C, Post-Pentecost 23 Proper 28 - Luke 21:5-19 "Endurance and Opportunity"
Luke
21:5–19 (ESV) And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was
adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, “As for these things that you see, the days
will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not
be thrown down.” And they asked him,
“Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these
things are about to take place?” And he
said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying,
‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not
be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be
at once.” Then he said to them, “Nation
will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, and in
various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great
signs from heaven. But before all this
they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the
synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for
my name’s sake. This will be your
opportunity to bear witness. Settle it
therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which
none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and
brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to
death. You will be hated by all for my
name’s sake. But not a hair of your head
will perish. By your endurance you will
gain your lives.
People spoke with great pleasure about the appearance of the
temple, in the presence of Jesus. Yet Jesus taught that all would be thrown
down. Jesus said the temple would not
endure, and in seventy AD it was destroyed by the Romans.
In the first century, after Jesus’ ascension, many believed he would
return. Still today we wait for his
triumphant return. And as those who
gushed over the temple, still today we are tempted to glorify the goodness of
the church’s buildings, denominations, and organisations.
In recent years denominations have become hated for the abuse that’s
been revealed in its ranks. Sexual
misconduct and its coverup to protect the “good name” of the denomination has
led to a royal commission and safe place policy being enforced in a bit to stop
sexual misconduct within the denominations of Christendom.
Pleasure seeking in denominations has been a temptation and led
denominations away from the centrality of enduring in Christ.
It’s no different in the LCANZ either.
Our misguided pleasure is also having an impact on us too.
However, unlike some denominations that have hidden their clergy to
protect the good name of the denomination and its institution, we have gone to
the other extreme to protect the “good name” of the LCANZ when allegations of
sexual misconduct occur.
The temptation to which we’ve succumb is to throw clergy and
parishioners out of Christ’s presence as soon as an allegation is made. Pastors and parishioners are being delivered
up guilty, hated, and considered as dead.
In doing so we, the LCANZ, stand in contradiction to Jesus Christ,
unable to give the forgiveness of sins to those who have sinned in this way, or
be forgiven by those restored for wrongly being accused and thrown out into the
darkness.
Where Jesus’ love should be coming to light in the forgiveness of sin
as we walk with sinners in their accountability under the Law of the land, the
love that comes to life is self-interested and cold; governed by the pleasure
to preserve insurance policy law, the protection of the polity of the LCANZ, and
uphold the popularity of the institution in the world.
The pleasure of the LCANZ in presenting itself to the world as one
with the world, continues to reveal a terrifying truth amongst us that our
church is no better than any other, and like the temple in Jerusalem, must die
with all other denominations, must crumble with all of creation, for Jesus
Christ to endure with us to eternity.
In recent years we have seen the world become increasingly polarised —
morally, politically, and socially. Fear
has increased and so too has suffering.
The more we humans run after our pleasures the more we suffer from the
pain of doing so!
Those of us who remain in Jesus Christ and endure in his love, don’t
go searching for pain or pleasure. Both
find us as they did for our Lord Jesus Christ when he walked in the reality of
his death and destruction, pain and suffering, and the reality of resurrection
and ascension to the right hand of the Father.
Jesus did not need to go looking for suffering. In his incarnation, he was born into a
suffering world. Nor did he need to seek
pleasure. He came to please his Father,
to do his will, to forgive and bear the sin of the world.
In the midst of death and destruction, pain and suffering, righteousness
and resurrection, Jesus had opportunity to bring peace between us and God the
Father. This peace surpasses our
understanding, and it sustains us throughout the ages as worldly chaos
continues to grow. This peace, and the
opportunity Jesus took to secure our peace, pleases God the Father who freely
sustains all who endure in Jesus Christ.
When we look for beauty in the superficial structures of the church
rather than our One True Eternal Structure of the church, our Triune God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will find an increase in our suffering, as God
withdraws and hands us over to our desires.
Theologically this progression is not progressive but deteriorating
regression. Faith in the institution of
our denomination, its numbers, its finances, its pastors, its buildings, or its
history, are all idolatries and a regression of faith. Nevertheless, God tells us it will be this
way as creation continues to crumble into chaos.
How do you respond to this increased chaos?
There is temptation to panic, worry, and doubt God. However, Jesus tells us of the reality to
prepare us, so we are not surprised as it occurs. He gives us future truths, not so we plan
protection for ourselves, but so we remain in him for our eternal protection
and endurance.
We will not need to seek pain and suffering as Christians, but we can
expect it! It’s promised by Jesus here
in his word.
Nor do we need to seek to make the church a place of pleasure. This will only bring suffering on us as a
result of being sinfully disobedient.
However, God has already made the church a place of pleasure through
the forgiveness of sins. The many deaths
and resurrections the Holy Spirit leads us through, to the final resurrection
to eternal life, is also God’s pleasure in which we joyfully live in faith,
hope, and love.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of
witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter
of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV)
Even as we enter deeper and deeper into the last days of deception and
disarray, may the Holy Spirit polarise you in Christ’s love. Just as Jesus shone his light in the midst of
darkness and his death, may you let the
Holy Spirit reflect the brightness of Christ’s forgiveness, more and more,
despite the darkness of our days.
In the future, greater things will occur, despite worse and worse
things happening. Jesus promises greater
opportunity to let God’s light shine bright as the darkness of corruption and
chaos gets worse inside and outside the church.
For you who endure in Jesus Christ, he will endure within you, despite
confusion and deception.
The prophet Malachi says of those under God, “But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness
shall rise with healing in its wings.” (Malachi 4: 2a ESV)
Just as Jesus endured and died to bring us peace in the face of death
and destruction, we too are called to see and allow God to work in us as
agents of peace and proclamation, even as things seem to become progressively
more impossible in the LCANZ. Don’t be
surprised the greatest tribulations any Christian will face in the future, will
be from within denominations seeking fulfilment in their own pleasure.
Jesus promises, “…they will lay their hands on you and persecute
you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought
before kings and governors for my name’s sake.”
(Luke 21:12 ESV)
But in the centre of the
confusion and trouble we will face as Christians, just as Jesus endured trial
and tribulation, he will be with us, and just as he bore witness to the truth,
“This will be your opportunity to bear witness.” (Luke 21:12–13 ESV)
Our endurance and opportunity won’t come from our meditation on our
own sufferings or pleasures, but from Jesus himself who promises, “for I will give you a mouth and wisdom,
which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.” (Luke 21:15 ESV)
Your great pleasure is Jesus’ faithfulness and love toward you! Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father joyfully
send the Holy Spirit to bring you to him and the Father, to endure, despite the
greater descent of creation into depravity and coming destruction.
However, your destination is sealed by Jesus’ death and
resurrection. When you are tempted to
join in with the hatred of those who oppose Jesus Christ, inside and outside
the church, in the name of what pleases, cast yourself on Christ’s pleasure to
forgive.
When you endure in Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives you the words of Christ to testify to your sin, confess his forgiveness of your sin, and give your accusers and haters opportunity to confess their sin and Jesus to work his pleasure of forgiving their sin too. Amen.
