St. John’s Lutheran Church, Toluca, IL – 1st Sunday in Advent
Isaiah 2:1-5; Psalm 122; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
Gospel: Matthew 24:36-44
[Jesus said to the disciples,] 36“About that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark, 39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left. 42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.”
NRSV
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Hope Watchers
Grace and peace to you, beloved of God, from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
Winter is coming. If you appreciate “Game of Thrones,” you know all about the “night watchers.” They are a military brotherhood made of both volunteer noblemen and common folk, or criminals who are sentenced to the watch. It is a lifetime commitment to defend “the wall,” a 700-foot tall, 300 feet thick barrier of stone and ice that extends 300 miles through the northern border of the continent of Westeros.
“The Wall” was built thousands of years ago to protect the realm of humankind from a formidable danger. Awaiting an opportunity to cross it is the “Night King” and his army of the dead. This horrific creature was the by-product of the actions of humankind, created to protect the sacred trees from predatory action by killing every man and woman.
As important as the wall is the person who sits on the “iron throne,” the king, or queen, of all other kingdoms, who is supposed to be the unifier of all peoples. Nonetheless, the schemes and the wars for the title of “protector of the realm” bring up the worst of humankind throughout the story. You name it. This is something that the people of the north, alongside the night watchers and those who leave beyond the wall, have no patience for. They realize who the real enemy is. They have seen it. Therefore, they contempt the people of the warm southern capital and think of their machinations with disdain. Together, the night watchers and the armies of Westeros form an alliance that has been broken for hundreds of years, waiting for an evil that threats to steal the life of every last human being.
I am not sure if that was what R.R. Martin thought as a trigger for the plot lines. However, I tend to think that all this watchfulness in fear of a clear and present threat, or one constantly lurking in the back of the mind while you are busy trying to take the throne, can really mess people up.
I suspect that this reading of the gospel of Luke, on the very first Sunday of Advent, may trigger at least some feelings of dread. For some, the threat is constantly present and feels real. For others, it resides in the back of their minds as a distant, almost forgotten memory. Such threat is the thought of not being picked up by the Son of Man when he comes in full glory. The fear of judgment.
When we watch in fear of judgment, celebrations start to be frowned upon – everybody better not misbehave. We cannot risk not being chosen. The thief can come to take what we have at an unexpected hour. We better start building our defenses, just in case. Those who cannot keep up, those who do not fit in, and those perceived as not as holy as we are will be left on the other side. This is paramount. They don’t matter. Every effort to keep them there will be justifiable. If necessary, we will make offerings to atone for ourselves.
This really messes people up. It is so destructive that the generational traumas are myriad. We begin to turn things upside down and adopt the very evil behavior that will certainly separate us from Christ.
Beloved of God, do not be afraid. I really don’t think Jesus is a threat that we should be afraid of, isn’t he? He did not come to condemn but to save the world. And salvation is at the palm of our hands, nearer than ever before. If he already died at the cross to forgive our sins, all we need to do is accept his love and mercy.
As we begin this Advent Season, I invite you to be unafraid of tragic endings of the past and to keep watch for the opportunity of new beginnings. In full assurance of all things hoped for, do not lose sight. Keep watch for the divine presence, the needs of others, and the light of the world in the night yet to come. Don’t let the thieves take that away. Be on watch, so that instead, your hearts and minds may be taken over by the love of the Christ.
He is coming, and he is here. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Bridging Faith 