Luke 21:25-36

"There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see 'the Son of Man coming in a cloud' with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."

Then he told them a parable: "Look at the fig tree and all the trees; as soon as they sprout leaves you can see for yourselves and know that summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

"Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly, like a trap. For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth. Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength to escape all these things that will take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."

Whenever we board an airplane with our boys, the stewardess takes the time during the safety demonstration to stop by our aisle to personally remind us that in the case of an emergency, should the oxygen masks drop from the overhead compartment, we are to put our masks on first, and then assist our children with their masks.

Makes sense, right? Take care of yourself first, and then you can help others. After all, you can’t help anyone else if you’re passed out on the plane.

In this case it absolutely makes sense to save yourself first. Save yourself, and then you can save others.

But what about the turbulence of our daily lives? What about those perilous times when no metaphorical oxygen masks automatically fall into our laps? What can we do when we can’t save ourselves?

That’s not an idea we like to think about. We’d prefer to believe that we can save ourselves. We’d prefer to believe that we can overcome any adversity through hard work, determination, and innovation.

Some of our Christian brothers and sisters have been instructed and trained to go out into the world and ask people this question: “If you died tonight, do you know where you would go?” Or maybe you’ve heard this asked with the phrase, “Are you saved?”

If you answers “no”, the evangelists will take the occasion to urge you to accept Jesus as your personal Savior. They want to make sure that when you die, Jesus will save you from spending an eternity in hell.

The problem with I have with this approach to discipleship…well, there’s several…but one problem I have with this approach is that it utilizes Jesus is an oxygen mask that you put on yourself; as if believing in Jesus is an action that you can do on your own accord; or a decision you can make for yourself. If that’s true, than that means we have the power to save ourselves. Just believe and you’ll be saved. The problem is that belief in Jesus as the Son of God – the Messiah, the Savior of the Nations – is not a decision we make for ourselves.

No one makes a logical, well-reasoned, rational decision to believe in Jesus. No one would choose to believe in Jesus. After all, he died on a cross, condemned on all sides. And what is his instruction to anyone who would follow him? “Take up your cross and follow me.” In other words, “This is how it will end for you too.”

Anyone using logic and reasoning would run away from Jesus; or perhaps even be among those shouting “Crucify him!”

We don’t believe because of logic, reasoning, and scientific calculations; we believe because we have been given the gift of faith, which is what we call the work of the Holy Spirit.

Only one person in the history of the world ever truly had the option to save himself. Jesus could have put his oxygen mask on first; he could have chosen a different path and avoided his fate on the cross. He could have amassed an army. He could have hidden until things calmed down. He could have tried to work better with the Romans and the religious leaders. He could have called upon God to destroy the unrighteous.

But self-preservation was never Jesus’ goal. His entire life was lived with the objective of making sure that everyone else had their oxygen masks on first. He could have saved himself; but he didn’t.

If Jesus wouldn’t or couldn’t save himself; what gives us any reason to believe we can save ourselves?

The brilliant poet W.H. Auden, in his Christmas poem For the Time Being wrote, “Nothing can save us that is possible: We who must die demand a miracle.”

And a miracle is exactly what the gospel offers...
– an impossible possibility
– a reality that transcends the everyday real
– a Truth deeper than all else we have been told is true
– a story that stretches beyond and encompasses all our stories so as to give them meaning, integrity, and purpose.

The Bible does not tell us of things we have seen and know for ourselves. Instead, it describes a reality that stretches beyond the confines of our finite, mortal existence and therefore has the capacity to redeem us and this life and world we share.

Each of us faces oppression in our lives.

Some are oppressed by physical limitations and poor health. Some are oppressed by people in authority. Some are oppressed by debilitating thoughts of negativity and depression. Some are oppressed by an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, inadequacy or past failures.

Today’s gospel text reminds us that there is only one constant in the universe – the saving word of Jesus Christ. Everything we think is permanent, even the sun, moon and stars, are passing away.

Which means that whatever it is that is oppressing you; whatever it is that is holding you back from being the person God has created you to be…your oppressor, real as it may be, is temporary. Your oppressors will fall and you will be saved by the eternal word of Jesus Christ.

So stand up, raise your head, for your redemption is drawing near. Not because of anything you have done, but instead because of what God has done for you. In your fear, panic, and desperation, Jesus has already firmly affixed your oxygen mask. So breathe deeply; inhale God’s presence, for God is all around you.

My prayer for you I that you would have irrational hope and exuberance because God loves you. My prayer for you is that you would fall in love with the God who loves you above all else. And my prayer is that God would lead you to unexpected encounters with amazing people who desperately need to know that Jesus has already affixed an oxygen mask on their heads; all that’s left to do is to breathe deeply.

Amen.

Mark 13:1-8

As he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!" Then Jesus asked him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down." When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?" Then Jesus began to say to them, "Beware that no one leads you astray. Many will come in my name and say, "I am he!' and they will lead many astray. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; this must take place, but the end is still to come. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. This is but the beginning of the birth pangs.

If you could know the exact date and time when you will die, would you want to know?”

It’s a morbid question, I know. But think about it for a second. Would you want to know?

If you knew, how would that change your life? Your decisions? Your relationships?

I read a study that focused on this question. The overwhelming majority of those asked responded by saying that they would not want to know the exact date and time of their death.

I certainly don’t want to know. Not knowing allows me to live under the illusion that I am in control of my own life. And chances are, whatever the date of my death is…I would think it would come too early.

I once had a strange and memorable conversation with a doctor after a yoga class. We talked about healthcare, nutrition and exercise and he told me he believed that there are people alive today who will live to be over 150 years old. And he swore to me that he was going to be one of them!

All this sounded incredibly wonderful to me, after all, that doctor was twice my age! So if he’s got a hundred years left, I’ll surely get close to 200!

I would guess this doctor is one of the majority who says they don’t actually want to know when they will die; because, chances are his time will come before he reaches that ripe old age of 150, and I don’t imagine that he would be too happy with that news.

My guess is that the majority of us would not like to know the exact date and time of our death. I think most of us are terrified of the power that knowledge would exert over us. Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

Scripture paints the picture of a Jesus who knew when he would die. At a minimum, Jesus certainly understood that he would die…which is more than most of us are willing to admit most of the time.

Think about that next time you read from the Gospels. Pay attention to the way in which Jesus interacts with those around him. Pay attention to his priorities. Jesus is constantly healing people, constantly hanging out with the rejects, nerds and social outcasts of his time, and constantly challenging the behaviors and beliefs of the powerful – all behaviors which people wouldn’t choose if self-preservation was their primary objective. Jesus has absolutely nothing to lose and as a result his life is absolutely radical and amazing!

Jesus was never concerned with stretching out his life to the absolute maximum number of years. Instead, he knew he had only a short time and he wasn’t going to waste it as everyone else was by oppressing the outcasts, kissing up to the powerful, and keeping quiet in the midst of injustice.

Case in point – today’s gospel text, which comes from the last chapter of Mark before the passion narrative begins. Jesus knows his death is just around the corner and he has some impassioned words for his friends before he bids them farewell.

He points to the great temple – the marvel of engineering and artistic beauty that was the heart of the city of Jerusalem. Jesus points to the great temple and makes a profound prophecy – it’s all gonna come crashing down.

The disciples certainly found his statement absurd. Not only was the temple one of the pinnacles of human achievement, but it was also the center of religious life for the Jewish people. No doubt each faithful Jew swore they would die before allowing the Temple to be destroyed. Without it, they would be lost, frightened, and scattered and without direction.

However, Jesus’ prophetic words would come true. In the year 70, the Roman general Titus along with 80,000 Roman troops set siege on Jerusalem, killed one million residents of the city, and destroyed the temple, leaving only one partially-intact wall remaining (you may have heard of this – it is the Western Wall or Wailing Wall in Jerusalem and millions of people still visit this site each year).

Jesus continues his prophecy, foretelling a future full of war, earthquakes, famine and disease. And in the verses immediately following, Jesus foretold for his disciples an future of betrayal, arrest, judgment, and condemnation by the worldly authorities.

And so, not only were Jesus’ prophecies fulfilled in the first century, but they have continued to be fulfilled throughout history. There have always been wars and rumors of war. There have always been “earthquakes and famines in various places.” And even today, buildings erected as monuments either to God or to human achievement can be reduced to rubble, whether it is the bombed-out churches from WWII, the World Trade Center on 9-11, or a market in Afghanistan leveled by a suicide bomber.

But notice what Jesus doesn’t say. He doesn’t say “Be Afraid!” Nor does he permit his disciples to cling to a false sense of security; as if they do in fact have control over their lives. Instead he promises them that he will be with them, guiding them along the way. And he makes the audacious promise that they will not perish, but instead will find their souls.

As Jesus said, “Beware that no one leads you astray.” The future has always been uncertain for every generation of humanity. Anyone promising certainty is a false prophet. Anyone telling you to be afraid is a terrorist. Anyone insisting on vengeance and retribution is preaching death.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus challenges us to live free from the chains of fear and the desire for control. Jesus calls us to radical reliance on his eternal presence, which he promises will accompany us as we endure tough times and celebrate good times.

And a life lived free of fear, in today’s culture, is one of the most radical claims God could possibly make on us.

Our challenge is to identify the roots of fear in our lives and ask God to rip them out before they poison our lives and relationships.

When you meet someone who is different, pray that God would give you the power to love them, as God has commanded you to do.

When you drive through a rough part of town and find yourself reaching for the door locks, pray for God to forgive you for our prejudice and assumptions…

When you watching a 24-hr news channel and hear someone telling you to be afraid, change the channel and pray that you would be filled up with the joy of God’s eternal presence.

And when you hear gossip or backstabbing, pray that God would give you the words to be brave and defend their honor.

Norman Vincent Peale once told of encountering a hurricane while on a cruise in the Atlantic. After the captain managed to sail around the danger, he and Dr. Peale were visiting with one another.

The captain said he had always lived by a simple philosophy namely that if the sea is smooth, it will get rough; and if it is rough, it will get smooth. He added something worth remembering: “But with a good ship,” the Captain said, “you can always ride it out.”

Our ship is Jesus Christ. With a good ship, we can always ride it out.

None of us knows how long we have on this earth. But what we do know is that God has promised to be alongside us, every step of the way. Through the high highs and the low lows, God is and always will be the same God who created you, loves you, and promises life.

In the face of tragedy, uncertainty, and fear, may you be bold in your faith that life always triumphs over death, peace is more powerful than fear, and the world will be redeemed.

Amen.

"Oxygen Masks & the Turbulence of Life" – Luke 21:25-36

"Living in the Rubble" – Mark 13:1-8