Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 0-237 (Sermon)

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

by Andy Campbell

Isa 65:17-25 Luke 21:5-19 Isa 12 2 Thess 3:6-13

One of my favorite Charles Dickens novels is “Great Expectations”, and that title itself holds a meaning of its own. Many people have “Great Expectations” even if it is only wondering what they will be getting for Christmas. Over the centuries many have tried to foretell future events, and even more have tried to discover what the future holds for them.

Remember King Saul, who consulted the witch of Endor, in a vain attempt to discover his destiny, from the ghost of Samuel. Science Fiction writers also attempt to create visions of the future. People consult their horoscopes which are published in newspapers and magazines, such is their desire to discover how life is going to treat them in the future.

Three different groups of people in our Scripture readings are concerned about the future in three different ways.

1. Things hoped for.

2. Things waited for.

3. Things to come.

1. THINGS HOPED FOR (Isa. 12 & 65 )

Picture the scene – you are a Jewish exile in Babylon. Your home city, Jerusalem and the Temple lie in ruins, your land of Judah is devastated, peopled by only the poorest classes and foreign exiles. The prophet gives you hope for the future in this idealised picture of what awaits you. Here, in the future, men and women live to a healthy old age, enjoying the fruits of their labour. There is harmony between God and all creation, it is like a second Eden.

Yet this new world is portrayed wholly in terms of the old, only without any of the sorrows. There is no attempt to describe any other type of newness. Basically, it is a picture of God and his people in perfect relationship. This indeed was something to hope for.

2. THINGS WAITED FOR (2 Thess 3)

There was trouble in the church at Thessalonica. Some of the members had decided that since Christ could return at any time, they would give up work and wait for it to happen. This was contrary to the teaching of Paul, who had founded their church, and it was bringing criticism of the church to the forefront. Paul scolds them, and reminds them of how he and the Apostles set an example, by working while they were with them.

He quotes an old rabbinical saying, “He who will not work, will not eat”. This only applied to able bodied persons who wilfully refused to work. Not to people who for some legitimate reason could not work. This problem of idleness was evidently quite serious, hence the attention given to it by Paul in this letter. The Christians were to be watchful, but also diligent in carrying out their daily tasks. Certainly Christ’s return was to be waited for, but it was not to be used as an excuse for doing nothing at all.

3. THINGS TO COME (Luke 21)

During a visit to the magnificent temple built by Herod the Great, the disciples get carried away with its grandeur, and Jesus uses the occasion to foreshadow coming events.

The fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, which would occur some 40 years in the future in AD70. Faced with the seemingly indestructible building, this statement would have been incomprehensible to his listeners – who ask “When shall these things be – and what shall be the signs?”. In his reply, Jesus covers three more future events.

(a) The concept of “The Day of the Lord”, from the Old Testament prophets. Wars, rumors of war, earthquakes, fire and smoke. A time like that described by Amos in Chapter 5. Like a man who escapes from a lion, only to be confronted by a bear, and who, on eluding the bear, reaches home, only to put his hand on the wall, and be bitten by a snake. This will be a time of God’s wrath and judgement.

(b) Jesus then moves to the prospect of his own second coming. Again, this would be very difficult for them to grasp. As at this time Jesus appeared to be at the height of his powers, and for them to imagine his death on a Roman cross would be unthinkable. Yet once more he tries to prepare them for things to come.

(c) Finally, he gives them fair warning that the cost of following him would mean persecution, betrayal by family and friends, even death. Jesus was indicating that there would be no easy path to future happiness.

The world is hostile to righteousness – would not the Son of God be crucified because he showed up the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day? By attempting to show the love and grace of the God, Jesus cut right across their inflexible, rigid, legalistic, system, which gave them a position of prestige and power in the community. He was a threat which must be removed. Christians who live out the gospel attract opposition, because their standards are in conflict with contemporary society. Take for example, where churches are in conflict with governments over issues of social justice, especially cutbacks in assistance to the needy. It is often a case of economic rationalism versus compassion.

Christians cannot afford to sit back and wait for Christ’s return to bring an end to all wrongs. Over the ages, Christians have been prime movers in the overcoming of social evils. We can thank our forebears for the establishment of hospitals, schools and orphanages, the improvement of prison conditions, the abolition of slavery, just to name a few. It has taken much time and effort, and it has been costly. Social reformers have often been called “wowsers” and are ridiculed by the society of the day. Praise God for faithful men and women who had the courage to keep following Jesus.

In regard to the future, yes, we must interpret the signs of the times, but we are not to read into them any more than is possible. Jesus warns that many false prophets will come – and many have, and they still will. We are not to be duped like some into believing that we know the day, even the hour when Christ shall return. Jesus said that even he did not know that!

What is required is for us to remain true to him in faithful service. This may mean working for him wherever we find ourselves to be. This task may be no greater than being faithful in the small and mundane events that make up most of our lives. C.S.Lewis wrote that “even if we are only faithfully feeding the pigs when he comes” that is perfectly alright, if that is our task. We are called to be faithful, following him, right up until he returns, or at least, for as long as we live. There is no excuse to sit back and wait for the end. We may not see the Golden Age in our life time, and yet it may begin without warning, at any moment.

Again, to mention C.S.Lewis, in 1940, at the height of the Battle of Britain, he gave a lecture to university students on the subject, “Learning in Wartime”. Many young men were disillusioned, thinking that their studies were futile, if they could lose their lives in the very near future. Lewis challenged them that moving forward was never futile, as the future is in God’s hands.

Who can say what will happen even one hour into the future – is this any excuse for not making plans? Jesus wants us to continue faithfully carrying out the tasks he has given us, to go forward in a sure and certain hope.

The sure hope of Salvation by Grace – the Gift of God.

That one day we may hear him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

This is the thing hoped for – The thing waited for – The thing to come!!

Our reunion with Jesus Christ our Lord!