? Luke’s story provides at least some answer to these questions.
I. According To Jesus, His Coming Will Bring Goodness: Despite all of the doom and gloom of the dismal scenarios of the “end of time” in which you do not want to be “left behind”, Jesus says his coming again will bring the fullness of the kingdom of God. A place in which justice and mercy are the order of the day. A place in which we live humbly before God, and each other. A place where we do not struggle for power, but mutually submit for the benefit of the community. This is the kind of world Jesus knew his return would bring, and he did not want his followers to be surprised when it came. Are you ready for this kind of world? Do the possibilities of this world excite you? Do you want what Jesus promises the fullness of God’s kingdom will bring? Jesus sought to warn us not to be surprised when his return brings this world to reality!
II. According To Jesus, What We Do Until He Comes Matters To God: One of the major problems with the traditional approach to interpreting this passage is the sense it leaves that there is not much beyond personal preparation, that we can or should do to improve the world in which we live. God will deal with that in due time, becomes the standard reaction to how we should view the problems, needs, and opportunities of our world. Jesus seems to suggest precisely the opposite, according to Luke. He does not offer these stories as an effort to tell his followers to give up, or to scare straight those who were not his followers, instead it seems that Jesus wants us to see the times of our lives as opportunities to do justice, practice mercy, and to live in humility. Practicing for the kingdom of God until it comes was Jesus’ prescription for living a full and abundant life. The New Testament records that each time Jesus is asked about requirements for entering the kingdom of God, his focus is on how we treat each other, especially the weakest among us, and how we use our resources to improve the world around us. Do the things that bring life to others, and you also will live, is Jesus’ standard reply to questions about what God expects of us in life. What we do until Jesus comes, matters to God.
III. According to Jesus, Predicting His Coming Is Virtually Impossible: Another major problem with the traditional approach to interpreting this passage is the insatiable desire to predict the time of Jesus’ return. Despite Jesus’ consistent teaching that this was not possible, even for himself, Christian history is filled with the stories of people who were certain that they had the secret formula for figuring out the exact time. One of my seminary theology professors said that he was certain if people continued to set dates for Jesus’ return, one of them might eventually be correct. I agree! Jesus clearly never intended for us to live by a magic date or a set of signs, but rather, he said we should always be prepared by living out his message day to day. The promised return was never intended to frighten people into conformity, but rather, to encourage people in healthy abundant Christ - like living. Let me ask you a question from the popular modern interpreters of this passage, with a bit of a twist. In what state would Jesus find you if he returned? Frightful, fearful, and timid, or happy, abundant, and joyful? Jesus’ stories in Luke seem geared toward encouraging the latter, no matter what we encounter on the journey of life. The promised return and its ambiguous timing are intended to be a note of encouragement, rather than a frightful mystery.
When I taught New Testament, it was my custom to tell students that I could inform them of everything I knew with certainty about the end of time and Jesus’ coming again in about five minutes. By my estimation today, it might take even less time than that! Luke’s story about these concerns, summarizes nicely in two points:
1. God, our divine parent, intends to give us the fullness of his kingdom at some future point.
2. Until that point, our task is to live out the teachings of Jesus in anticipation that the result will change our world for the better.
May God give us the grace and hope to live as Jesus would, until the fullness of the Kingdom of God is realized! Amen.