Pentecost 26 year C Sermon Luke 21:5-19
‘Interpreting signs that bear no real meaning…
is one of the most profound impulses of human nature. This impulse is second… only to survival.’[i]
This year… a book and its movie created hysteria among …Apoca-freaks…looking for signs of the end-of-the-world. You might have seen the movie 2012 on TV recently. It was based Larry Joseph’s book…
Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilization’s End.
The book weighs up the odds… of a planet-wide catastrophe in 2012… presenting scientific evidence… of looming chaos and even mass extinction.
And now a new book by the same author…
tries to answer the biggest question arising from the first…What can we do…to reduce the impact of the coming catastrophe it predicts? The new book’s title is AFTERMATH: A Guide to Preparing for and Surviving Apocalypse 2012.
In this latest book… Larry Joseph…
lays out the latest research…on threats to the world as we know it. Solar flares…plagues, famines, droughts…
epidemics and global warming…
are all assessed for their catastrophic potential…
The book presents us… with data from NASA…
the National Academy of Sciences… and even from the Cave of the Apocalypse on the island of Patmos…
where the disciple John… is said to have written the book of Revelation…
Larry Joseph argues…that while the options are limited
… there’s a lot we can do…to prepare for…
endure… and emerge from the disaster he predicts.
And in the story you just heard… from Luke’s Gospel
Jesus has just predicted what sounds like…
the end of the world as his disciples know it.
And they’re full of questions…
about warning signs and how to survive.
They want to know…so they can prepare and endure and emerge…from the catastrophe to come… [pause]
endure… and emerge from the disaster he predicts.
And in the story you just heard… from Luke’s Gospel
Jesus has just predicted what sounds like…
the end of the world as his disciples know it.
And they’re full of questions…
about warning signs and how to survive.
They want to know…so they can prepare and endure and emerge…from the catastrophe to come… [pause]
Jesus has reached Jerusalem…his entry into the city… and the upheaval he causes in the Temple…
have sealed his fate once and for all…
the religious authorities…will have him killed.
But every day since the incident in the Temple…
Jesus has returned to teach. And on one of these occasions…when his disciples are …oooing and awring at the splendour and beauty… of Herod’s Temple…
their wonder…provokes from Jesus a dire prophesy …
have sealed his fate once and for all…
the religious authorities…will have him killed.
But every day since the incident in the Temple…
Jesus has returned to teach. And on one of these occasions…when his disciples are …oooing and awring at the splendour and beauty… of Herod’s Temple…
their wonder…provokes from Jesus a dire prophesy …
‘As for what you see here …the time will come
when not one stone will be left on another;
every one of them… will be thrown down.’
when not one stone will be left on another;
every one of them… will be thrown down.’
Such a possibility… such a terrifying prediction… sounds like the end of the world…
as Jesus’ disciples know it. And just as we would…
Jesus’ friends want to… protect themselves
from the destruction to come…
as Jesus’ disciples know it. And just as we would…
Jesus’ friends want to… protect themselves
from the destruction to come…
They want to know how to interpret the warning signs.
And of course Jesus does eventually tell them…
exactly what to look for…
but first did you notice…he warns them not to be fooled by interpreting signs which have no meaning
exactly what to look for…
but first did you notice…he warns them not to be fooled by interpreting signs which have no meaning
Watch out you’re not deceived. He says
For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.
When you hear of wars and uprisings…nation against nation…kingdom against kingdom…
don’t let that scare you. These things will happen in the near future…but the end of the world as you know it…
isn’t coming right away.
For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.
When you hear of wars and uprisings…nation against nation…kingdom against kingdom…
don’t let that scare you. These things will happen in the near future…but the end of the world as you know it…
isn’t coming right away.
There will be earthquakes, famines
and outbreaks of disease in various places…
fearful events in the sky. But these will mean nothing.
And Jesus tells his friends…
one thing’s for sure… before all this happens
one thing’s for sure… before all this happens
on account of my name…
you will be arrested and persecuted…
handed over to synagogues…
thrown into prison and brought before kings…[pause]
you will be arrested and persecuted…
handed over to synagogues…
thrown into prison and brought before kings…[pause]
And all this…will give you the chance…
to bear witness to me…[pause]
before the destruction to come…
And when you are arrested…don’t worry about
how you’re going to defend yourself…
I’ll give you… irresistible words and undeniable wisdom…
And Jesus tells his friends…
Lots of tough things will happen before the destruction I’m talking about…
to bear witness to me…[pause]
before the destruction to come…
And when you are arrested…don’t worry about
how you’re going to defend yourself…
I’ll give you… irresistible words and undeniable wisdom…
And Jesus tells his friends…
Lots of tough things will happen before the destruction I’m talking about…
You’ll be betrayed… even by family and friends…
and they’ll even put some of you to death.
Everyone will hate you because of me. [pause]
But not a hair of your head will perish.
Stand… firm…and you will win life.
and they’ll even put some of you to death.
Everyone will hate you because of me. [pause]
But not a hair of your head will perish.
Stand… firm…and you will win life.
Hang on a minute…
Isn’t Jesus getting carried away?
His friends want some comfort and clarity
about how to survive the big one he’s predicting…
you know… when no stone is left standing…
the end of the world as they know it…
His friends want some comfort and clarity
about how to survive the big one he’s predicting…
you know… when no stone is left standing…
the end of the world as they know it…
But Jesus is saying hey …I’m talking decades …
there’s a lot of work to be done in the meantime…
a lot of witnessing…
to the new thing God’s doing in me…
and it’s not going to be easy…
I’m just warning you to get things in perspective
look around…what seems so permanent
and impressive to you now …just isn’t.
there’s a lot of work to be done in the meantime…
a lot of witnessing…
to the new thing God’s doing in me…
and it’s not going to be easy…
I’m just warning you to get things in perspective
look around…what seems so permanent
and impressive to you now …just isn’t.
But what is enduring…Jesus says…what will survive…
is you my friends…my followers…
and the message you carry…
is you my friends…my followers…
and the message you carry…
So stand firm, and you will win life…[pause]
Of course they couldn’t have imagined…
the next two thousand years…
and just how their movement would survive…
but here we are… at the ends of the earth…
with the chance to bear witness to what God is doing…
to breathe love and life into in a broken world.
Of course they couldn’t have imagined…
the next two thousand years…
and just how their movement would survive…
but here we are… at the ends of the earth…
with the chance to bear witness to what God is doing…
to breathe love and life into in a broken world.
And like I said…eventually Jesus does tell them…
the signs to look for…
of the… really big disaster he’s predicting
But first he wants them…to get things in perspective
the signs to look for…
of the… really big disaster he’s predicting
But first he wants them…to get things in perspective
…the Temple isn’t coming down tomorrow…
They need to take a long view…
and recognise the road won’t be easy…but just hold on
and recognise the road won’t be easy…but just hold on
…and somehow Jesus will be there…
to get them through it.
And somehow… they will endure.
to get them through it.
And somehow… they will endure.
And then Jesus finally reveals…the signs with real meaning about the destruction of the Temple
Yes… not a stone would be left standing…
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,
then you’ll know its desolation is near. Its war that will bring the real destruction. That’s the time to flee to the mountains…to get out of the city and stay out…
For those will be days of retribution…
in fulfilment of all that has been written...but mark my words Jesus says…
For those will be days of retribution…
in fulfilment of all that has been written...but mark my words Jesus says…
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
what seems so permanent and impressive to you now …just isn’t. Only what God is doing will endure…and your job will be to witness to what you’ve seen of it. And of course forty years later the Romans marched into Jerusalem and flattened it along with the Temple which has never been rebuilt.
Like the first disciples...our job is to witness to what we have seen of what God is doing in our time. Our job isn’t to rush in panic after the next big earthquake…screaming that God is bringing the end of the world…
our job to look for the signs of love and healing and justice and peace…where God is at work in our world… and testify to these things…
tell the truth about these things
and with faith…never obsess and worry about what to say… because Jesus has promised to be with us…to give us the words.
our job to look for the signs of love and healing and justice and peace…where God is at work in our world… and testify to these things…
tell the truth about these things
and with faith…never obsess and worry about what to say… because Jesus has promised to be with us…to give us the words.
ironically…the Greek word for Apocalypse [Ἀποκάλυψις] Apokálypsis means "lifting the veil" or "revelation"
And that day in Jerusalem…just before his death…
Jesus lifts the veil for his friends and for us … don’t worry have faith stand firm…
only what God is doing will endure…
Jesus lifts the veil for his friends and for us … don’t worry have faith stand firm…
only what God is doing will endure…
