Year A - Advent 1
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Matthew 24:36-44 – How many shopping days till Jesus returns?
The
countdown begins with how many shopping days there are to Christmas.
Actually
with online shopping and 7 days a week trading, we don’t have any days to
deduct between now and the 25th December.
We
just have to be good at maths – which isn’t that hard since today is the 1st of
December.
With
the commercialising of Christmas every day 24/7 is a shopping day, and for many
that’s all Christmas has really become.
A
big shopping nightmare.
And
as organised as we seem to be it still always creeps up on us and the need for
that last minute gift or that last minute food item always seems to be there.
Advent
is that time of preparation in the church to help us prepare for Christmas.
The
4 candles of the Advent wreath and the 4 Sundays of Advent are there in much
the same way as Lent is for Easter, to prepare us spiritually for Christmas.
The
busyness and physical demands of Christmas can sometimes unprepare us
spiritually.
A
busyness that also happens in the church with Christmas Eve and Christmas Day
services to organise, Sunday School children to prepare, amid all our own
personal planning for family Christmas.
Sometimes
the busyness can distract us from the blessings of Christmas.
I
have even heard, sadly, people saying – “I hate Christmas … I can’t wait for it
to be over”.
And
that’s a real sad thing to hear because Christmas was never intended to be a
burden on anyone.
It
was the fulfilment of God’s promise to the world to send a saviour to reconcile
the world to God.
Once
we reach Advent we know the time is short to have things ready for Christmas.
Places
are already taking orders for Christmas trees, Christmas lunches, Christmas
accommodation and other Christmas related activities.
People
are making plans about who’s having Christmas this year – whose parents is it
our turn to visit – the Christmas card lists are getting done and cards ready
to mail – especially if they’re going overseas.
The
time is getting shorter by the day.
Paul
reminds us that the time for the 2nd Christmas – the second coming of Jesus
Christ is also drawing near.
He
says – your salvation is nearer today than it was yesterday;
The
night is far gone, the day is near.
Ever
since Christ ascended into heaven, the world has been living in Christmas Eve.
None
of us know the day of Jesus’ return.
None
of us know the day that God has assigned for us to leave this life for the
coming Kingdom.
And
so we are urged to constantly live in readiness because, as Jesus says “you do
not know on what day your Lord is coming”.
And
that can be very frightening if you’re not prepared.
Do
you ever remember your parents leaving you home alone with strict instructions?
No
parties, no friends, and no mess.
And
then they end up coming home early unexpectedly!
You
hear the car pull up in the driveway and you quickly try to tidy up all the
mess.
It’s
a horrible feeling that sends a shiver up your spine.
Jesus
says that his return will be like that.
It
will come like a thief in the night.
And
he says you must always be ready because he is coming at an unexpected hour.
Are
you ready?
If
Jesus were to pull into the driveway today, so to speak, would you be ready to
face him?
Or
are there some things you need to tidy up in your life?
Are
you putting off some things, still doing some things you know you shouldn’t,
harbouring a grudge or hatred you know you shouldn’t.
If
you were to confront Jesus today is there something that you would be ashamed
of?
If
so, then have we become complacent thinking that we’ve got plenty of time to
amend our life?
Paul
urges us to put aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
He
lists several behaviours but they aren’t limited to those.
Any
behaviour that we would be ashamed of if Jesus were here we should be changing.
If
we don’t think Jesus is going to return today or tomorrow then when do we think
he will.
It’s
one day less today than it was tomorrow.
None
of us live perfect lives.
But
there is a difference between refusing to change our ways when we know we are
living in darkness and our inability to live perfect lives.
As
Christians we live under the grace of God asking God’s forgiveness for our
sinfulness.
Even
though we live in sin because of our sinful nature we also live under God’s
grace.
And
that’s the promise to the world otherwise instead of 2 being in the field and
one taken and the other left, none would be taken.
We
are ready for Christ to return, but not by what we do.
If
our readiness relied on our behaviour then none of us would ever be ready.
None
of us know when Jesus will return so how can we ever be ready?
What
if he returns and we have had one of those bad days?
And
so our readiness comes not by what we do but by relying on God’s promise to us.
He
has promised in our baptism, I am with you always – to the end of the age.
He
has promised in Holy Communion – this IS my body – this IS my blood given and
shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.
In
fact Luther’s Catechism says concerning Holy Communion :
Fasting
and other preparation are good. But a person is truly worthy and ready who
believes these words: “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of
sins.” The candle we lit today is the
candle of hope.
Many
believe there is little to hope for in the world.
The
wars have many countries on a knife edge especially with the threat of nuclear
attacks.
Terrorism
has made us afraid to fly, afraid of the stranger, afraid of multiculturalism.
Global
warming has many worried about whether we will have future world for our children and grandchildren.
The
church too worries about its future with numbers dwindling and congregations
ageing.
But
Jesus brings hope into this world with a promise.
A
promise to the world that I am with you.
A
promise to the church – that it will prevail forever and not even the gates of
hell will destroy it.
Jesus'
warning isn't meant to make us fearful and anxious but alert.
Some
years ago after the September 11 terrorist attacks the Australian Government
led an advertising campaign – be alert but not alarmed.
That
is also the message of Jesus.
Be
alert – the day is drawing nearer every day.
But
don’t be alarmed because Jesus has saved us.
We
believe that Jesus is coming again.
We
believe that we are born again – dead to sin and alive in Christ.
And
so we are called to live our lives in such a way.
Loving
God and loving our neighbour.
Living
as if our eternal life has already begun – which it has.
This
gospel is a call to live heavenly lives now in preparation for our eternal
heavenly life.
If
we know we should make changes, then now is the time to do so not tomorrow:
As
Paul urged: Now is the moment to wake from sleep and put on the Lord Jesus
Christ.
We
are called to be a people of hope and Advent is a time of preparation.
We
prepare because we have hope in God's love and grace.
A
love and grace that was born as a sign of God’s love to give us hope for our
eternal life.
We
may not know the day nor the hour when Christ will return but we do know that
he is coming and tomorrow will be one less day than today.
So
with that assurance, we can live free and celebrate life and love confident of
the future assured by the same God who laid down his life in his love for us,
and rose again to lead us beyond fear and tragedy into the new age of love,
life, hope and peace.
It
is this Jesus who is coming, and unlike the people of Noah’s day, we will
always be ready for his coming into our world because of his love for us.
So
until that day may the peace of God that surpasses our understanding, keep your
hearts and minds forever in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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