Isaiah 2:1-5
Psalm 122
Romans 13:11-14
Matthew 24:36-44
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Don’t you just hate waiting? Not just for me to get on with this sermon, but in general, we as a people especially in the west, hate waiting. We hate waiting for our food to heat up so we have more and more powerful microwaves. We hate waiting for the commercial break to end so we start flipping through the channels. We hate waiting for a website to load so we pay extra for faster internet speeds and processing power. We hate waiting in lineups so we reserve our spot online. We hate waiting at red lights so we look around for cops and in seeing none, we pick up our phones to check our messages or whatever else.
We just don’t like waiting. We want what we want now, instantly, without any delay or else it, for whatever strange reason, isn’t worth it anymore.
And if we have to wait, we want to know exactly when we don’t have to wait anymore. We stand in front of the microwave, staring at the clock. We stand in a crowded elevator with a bunch of strangers just staring at the light climbing up the numbers. We stand in the middle of the road to try and catch a glimpse of the bus that is supposed to pick us up.
Waiting is bad enough, but at least when we know when it’s coming, it’ll alleviate that anxiousness a little. It’ll give us something to shoot for and expect. It’ll give us some sort of goal or finish line that will finally end all this dang waiting.
“About that day and hour no one knows”. So uh, Jesus, you saying that not only do we have to wait, but we don’t know how long we need to wait for? That is like a recipe for an anxiety attack. And this isn’t just for a bus or for your popcorn to finish popping, we’re talking about the coming of the Son of Man. This is heavy stuff, the kind of stuff that we probably should know about in advance just so we can be ready and prepared, and better still, warn everyone that it’s coming. I mean, haven’t we been told that the coming of the Son of Man means the end of the world? The judgement and all that? The scary apocalyptic event that will separate the sheep and goats and determine where we’ll spend eternity? Don’t you think we should know when this is going to happen?
So how can Jesus leave us hanging like that? At least give us some hints or signs or something. Tell us about wars and rumours of wars. Tell us about plagues and earthquakes. Tell us the exact time that you’re coming so we can have our doomsday kits ready. Tell us so we don’t have to wait any longer.
Well, two things. First, Jesus actually did say all that. Maybe not in today’s reading, but in the story we got a few weeks ago. And second, when we talked about that story a few weeks ago, we weren’t talking about the end of the world. Rather, we were talking about the world now. In that all this stuff that Jesus says will happen as a sign of the coming of the Son of Man isn’t stuff that we are waiting for to happen, but it’s stuff that has already happened since Jesus said these words and continues to happen today. So Jesus’ words here aren’t about us waiting for these things to happen, but it is about us recognising that they are happening to us now.
This is what I think he means when he says keep awake. He isn’t telling us to literally stay awake, that would be crazy talk, but he’s telling us to remain alert so we can watch for and recognise how he is moving in us and among us. Not so that we will be prepared for eternity, but that we’d be filled with hope and joy of his presence among us always.
So in that light, I don’t see Jesus talking about a second coming as much as he’s talking about how he is already present. I don’t see him saying that the world will end when he comes again, but rather the world is being saved because he is here now. I don’t see him telling us to wait for him to come back, but more for us to recognise and see how he is in our midst, here and now, ever present in our world through our joys and sorrows, our healings and hurts, our good times and bad. Jesus, the Immanuel, God with us, literally with us. Here. Now. Always.
You see, this the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love of this season of Advent, that reminds us that the God with us actually is God with us, and will bring to us comfort and healing as we don’t just look forward to, but also look for Christ present in our lives and in the lives of others. This is the promise and the point of this season of Advent that kicks off this new church year and leads us into Christmas, setting the stage for all of life throughout the seasons.
So you hate waiting, well so do I. But the good news is that Jesus doesn’t make us wait any longer, for he is here, with us, living among us through community and right relationship, showing all people God’s love through us, in us, and in spite of us, saving us from ourselves and showing us the paths of righteousness.
So as we begin a new church year with this season of Advent, may we remember the hope, which leads to the peace that brings out the joy that reminds us of the love of God, found in the eternal presence and promise of Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanks be to God. Amen.