Matthew 24:36-44 Sermon by the Revd Karl Przywala - Part 2 Matthew mentions some activities: eating, drinking, marriage, working in the field, grinding. Jesus names these activities not because there’s anything wrong with them. In fact, these are the sort of things he expects us to be doing at the time of his Second Coming. We’ll be going about our lives, just as we are at present. But at the same time as doing these things, we should be watching and ready. I’m imaging that if I were to ask the average person what Jesus might have said, they’d come up with something nice. I guess that on the whole Christianity is seen as something nice, if somewhat anaemic, perhaps even anodyne. But what is it that Jesus says? Please look at verse 40: “Two men will be in a field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” I’ve been asked for more ‘homely illustrations’ in my sermons. I’m not sure that this is one of my strong suits, but I’ll do my best. Illustration coming up; perhaps not particularly ‘homely’, although it does feature homes! I was settling into my pew in the Cathedral in Birmingham, Alabama. “Where do you come from?” asked my neighbour. Canberra. “Pretty bad bush fires they’ve got there”, he said. This was the first I’d heard about them. I looked on the Internet later and saw what he meant. In fact, I even emailed my flatmate – “Is the flat still there?” It was. On my return, I was taken on a tour of the affected suburbs. The sight I saw was remarkable. It was a scene of devastation. But devastation with a twist. We drove along streets of houses. House, house, house, no house. House, house, gap. And so on. The thing that made an impression on me, was the way that houses had burnt apparently arbitrarily. That can be a feature of bush fires. The fire fighters had managed to keep the main blaze at bay. But strong winds carried embers. If these settled in the gutter of a house and the householder hadn’t cleared it of leaves or wasn’t at hand, the house burned. At the time, it made me think of our reading: “Two men will be in a field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.” That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man – the Second Coming of Jesus. Those who are taken are those who know Jesus and are known by him. And those who aren’t, are those who don’t. Perhaps this is part of Jesus’ teaching that people don’t take so readily to. It’s not what the man in the street would come up with if asked what Jesus might say. Let’s face it, it’s somewhat divisive and people don’t like division. Some churches take pride in labelling themselves as ‘inclusive’. Perhaps we’re tempted to brush over some parts of what Jesus says, if they’re not what we’re predisposed to hear. At last Thursday’s Bible Study we touched on the subject of Divine Election. I seem to recall it’s something we’ve discussed previously. May I commend the Bible Study to you because at it we talk about the questions people have, and this appears to be one of them. If we believe in God’s Sovereignty, and we must if we’re to talk about God in a meaningful way, we must believe that salvation is something over which he holds sway. This topic can be a matter of concern for earnest university students. I recall a speaker at the Christian Union when I was a student at Durham back in the 1980s. He obviously recognised this as something he needed to address. I found the Bible verse he quoted helpful, and I hope you do too. John 6:37: Jesus says, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” You can come to Jesus right now. It’s just a matter of saying yes to him; accepting him as your personal Lord and Saviour. That’s your choice and there’s nothing stopping you from making it. Say yes to Jesus and your salvation is assured: Jesus says, Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” Who, like me, was a scout, or a girl guide? Do you remember your motto? Be prepared. We, as Christians, are to be prepared. Do the practical things: Christmas shopping; buy the turkey and the presents. Jesus recognises that people will continue to eat, drink, marry and work. That’s part of what life’s about. But also remember what life’s about in terms of our standing before God. That’s part of what Advent’s for – a penitential season of sober preparation. Yes, for Christmas, but also for Jesus’ Second Coming. The men and women who are ‘taken’, as Matthew puts it, are those who, at the same time as going about their everyday lives are, in Abba’s words, people of vision and hope: watching and ready for Jesus’ return. May we be such people. Amen.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 02:16:21 +0000
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