Year C Proper 28 14 November 2010
Isaiah 65: 17-25 Isaiah 12 2 Thessalonians 3: 6-13 Luke 21: 5-19
A lady about to give birth will remind herself that a new child, a new life is about to come into being. This is the focus of her attention which will keep her enduring throughout the labour. At the beginning of our first reading is the reminder of where we need to focus our attention. Isaiah 65:17 “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. ”
This week, the readings continue God’s encouragement to His people, along with warnings of the things that will happen along the way. These warnings prepare us and help us endure, much in the same way as a lady having her second child can endure due to the knowledge gained from her first born.....
Luke 21:10-12 “ 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.
12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name.”
A warning is also given that we will be betrayed by friends and family. While persecutions from the outside are bad enough it is these betrayals that really hurt. In fact, it is in these times of persecution, hurt and betrayal that we might feel as if our “Temple” has crumbled. We feel that the secure world we once knew has been destroyed and we really don’t know where to turn.
Do not be deceived. This is the warning that we heard last week, and again this week the same warning is sounded.
I can remember someone once saying that when God says “do not be afraid”, you can bet there are circumstances which are very frightening, and so the warning to not be deceived should not be taken lightly.
Luke 21:8 “He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”
Over the centuries many cult leaders have risen up and led people away. Sometimes the people they lead astray are those who have no understanding of the Gospel, but the more dangerous leader is the one who stays close to the Gospel message and then just puts their own little spin on it.
Often times I hear people speak about supernatural things and it seems that when people believe in the supernatural they the take this as being the truth. People equate the supernatural with the work of God. But there are deceptive spirits that will also perform supernatural signs. When we are feeling lost and hurt we are particularly vulnerable to these deceptions, as we search for something that seems real and gives a sense of comfort.
We have so many shows on television with supernatural themes and I mostly refuse to watch them. The reason being, that they show a way that things work in the supernatural realm which is different from the truth. I don’t want to be confused about the spiritual realm and only want to get information from the Bible so that I can understand things in a way that is true – and not deceptive. As the old computer term goes: Garbage in, garbage out. So I try not to let more garbage in than is necessary. We need to be diligent in searching out for truth in the Bible and not from other sources.
Shakespeare understood the concept of deception well when in Macbeth he writes into the words of the character Banquo: “But ‘tis strange and oftentimes, to win us to our harm, The instruments of darkness tell us truths, Win us with honest trifles, to betray's In deepest consequence.” "Macbeth", Act 1 scene 3
Jesus tells us that many will come in his name, claiming to be him and declaring a time of prophetic fulfilment. The problem is that the prophecy that they proclaim is the same one that Jesus proclaims in our Gospel. Jesus tells his listeners that the end will come and the signs will be wars, earthquakes and many others that we’ve been hearing quite a lot about lately.
The time is not the important aspect of our Gospel reading, and to be concerned with exact interpretation sometimes just causes us to focus on the sidelines instead of the game. I play basketball and the score board is visible and has its place.... we glance at it for the score and remaining time, but I don’t take too much notice because I’m there to play the game... I try to play as well as I can and take each moment as it happens, concentrating on defence, getting possession of the ball and getting it into the ring – all the aspects of actually playing the game. The time of the end should not make a difference to us and how we are living. We need to always be living and walking in the Spirit of God, always allowing God to direct us.
Jesus comforts us in the Gospel reading by telling us not to worry about how we will defend ourselves when we are under persecution because we have faith in Jesus: Luke 21:12-18 “ 12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.”
Jesus tells us that he will give us words and wisdom. He gives this to us through his gift of the Holy Spirit. All believers have access to this but many of us don’t understand or rely on it. How often have you had a discussion with someone and then gone home and thought of all the things you should have said and wished you did say?
It truly is comforting to know that God is in control and will bring to mind the exact right words for the time and situation. The right words are given simply by asking for them and trusting that God has given them. The Holy Spirit can make seemingly simply words have a powerful effect. It is not just what we say – we can use eloquent words and they will not necessarily penetrate the understanding or heart of the hearer.
Throughout the readings we are encouraged to have a future vision. We need to know that God has something wonderful planned for us. Knowing God and his love for us and being secure in this we can press on. Our security needs to be in God alone and our relationship with him, because – as many who’ve experiences tragedies can testify, all else in our world can be shaken.
Luke 21: 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.”
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