Wait, Watch, Work
The Gospel text for the first Sunday in Advent is certainly not anticipated and it is not welcome.
Here in 2020, after a very difficult year for us all, the Gospel text begins with the sun darkening and the moon not giving its light. Really Lord?
It is Advent. Where are the joyful, hope-filled, feel good texts? It is to be found but we have to look deeper. Which I am okay with because I want to encourage you - to go deeper. While we may not have all the outward trappings of the things that bring us comfort around our traditional Christmas customs - we can be encouraged to go deeper in our personal life and to what Christ means to us this Advent. To look inward at ourselves and where we are.
Today we begin Advent and we are unable to meet together in person. We begin four weeks of anticipation, leading up to Christ’s birth. This Advent is going to seem and feel very differently from other Advent’s. I want to encourage you to not let that stop you from growth. I have heard that Advent is all about history, mystery, and majesty. The history that Jesus comes to us in birth through a woman, the mystery that Jesus still comes to us now, in bread and wine and whenever two or three are gathered in His name, and someday in majesty when everything will be revealed.
The gospel text begins today, “Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’”
So, what are we doing in the middle of Mark’s “Little Apocalypse” at the beginning of Advent? Advent and apocalyptic texts? How much more can a preacher take?
It is important that we put this text in context. The Gospel of Mark was written foremost asking “Where do we find God?” This apocalyptic text that describes an end time moment comes right before the Passover, the arrest of Jesus, the cross and crucifixion. Jesus is getting ready to leave them. At the beginning of chapter 13, the disciples are enamored by the scale and beauty of the Jerusalem temple and exclaim, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” (13:1). Jesus’ response is to speak about the temple’s coming destruction (13:2). Jesus wants to move the disciples from looking for God in specific place to moving them to finding God in him. He was trying to deepen their understanding. Jesus moves on to speak of a “desolating sacrilege” that will profane the temple along with many tribulations, including false messiahs and false prophets (13:14-23).
He warns that these false prophets will be able to produce signs that will deceive even the elect. Similar to the description of the second beast in Revelation 13, who is able to perform signs, to do “messiah-like” things.
I am always amazed at where people “find God” or think they do. People credit God with all sorts of things. Both good and bad. Sometimes it is a way for them to not be accountable for their own actions and the natural consequences of those actions. It is easier to dismiss these things as “the will of God”. Jesus warns that false prophets and messiahs will come and will deceive.
Mark’s primary theological question in his gospel is: “Where do we find God?” Not in the temple Jesus says. It will be destroyed.
Which leads to a good question for us today? Where do we find God? Where will we look for God this Advent season?
The speech of Mark 13 and what our text is today, is part of Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” (13:4). Jesus lets them know that the temple’s destruction will be pervasive, that the center of religious life will be destroyed; the question is when will it be destroyed?
And a question for us is what happens when the temple is destroyed?
Our temple has not been destroyed. But we may be feeling like that in some ways. Covid-19 has felt like “temple destruction” to many. Houses of worship have had to close their doors to gathering. Our church remains intact, but rituals and rhythms, religious habits and patterns have been significantly altered.
We have had to reconvene in virtual sanctuaries. Which are not the same. Across traditions, faith leaders have re-imagined and envisioned what it means to live without the physical assembly in the physical space. The disruption that was expected to be for a few weeks or a month has stretched into eight months and counting. Something was lost in an instant, demolished by the prevalence of virus.
It has been heart-wrenching. What were Jesus words to his disciples 2000 years ago as he spoke of the destruction then, and as he spoke of the end of things? “Be alert” (13:23), “keep awake” (13:37).
It would be/is easy for us not to tune in on Sunday mornings. Things aren’t the same. We don’t like it. Doesn’t seem worth it. Worth what? Jesus’ word to the disciples were to be watchful, discerning. Jesus’ word in this gospel to the disciples is to “Stay woke”. Stay alert.
Just because things don’t look the same right now, “Stay woke”.
What is at stake when we sleep or allow our senses to become dull during times of crises? Who is at risk when God’s people slip into spiritual slumber? What is the cost for sleeping when the call is to see, to remain awake, and to work? (Not to be dramatic, but while the disciples were sleeping, Judas, the religious leaders, and a crowd were en route to arrest Jesus (14:43).)
Jesus charges the disciples to work and watch, and not to be found asleep. The work referred to here is not specified, but is often interpreted as the work of discipleship.
What happens when the return is delayed? The longer the delay, the more likely servants become at risk of complacency, slackness, and even distraction. They may go AWOL.
The absence of certainty about the return can make workers to go absent without leave. We are living in uncertain times.
The precise timing of what is to come is irrelevant; both eschatologically speaking (regarding future things) and for us here today - (when will we be able to regather?) Preparedness for what is to come is what matters. Until God comes, do the work of God.
While this certainly would not have been my first pick for a first Sunday of Advent, there is a certain realness in this Gospel text to begin the Advent season. It certainly cuts through any sentimentality and romanticism about Christmas. The darkening of the sun, the dimming of the moon’s light, and the stars falling from heaven means the end of the world as we have known it.
The good news is, what we have to look forward to with Advent, is the birth of Christ. That God will become incarnate and will dwell among us. The temple loses some significance. Death will be no more because God will become incarnate and be born of the virgin Mary. God will take on human form and be like as we are, yet without sin. Christ will live and will die, and be raised from the dead. There is hope for tomorrow. This is something to anticipate during Advent.
So we are waiting. And watching. And working.
We enter the Advent season with a tripartite call—to watch, to wait, to work. Watching can be hard. Waiting can cause disillusionment. Work can be difficult, not even sure what we should do. Still, Jesus’ disciples are called to actively wait, with anticipation. We may not know what is to come, but we know Who is to come.
In the midst of it, the call to wait and watch and work remains. Amen.
Here in 2020, after a very difficult year for us all, the Gospel text begins with the sun darkening and the moon not giving its light. Really Lord?
It is Advent. Where are the joyful, hope-filled, feel good texts? It is to be found but we have to look deeper. Which I am okay with because I want to encourage you - to go deeper. While we may not have all the outward trappings of the things that bring us comfort around our traditional Christmas customs - we can be encouraged to go deeper in our personal life and to what Christ means to us this Advent. To look inward at ourselves and where we are.
Today we begin Advent and we are unable to meet together in person. We begin four weeks of anticipation, leading up to Christ’s birth. This Advent is going to seem and feel very differently from other Advent’s. I want to encourage you to not let that stop you from growth. I have heard that Advent is all about history, mystery, and majesty. The history that Jesus comes to us in birth through a woman, the mystery that Jesus still comes to us now, in bread and wine and whenever two or three are gathered in His name, and someday in majesty when everything will be revealed.
The gospel text begins today, “Jesus said, “In those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.’”
So, what are we doing in the middle of Mark’s “Little Apocalypse” at the beginning of Advent? Advent and apocalyptic texts? How much more can a preacher take?
It is important that we put this text in context. The Gospel of Mark was written foremost asking “Where do we find God?” This apocalyptic text that describes an end time moment comes right before the Passover, the arrest of Jesus, the cross and crucifixion. Jesus is getting ready to leave them. At the beginning of chapter 13, the disciples are enamored by the scale and beauty of the Jerusalem temple and exclaim, “Look, Teacher, what large stones and what large buildings!” (13:1). Jesus’ response is to speak about the temple’s coming destruction (13:2). Jesus wants to move the disciples from looking for God in specific place to moving them to finding God in him. He was trying to deepen their understanding. Jesus moves on to speak of a “desolating sacrilege” that will profane the temple along with many tribulations, including false messiahs and false prophets (13:14-23).
He warns that these false prophets will be able to produce signs that will deceive even the elect. Similar to the description of the second beast in Revelation 13, who is able to perform signs, to do “messiah-like” things.
I am always amazed at where people “find God” or think they do. People credit God with all sorts of things. Both good and bad. Sometimes it is a way for them to not be accountable for their own actions and the natural consequences of those actions. It is easier to dismiss these things as “the will of God”. Jesus warns that false prophets and messiahs will come and will deceive.
Mark’s primary theological question in his gospel is: “Where do we find God?” Not in the temple Jesus says. It will be destroyed.
Which leads to a good question for us today? Where do we find God? Where will we look for God this Advent season?
The speech of Mark 13 and what our text is today, is part of Jesus’ response to the disciples’ question, “Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign that all these things are about to be accomplished?” (13:4). Jesus lets them know that the temple’s destruction will be pervasive, that the center of religious life will be destroyed; the question is when will it be destroyed?
And a question for us is what happens when the temple is destroyed?
Our temple has not been destroyed. But we may be feeling like that in some ways. Covid-19 has felt like “temple destruction” to many. Houses of worship have had to close their doors to gathering. Our church remains intact, but rituals and rhythms, religious habits and patterns have been significantly altered.
We have had to reconvene in virtual sanctuaries. Which are not the same. Across traditions, faith leaders have re-imagined and envisioned what it means to live without the physical assembly in the physical space. The disruption that was expected to be for a few weeks or a month has stretched into eight months and counting. Something was lost in an instant, demolished by the prevalence of virus.
It has been heart-wrenching. What were Jesus words to his disciples 2000 years ago as he spoke of the destruction then, and as he spoke of the end of things? “Be alert” (13:23), “keep awake” (13:37).
It would be/is easy for us not to tune in on Sunday mornings. Things aren’t the same. We don’t like it. Doesn’t seem worth it. Worth what? Jesus’ word to the disciples were to be watchful, discerning. Jesus’ word in this gospel to the disciples is to “Stay woke”. Stay alert.
Just because things don’t look the same right now, “Stay woke”.
What is at stake when we sleep or allow our senses to become dull during times of crises? Who is at risk when God’s people slip into spiritual slumber? What is the cost for sleeping when the call is to see, to remain awake, and to work? (Not to be dramatic, but while the disciples were sleeping, Judas, the religious leaders, and a crowd were en route to arrest Jesus (14:43).)
Jesus charges the disciples to work and watch, and not to be found asleep. The work referred to here is not specified, but is often interpreted as the work of discipleship.
What happens when the return is delayed? The longer the delay, the more likely servants become at risk of complacency, slackness, and even distraction. They may go AWOL.
The absence of certainty about the return can make workers to go absent without leave. We are living in uncertain times.
The precise timing of what is to come is irrelevant; both eschatologically speaking (regarding future things) and for us here today - (when will we be able to regather?) Preparedness for what is to come is what matters. Until God comes, do the work of God.
While this certainly would not have been my first pick for a first Sunday of Advent, there is a certain realness in this Gospel text to begin the Advent season. It certainly cuts through any sentimentality and romanticism about Christmas. The darkening of the sun, the dimming of the moon’s light, and the stars falling from heaven means the end of the world as we have known it.
The good news is, what we have to look forward to with Advent, is the birth of Christ. That God will become incarnate and will dwell among us. The temple loses some significance. Death will be no more because God will become incarnate and be born of the virgin Mary. God will take on human form and be like as we are, yet without sin. Christ will live and will die, and be raised from the dead. There is hope for tomorrow. This is something to anticipate during Advent.
So we are waiting. And watching. And working.
We enter the Advent season with a tripartite call—to watch, to wait, to work. Watching can be hard. Waiting can cause disillusionment. Work can be difficult, not even sure what we should do. Still, Jesus’ disciples are called to actively wait, with anticipation. We may not know what is to come, but we know Who is to come.
In the midst of it, the call to wait and watch and work remains. Amen.