Two gas company servicemen, a senior training
supervisor and a young trainee, were out checking meters in a suburban
neighborhood. They parked their truck at the end of the alley and worked their
way to the other end. At the last house a woman looking out her kitchen window
watched the two men as they checked her gas meter.
After they finished checking the meter, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"
After they finished checking the meter, the senior supervisor challenged his younger co-worker to a foot race down the alley back to the truck to prove that an older guy could outrun a younger one. As they came running up to the truck, they realized the lady from that last house was huffing and puffing right behind them. They stopped and asked her what was wrong. Gasping for breath, she replied, "When I see two gas men running as hard as you two were, I figured I'd better run too!"
This little story and our Gospel reading from Luke
this morning are both examples of the old adage that things are not always what
they seem to be. When the disciples saw Herod’s temple, they saw its external
beauty, but they failed to see what was really behind it-spiritual bankruptcy,
hypocrisy, oppression, rejection of Christ and the Gospel, and Christ’s
impending death at the hands of the religious authorities.
That’s why Jesus warned the disciples to beware of the
false teachers who would come and proclaim that they were the promised Messiah.
He knew that just like the temple’s beauty hid its ugly secrets, the false
teachers with their appearances, methods and teachings would hide their true
motives. False teachers exist in our society today. This can best be explained
with another story. It is a comedy routine that I heard several years ago. In
this routine, comedian Steve Martin is doing his imitation of a preacher. Part
of the routine goes like this:
“The other day I talked to God, and he promised me
that he would not talk to any other TV preachers. So if you hear any of those
other TV preachers saying that they talked to God, do not send them the $1.50
for their polyester prayer handkerchief”
It is somewhat ironic though that on the Vision TV
channel here in Canada you can actually see on Sunday afternoon an evangelist
who actually DOES send people a Prosperity Prayer handkerchief. He claims that
he personally blesses each handkerchief, and that if you call and ask for one
of these handkerchiefs, you will be blessed financially, health-wise, etc. This
particular evangelist along with other evangelists such as Benny Hinn promotes
what is known as the Prosperity Gospel. It is the belief that God intends his
followers to prosper in a materialistic way. Instead of talking about mansions
in heaven, they talk about mansions here on earth. They do not tell their
followers that Christ expects them to take up their cross and follow him, and
their religion bears little resemblance to Jesus and his teachings, especially
his teachings about being persecuted for following him.
Not all false prophets are religious. Some of them
promote get-rich-quick schemes and preach a gospel of stocks, bonds and real
estate. Some of you might have heard of the Bernie Madoff saga. He was the
mastermind of a scheme that defrauded thousands of investors of billions of
dollars. Unfortunately, there are all kinds of schemers out there, especially
schemers who will prey on the elderly and the less fortunate in society.
Jesus does not promise us a rose garden here on earth.
In fact, he makes it quite clear to us and his disciples that people will hate
them and persecute them. He doesn’t tell the disciples that they will escape
pain, and he doesn’t tell us that either. He promises that the persecutions
that his followers will face will give them opportunities to witness to the
Gospel.
Those who do Christ’s work in the world can expect to
face persecution. For example, in the Third World Christians regularly face
imprisonment, threats, harassment, beatings and even death for their faith. We
here in the developed world do not face these extremes, but we still face the
prospect of rejection, job loss or discrimination for our faith. Thankfully, in
the times of trial, we can turn to God for strength, hope and support. He will
give us the strength to face adversity and persecution. He will tell us what to
do, say and even think, just like he promised the disciples that he will tell
them what to do, say and think.
For example, Peter and John will be arrested and use
the occasion to witness to the council. This is mentioned in Acts 4:1-22. The
council will be amazed at their testimony and will order them not to speak of
Jesus further, but fear of the people will keep them from meting out more
severe punishment. Stephen will preach a long and powerful sermon to the
council in Acts 7, and it will lead to his martyrdom. Paul and Silas will be arrested
and flogged, but they will sing songs of praise in prison. An earthquake will
free them, but they will stay in their cells and eventually convert the jailer
and his family. When the authorities try to release them, they will assert
their Roman citizenship and protest their wrongful arrest, forcing the
authorities to apologize. This is mentioned in Acts 16:16-40.
When Rome destroyed the temple in 70 AD, the Jews were
scattered to the four winds. They were without a homeland until the United
Nations created the state of Israel in 1947. They survived and grew stronger
and more resilient-just like they did during persecutions such as the
Holocaust. They survived because Yahweh/God gave them strength. They were
forced to take responsibility for worship wherever they happened to be. We are
the same. When faced with adversity, we have a choice. We can let it beat us,
or we can beat it. God will give us the strength to beat it, and in the
process, we will become stronger and better Christians because of our
experience.
So she dropped out of the business, and began taking
classes in theology. For four years she studied theology, and slowly she began
to realize that her lack of self-esteem was caused by a lack of faith. She had
been going through life without any purpose, no reason for doing the things she
did. She was not aware of her gifts, and she had no set goals for her life. As
she learned more about faith, she understood that every life has a purpose, and
that every person has something special to contribute. Now that she has a new
outlook on life, she is much better able to handle her success. She is now
married and the mother of a young daughter. All these things might have been
out of her reach if she had never taken the time to learn about her faith.
Renee Russo was fortunate to discover that her
feelings of misery and insecurity could be used in a positive way to help her
find God. That is true of every experience in life. There is a meaning to life.
There is a purpose. Even more importantly, behind life there is a divine
intelligence that can help us turn negatives into positives, tragedies into
triumphs, heartaches into hallelujahs.
Luke’s Gospel reading is one that fundamentalist,
Bible-thumping preachers would love because it speaks of the “hell, fire and
brimstone” that will occur before Christ returns. Are we in the end times
today? Maybe yes, maybe no. Although Christ mentions the signs of his return,
and many of these signs are around us today, many of these signs also appeared
in the past.
We often want to know what the future looks like.
That’s why some people resort to seeing false prophets or teachers such as
psychics and fortune-tellers. We have the only true psychic and fortune teller,
and his name is Jesus. In our Gospel reading, Jesus tells us and the disciples
what the future will be like, and he does not pull any punches. The future will
not be easy for his followers as they do his work in our world. We must make
our brothers and sisters in Christ (as well as the lost) feel the real need to
be a part of the worshipping community. If we are persecuted for our work, we
can take comfort in the knowledge that in the end God will fashion eternity.
The work will not be easy. We will get tired. It’s
hard to put others’ needs ahead of our own. It’s hard to volunteer to work at the
local food bank or help with the local Christmas Cheer campaign or teach a
Bible study and to keep on doing it week after week, month after month, year
after year. It’s even tough for us to do the right thing in our lives when it
is often easier to take shortcuts. It is at times like these when we need that
vision of Christ’s return to sustain us. We get that hope and keep it alive
through prayer and worship. They fill our spiritual gas tank and give us the
energy to continue.
The cost of discipleship is obedience to God and
imbedded in that cost is the gift of freedom. We know that the cost of work is
service to us, long hours, tired bodies, weary minds. And it is all for the
glory of God. And the gift imbedded in that strenuous activity is joy in the
Lord. The good news is that we are all followers, not pioneers, and God holds
us all close throughout all our life’s journey. We are indeed beloved and
blessed.
Bibliography
1.
Charles
F. Stanley Life Principles Bible, New American Standard Version
2.
Exegesis
for Luke 21:5-19. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
3.
Dr.
Philip W. McLarty, “Out of the Rubble”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
4.
The
Rev. Dr. Margaret Neill, “The Joy of Struggle”. Retrieved from www.lectionary.org
5.
Abingdon
Commentary, Luke 21:5-19. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
6.
ESV
Study Bible. Part of Wordsearch Bible software package
7.
Matthew
Henry Concise Commentary. Part of Wordsearch Bible software package
8.
King
Duncan, “Bracing for the Rough”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
9.
John
Wayne Clarke, “The End of Time”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
10. David Lenninger, “Of Rubble and Trouble”.
Retrieved from www.esermons.com
11. Larry R. Kalajainen, “Not Yet Quitting
Time”. Retrieved from www.esermons.com
12. Jude Siciliano, OP, “First Impressions, 33rd
Sunday, Year C”. Retrieved from www.preacherexchange.org
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