Lk. 21:35-46
Both readings look toward a new day, better days and both reflect on the fall of Jerusalem, the political and religious center of Israel. Jeremiah looks at the fall of Jerusalem and assures his readers that better days have to come.Destruction would not be the final word for Jerusalem, nor would exile. Luke has Jesus taking a classic apocalyptic posture where the shaking of the cosmos reflects the coming of something new and big. Both dream of a dawning day of redemption. Would Luke have Jesus make a clearly obvious timing mistake, or is it more likely that he and his readers saw the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of its newly refurbished temple was an apocalyptic sign? I think Luke may be telling us that all of Luke's readers live in end times, as we can look beneath terror and know that it is not the last word. Paul Tillich entitled his first volume of sermons, the shaking of the foundations, as he saw the upheavals of the middle of the 20th Century as events that shook the way we look at life, a mental and spiritual earthquake if you will.
End times readings tend to be concerned with the ordering of human life much more than issues of individual salvation. As the new church year begins, we are pushed into seeing, as King said, where the long arc of the universe is bending toward justice and right relations. Communion is a great vehicle to consider this, as I bow to the wisdom in selecting this as a Communion Sunday. Communion itself is a gift born from tragedy. Jesus reworked the Passover of death and the movement to freedom into a sacrament that both remembers his death but his passing over into resurrection and new life. Advent is a liminal time, and Communion is a liminal act, on the boundary between heaven and earth. Like a Thanksgiving meal, everybody in the family is included, but here we don't have a children's table. Everyone is given the same spiritual food and drink, more than they need. Scarcity is not an issue; distribution is not an issue. Here, everyone gets more than they deserve or need. The Advent theme is to keep alert. Our eyes soon grow tired scanning the horizon. One benefit of Communion is that it keeps us alert; it keeps our eyes open. It helps us to discern the hand of God in events and people during our days. God often seems obscure. Communion is an apocalyptic unveiling, as we look beneath the surface of bread and cup and find Jesus Christ. As we await the Second Advent, the gift of Communion opens us up to the reality of the gift of the Incarnation, the first Advent. The generous god who shares Creation with us, also shares the very divine life with us in Jesus. The patient God gives us a glimpse of what human life can and should be this morning. we get the presence of the living Christ as a present to get ready for Christmas. (To what degree is Lord’s Supper apocalyptic?)
(From Working Preacher)engizo, a verb of imminence, the “coming nearness” of someone or something. In the New Testament there are many things that might “draw near,” from the Word (Romans 10:8; cf. Deuteronomy 30:14) and the proclamation of the Kingdom (Luke 10:9,11), to appointed times (Revelation 1:3; 22:10; Matthew 26:45; Romans 13:12) including the end (1Peter 4:7), Susan Garrett writes, “In the apocalyptic view, events transpiring on the earthly plane are merely the reflection or outworking of events happening on a higher, unseen plane.” In other words, the battle between good and evil plays out both on earth and in heaven. In Luke 21, Jesus reminds his followers that there is always more going on than meets the eye. There is more to reality than they might see at first glance. Not either/or, but both/and.
It continues to be time that we do not hand over apocalyptic material to only one set of interpretation, a poor one at that. I realize that this will take effort and CE/bible Study that folks often stay away from. On the other hand, Jesus, in my view, carries a good deal of an apocalyptic set of lenses on the world, so we may do well to examine it and not merely toss it aside.
I would guess that the temple had been destroyed for a good while before Luke wrote, yet another destruction would come a generation or so later. Recall that Jeremiah was almost killed for his words against the temple.At any rate, what one would see at the end is a signal of persecution fo the church in a time of turbulence and revolution.
The nasty part of mean wonders about applying vv 8-9 to the TV preachers who know the end is near.
V. 9-11 offers a basic apocalyptic format of cosmic upheaval. It may be that you preached on Mk. 13, and you may want to do some comparison and contrasting. (Willimon just posted an apocalyptic sermon on Facebook on Mk. 13).
Perhaps the struggles with the authorities in 12-19 are to be read in an apocalyptic context. It could be seen as the birth pangs of the new age. In that light, it seems to promise more of a direct divine inspiration in speaking to authorities, as wisdom will be imparted.
V. 19 has a ring of losing life to keep it-it could be a signal chance to explore possession and life/soul itself.
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